Ligament Damage Pain

THE CAUSES OF LIGAMENT DAMAGE PAIN
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

Ligament damage pain is one of the most common types of injury that we suffer in our everyday lives. Ligament in layman terms can be described as a substance that joins our bones and provides support to the joints of our body. They coordinate the movements and prevent unwanted movements that can be injurious to the body. We can naturally conclude that ligaments must possess immense tensile strength.

In medical terminology a ligament is defined as a dense connective tissue, consisting of a proteinaceous matter called collagen. The strength of the ligaments is derived from the organization of the collagen. Thus, it is quite understandable that damage to a ligament can be the source of immense pain or even other medical complications.

TYPES

Ligament damage or sprain can be broadly classified into 3 categories. In Grade 1 Sprains, the ligament damage is confined to only a few collagen tissues, and the most obvious symptom is local inflammation over the damaged ligament. Grade 2 Sprains would comprise more widespread damage to the collagen cells and would inevitably produce marked inflammation with acute ligament pain and even swelling up of the affected joint. Grade 3 sprains are of the most serious kind and involve splitting up of the ligament. These sprains produce excruciating ligament pains with pronounced joint effusion along with complete instability of the joint concerned. In extreme cases, surgery is required as a corrective measure.

CAUSES

Causes of Ligament damage pain can be varied. The most common ones would comprise trauma or sudden and immoderate moments. Sudden movements may include twisting, falls, incorrect postures, or incorrect ways of lifting heavy things. Another common source of ligament damage and pain is sports injuries. Racket or Ball sports require stretching of the body. Players sometimes unintentionally overstretch to make passes or hit the ball, which may lead to ligament damage or pain. Again team sports which involve collisions or sudden jolts more often than not result in severe damage to ligaments and sometimes even ruptured ligaments.

Habitual poor posture and not standing straight may cause pelvic and lower spinal ligaments to become unnaturally stretched leading to deformation of the spine. If this carries on over a long period of time, the damage may become permanent and options for treatment may become severely limited.

CURES

Cures for ligament damage pain may take several days or even a few months to a year for the more serious cases. The inflammation may take several days to reduce, depending on the severity of the damage to the collagen cells. Chemicals are released in the area of the injury that cause swelling and pain. There is often a bleeding of tissues. Treatment of such sprains would include protecting the area of injury from any further harm, complete rest, if possible, or at least reduced muscular activity and application of ice (not on the skin directly), application of anti inflammatory creams and compression. In severe cases, use of crutches or other such aids is necessary. This is followed by the repair phase, characterized by blood clotting. The final phase of remodeling may take time and last for even over a year in some cases. It is in this phase that the ligament gradually grows stronger and gains its former strength. Controlled exercises, in the form of Physiotherapy, are extremely beneficial to ligament damage pain in this phase. Strapping of the injured zone assists in lessening the possibility of a relapse, and is highly recommended.