Understanding Soft Tissue Injuries
A “sprain” refers to a ligament (bone-to-bone) injury, while a “strain” refers to a muscle or tendon (muscle-to-bone) injury. Both require a structured approach to ensure the tissue heals with strength rather than weak scar tissue.
Common Symptoms
- Localised tenderness and swelling.
- Pain when stretching the affected area.
- Loss of power in the muscle.
The Ashbourne Approach
We move beyond the old “RICE” (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method and advocate for “PEACE & LOVE”—a modern approach that emphasises “Optimal Loading.” We prescribe specific movements that encourage the new collagen fibres to align correctly, ensuring your ankle, wrist, or hamstring is even stronger than it was before the injury. We will guide you through the initial stages of knowing when to protect the injury site with relative rest and when to push on to get the most out of the injured tissues. Our bodies are amazing and, if we are generally healthy, our body knows how to heal itself. The trick is to give it the best environment to heal as quickly and optimally as possible and to be on the look out for when something is going wrong and set you back on the right path.
