According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare yearly statistics, up to 33,623 people presented to the hospital with a sprain or similar type of injury.[1] Physically active people, such as athletes and manual labourers, are at high risk of ligament injuries. According to a report from the Australian Football League, ankle sprains and ligament injuries were the 4th and 5th most common injuries.[2]
The role of ligaments is to provide support to your joints. Most, if not all ligaments, help connect bones to bones. Once a ligament has been injured or torn, the joint can become less stable and risk further injury. More flexible joints will need more ligaments to help restrict too much movement, such as the hip and shoulder joint.
Read on to understand what you should know about ligament injuries; the risk factors, treatment options and expected recovery time.
What are Ligament Injuries?
Ligament injuries (sprains) are painful conditions caused by tearing or overstretching the ligament. The ligament is a connective piece of tissue that holds your bones together. They are classified from grade 1 to grade 3 depending on how severe the injury is.
What are the most common ligament injuries?
Ligament injuries can happen in both the upper and lower body, as well as in the spine. Here are the most common ligament injuries in the body:
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ACL Tear - Anterior cruciate ligament tears (ACL) of the knee are caused by an injury from a high-intensity rotation of the knee on a planted foot or from an awkward jump landing.
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TMJ sprain - Jaw pain can result from over-stretching of the jaw ligaments from excessive mouth opening or problems around the jaw muscles.
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Sprained Ankle - A sprained ankle is the most common type of ligament injury. It results from sudden inward rolling of the foot, which can lead to difficulty in weight-bearing.
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Plantar Fasciitis - Plantar Fasciitis is an overuse injury due to repetitive stress that causes microtears in ligaments of the foot. It is common in joggers and runners.
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Shoulder separation - Is a common injury to the acromioclavicular joint. This usually results from a direct blow to the shoulder or falling on an outstretched hand.
What are the symptoms of ligament injuries?
Ligament injuries are characterised by sudden and sharp pain in the affected area. This is accompanied by immediate swelling, inability to weight-bear, a potential loud "pop" sound and a feeling of looseness in the affected joint.
Symptoms of ligament injuries can range from mild to severe. The severity of the sprain is graded based on the damage to the ligaments and its effect on your joint’s stability.
Grade I (mild) - minimal damage to the ligaments and can only be seen microscopically.
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Slight tenderness
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Joint stability remains
Grade II (moderate) - partial tear on the ligaments with moderate to severe pain.
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Swelling
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Tenderness
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Mild joint instability
Grade III (severe) - complete tearing or rupture of the ligament and may require surgical reconstruction to repair the damage.
Common symptoms of ligament injuries
What causes ligament injuries?
Common causes of ligament injuries are in situations where there is a lot of stress on the affected joint and surrounding ligaments. This may be a twisting motion or hard and awkward landings, such as a rolled ankle or a fall onto an outstretched hand.
Ankle Ligament Injuries
Knee Ligament Injuries
Wrist Ligament Injuries
- Breaking a fall on an outstretched hand
Thumb Ligament Injuries
- Overextension when playing racquet sports
Shoulder Ligament Injuries
Common causes of ligament injuries
Sports that increase the risk of ligament injuries
Many ligament injuries happen during high-intensity sports and recreational activities. It usually occurs during a sudden change in direction and forceful movements of your joints.
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Football
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Basketball
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Soccer
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Downhill skiing
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Tennis
Different factors may lead to injury, and many of them happen during your favourite physical activities. It is good to have yourself checked by a medical professional if you have an injury and have symptoms of ligament injuries.
How are ligament injuries diagnosed?
Having ligament injuries can have a debilitating impact on your life. Pain and instability can affect your ability to move your joints and prevent you from doing your usual activities for a few weeks or months.
It is vital to catch symptoms of ligament injuries, especially joint instabilities, to prevent complications. One of the preferred solutions is a physiotherapy assessment.
Physiotherapists are medical professionals that deal with joint injuries that affect your ligaments.
They can accurately diagnose ligament injuries and provide you with appropriate treatments.
A physiotherapy assessment is simple yet comprehensive. Your physiotherapist will start the consultation with a mini-interview and ask you about your medical history. Use this time to discuss your symptoms and how you acquire your injury.
After creating a background of your condition, your physiotherapist will perform various physical tests to assess the integrity of the ligament and assess the severity of your condition.
Your physiotherapist will then formulate a diagnosis and a specific treatment plan for you that will guide you through your recovery. This will also include:
How are ligament injuries treated?
Pain and limitation in your movements can prevent you from participating in sports and recreational activities. In addition, damage to your ligament can weaken the joint structure and lead to further injury.
