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• - Sports Injury
• - What is a soft tissue injury?
• What happens when the body sustains an injury?
• What are the aims of early management of inflammation?
• How should you manage acute inflammation?
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Sports Injury

What Is A Soft Tissue Injury

Physiotherapy can be of benefit in the early stage of a soft tissue injury. That is damage to muscle, ligament, tendon, joint capsule and/or cartilage. Soft tissue injuries can be categorised according to their degrees of severity.

First degree (mild): a mild stretch to the ligament or capsular structures, or a direct blow to the muscle. Minimal swelling or bruising is noted but mild pain is felt at end of the range of movement or on stretch or contraction of the muscle. There is no joint instability or loss of function and minimal muscle spasm.

Second degree (moderate): a moderate stretch to the ligament or capsular structures, or over-stretch or direct blow to the muscle, resulting in the tearing of some muscle fibres. Moderate swelling and bruising is noted. Pain is felt on any movement which limits the muscles ability to contract. There is joint instability, moderate muscle spasm and some loss of function.

Third degree (severe): a severe over-stretch of the ligament, or excessive stretch or direct blow to the muscle, resulting in the complete tear of the injured structure. There is significant swelling and bruising along with severe pain at rest and a severe functional impairment.