The terminology used by physiotherapists and doctors can sometimes be confusing, especially when it comes to terms like sprains and strains. These words are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to different types of soft-tissue injuries.
What Do We Mean by Soft Tissue?
Soft tissue refers to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments — rather than bones. These are flexible, fibrous structures made up of bundles of collagen and elastin that allow the body to move, absorb load, and maintain stability.
Muscles are responsible for movement. When they contract, they generate or control motion.
An injury to a muscle is called a muscle strain. Strains can range from mild overstretching (Grade 1) to a complete rupture (Grade 4).Tendons connect muscles to bones. While tendon injuries are sometimes grouped with muscle injuries, they behave differently and are usually described as tears, ruptures, or tendinopathies rather than strains.
Ligaments connect one bone to another, providing stability across joints. When ligaments are overstretched or torn, it’s called a ligament sprain, graded from mild to complete rupture — much like muscle strains.
How Do These Injuries Happen?
Both sprains and strains typically occur when tissues are pushed beyond their normal capacity:
Sprains often result from a sudden twist, fall, or impact that forces a joint out of its usual position — for example, rolling an ankle.
Strains are more likely to happen with sudden movements, overuse, or lifting something too heavy — such as a hamstring injury during sport or back strain from lifting.
Common Symptoms
While both cause pain and swelling, the details can differ:
Sprain: pain around a joint, swelling, bruising, and sometimes instability or a “popping” sensation at the time of injury.
Strain: pain within the muscle, stiffness, weakness, and sometimes muscle spasm.
Assessment and Recovery
When you sustain a soft tissue injury, a physiotherapist can assess which structure is involved, the severity of damage, and the best pathway for recovery.
More severe injuries will take longer to heal and may require a combination of rest, gradual loading, and targeted rehabilitation exercises.
In contrast, a mild Grade 1 injury can recover in less than two weeks — but even minor injuries benefit from guided rehab. Early treatment helps restore full function and significantly reduces the risk of reinjury.
When to Seek Help
If pain, swelling, or weakness persists for more than a few days — or if you notice joint instability or bruising — it’s best to seek assessment. Early intervention not only speeds up healing but ensures the injury heals correctly, preventing long-term problems.
How Manning Physio Can Help
At Manning Physio, our experienced team can assess your injury, identify which structures are affected, and guide you through an individualised recovery plan. We focus on helping you return to movement confidently — whether that means getting back to sport, work, or simply moving without pain in daily life.
If you’ve recently had a sprain or strain, book an appointment today to start your recovery with the right advice and support.
Plus check out our Blog post “When do you really need a scan?”