There are several options when it comes to treating ligament injuries. One of the more common and the treatment option referred to by Australian GPs the most frequently is physiotherapy.
Physiotherapists always encounter sports conditions such as ligament injuries. They are in the best position to give quality care and help you through your recovery.
The primary goal of your treatment is to help you manage the inflammation, improve joint stability and allow a pain-free range of motion.
Depending on the severity of your arthritis, a physiotherapist may provide you with a combination of the following types of treatments:
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Manual Therapy - Hands-on techniques used by your physiotherapist to improve joint mobility and relieve joint stiffness.
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Stretching - Exercises used to maintain joint range of motion and relieve stiffness.
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Strengthening Exercises - Specific exercises that strengthen the muscles and increase the stability of the joint.
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Cryotherapy - Cold modalities are used to decrease swelling and pain.
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Ultrasound Treatment - Ultrasound waves stimulate soft tissue healing.
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Postural Training - Exercise techniques to help you keep an optimal posture and decrease stress on your joints and ligaments.
Next step: Creating a treatment plan made for you
After your initial assessment, your physiotherapist will create a detailed treatment plan for you to help you maximise your recovery.
Self-care for ligament injuries
If you think you have ligament injuries, here are the best things you can do and avoid.
Things to do:
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Protect
Right after your injury, protect the affected joint by limiting its movements to prevent further damage to your ligaments.
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Rest
Rest the affected joint for a couple of days to avoid worsening your condition.
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Ice
Apply cold compress on the joint for at least 10 to 15 minutes every 2 hours to control the swelling and inflammation.
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Compression
Compressing the joint segment can decrease the swelling.
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Elevation
Elevation will also prevent swelling and facilitate a better flow of blood. Elevate your limb just above the level of your heart if you are lying in bed.
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Optimal Loading
As signs of inflammation decrease, you can start gradually loading your muscles and joints through gentle and controlled movements to facilitate proper healing.
Things to avoid:
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Avoid excessive movement of the joint-segment
Moving the affected joint can further damage the injured ligament. Wear a prescribed brace to limit your movements while you are recovering from injury.
Do I need a specialist or surgery?
Ligament injuries may affect complicated structures of your body, such as the spine and the knees, which may require additional imaging studies to rule out other conditions and adequately assess the severity of your injury.
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X-Ray: This can be done to check for possible fractures inside the joint.
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MRI: Will also likely be ordered to determine the severity of tears and damages to surrounding structures in the joint.
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Ultrasound: Can assist in quickly diagnosing ligament tears and other conditions
In severe cases, a complete rupture of a ligament requires surgical intervention to bring stability back to the joint.
Your GP will refer you to a physiotherapist for rehabilitation and conservative treatment of your ligament injuries.
What is the recovery time / prognosis for ligament injuries?
Ultimately, recovery time is dependent on being proactive and seeking professional treatment and the severity of your ligament injury.
Your treatment aims to allow the ligament to heal while minimising the impact on the joint and stress to the ligament.
Full recovery from ligament injuries can be achieved anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. However, it may take longer depending on the severity of the injury.
As your ligament heals, you can gradually progress in your rehabilitation and regain your normal function.
Important factors in recovery include:
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Sticking to your rehabilitation program and regularly exercising
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Resuming your sports activity gradually
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Paying attention to pain, and resting as necessary.
Can ligament injuries be prevented?
It is impossible to guarantee the prevention of a ligament injury; they are usually caused by accidents or sporting injuries. However, there are some things you can do to minimise the risk, or help the recovery process if you have already injured your ligaments.
Strengthen your muscles – strong muscles provide greater stability of the joints and allow greater resilience to ligament injuries.
Improve your flexibility – improving the flexibility of your muscles through stretching will help you maintain the natural range of motion of your joints and prevent overstretching of the ligaments during intense activities.
Wear proper athletic shoes – proper footwear can help prevent ligament injuries to your ankles, knee and thigh.
Optimise your workouts and training routine – Overtraining and fatigue can increase your risk of injury. Fatigued muscles provide less strength and control to the joints, which may lead to ligament injuries.
Outlook and the main takeaways
Ligamentous injuries can cause pain and instability in your joints. In addition, it can hinder your daily activities and prevent you from sports participation for a long time.
If you have symptoms of ligament injuries, book a consultation with a physiotherapist today to assess and start your road to recovery.
Anatomy of ligaments
Ligaments are bands of strong tissues around your joints and primarily connect your bones in the joints. They also provide strong stability to the joints and limit their movements.
Excessive stress and impact on the joints from various physical activities can cause microtears in the ligaments and lead to injury.
