Condition
Muscle Strains & Sprains in Currambine
A strain is a muscle or tendon injury; a sprain is a ligament injury. Both usually heal well. What decides whether they stay healed is what happens in the four to eight weeks after they stop hurting, and that is the part most people skip.
How long does a muscle strain take to heal?
It depends on the grade and the muscle. A minor strain often settles in one to three weeks, while a more significant hamstring or calf strain can take six to twelve weeks before a full return to sprinting. Assessment at Northern Beaches Chiropractic in Currambine grades the injury, sets a realistic timeframe, and stages the return so the tissue is loaded before it is tested.
What commonly contributes to it
People commonly visit us for assessment and management of strains & sprains. These are the factors that turn up most often — your own picture is worked out in the assessment.
- Sprinting, changing direction or decelerating — the classic hamstring and calf mechanisms
- A rolled ankle on uneven ground, or an awkward landing
- Lifting or lowering something heavier or faster than planned
- Fatigue late in a game or late in a session, when control drops off
- A previous injury on the same side that was never fully rehabilitated
The first week matters less than people think
Early management is straightforward — settle it down, protect it from anything that clearly makes it worse, and start moving it gently as soon as that is tolerable. Prolonged rest and endless ice are no longer considered the main event.
Beyond avoiding the obvious, there is not a great deal you can do in the first few days to change the healing rate. What you can change is what comes after.
Reinjury is the actual risk
Hamstring strains in particular have a high recurrence rate, and the strongest predictor of a hamstring injury is having had one before. Most reinjuries happen because the return was based on how it felt rather than on what it could do.
Staged rehabilitation means strength at length, then speed, then the sport-specific demand — with each tested before moving on. It is slower than feeling ready, and it is the reason the second one does not happen.
Ankle sprains are undertreated
Most ankle sprains get a few days of rest and no rehabilitation at all, which is part of why chronic ankle instability is so common. A meaningful proportion of people who sprain an ankle still have symptoms a year later.
Balance and strength work afterwards reduces the chance of doing it again. It takes a few weeks, and it is the difference between one sprain and a recurring problem.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a strain and a sprain?
A strain is an injury to muscle or tendon; a sprain is an injury to a ligament. A pulled hamstring is a strain, a rolled ankle is a sprain. They heal on different timelines and are rehabilitated differently.
Should I use ice on a strain?
Ice can help with pain in the first day or two, and there is no strong evidence it speeds healing. Use it for comfort if it helps, but it is not the part of the plan that changes the outcome.
Do I need a scan for a muscle strain?
Usually not. Most strains are diagnosed and graded on examination. Imaging earns its place when the injury is severe, when a tendon avulsion is suspected, or when a firm timeframe matters for a season or a competition date.
When can I go back to sport?
When the injured side can do what the other side can do, under speed and under fatigue — not simply when it stops hurting. Pain settles well before capacity returns, and the gap between the two is where reinjuries live.
Can I train around it?
Almost always. There is usually plenty still available — the other limb, the upper body, and often the injured limb in ranges that do not aggravate it. Keeping training going protects your fitness and makes the return quicker.
Related pages
Last reviewed by Dr Corey Williams, Chiropractor. This page is general information, not individual health advice.
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