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Protect and Settle
Bracing or taping where needed, gentle early movement, manual therapy to manage swelling, and laser therapy to reduce pain in the acute phase.
Conditions We Treat
Sprain & Strain Treatment in Onondaga County
Getting Started
Sprain and Strain Care From Day One
A rolled ankle on the trail, a wrist that caught a fall, a back that went out lifting a box: sprains and strains are the most common injuries we see, and the ones most often under-treated. At AR Physical Therapy we get you moving safely in the first days, restore the strength and balance that make the joint stable again, and use deep tissue laser therapy to take the edge off pain and swelling while you heal.
Rest alone leaves joints weak and re-injury likely. We protect the injury briefly, then load it progressively and rebuild the balance and strength that prevent the next one.
If you cannot bear weight, the joint looks deformed, or numbness develops, seek medical care first to rule out a fracture. Otherwise, see us within the first few days.
Learn More
How We Treat Sprains and Strains
Understanding Sprains & Strains
Rest, ice, and
wait is out.
wait is out.
A sprain is an injury to a ligament, the tissue that connects bone to bone and keeps a joint stable. A strain is an injury to a muscle or the tendon that attaches it to bone. Ankles, wrists, thumbs and knees are the usual sprain sites; the low back, neck and calf the usual strain sites. Both are graded 1 to 3.
The old advice of rest, ice, compression and elevation has been replaced. Current guidelines favor protecting the injury briefly, then loading it early, keeping the blood flowing, and building back strength and confidence through movement. Long rest leads to stiff, weak joints and higher re-injury rates, which is why an ankle rolled five years ago so often rolls again.
Protect Briefly
A few days of protection, bracing or taping where needed
Load Early
Movement and weight-bearing as soon as they are safe
Rebuild Balance
Proprioception training is the single best defense against the next sprain
What We See
Common sprains
and strains.
and strains.
Most sprains and strains resolve well with early guided care. The ones that linger are the ones that were rested and never rebuilt.
Ankle sprains
Recurrent ankle instability
Wrist sprains
Thumb (skier’s) sprains
Knee ligament sprains
Low back strains
Neck strains
Calf strains
How We Treat It
Stable joints are
built, not rested.
built, not rested.
Pain fades well before strength and balance return, which is why finishing the program matters.
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Restore Motion and Strength
Progressive range of motion and strengthening for the injured joint and the muscles that control it, starting within days.
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Rebuild Balance
Proprioception and balance training on force plates, the most effective step for preventing repeat ankle sprains.
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Return With Confidence
A graded return to walking, running, sport or work, with the same objective testing we use for athletes.
Why Choose Us
Heal Fully, Not Just Fast
Deep Tissue Laser Therapy
Laser for pain and
swelling, early.
swelling, early.
In the first days after a sprain or strain, pain and swelling are what limit how much you can move, and movement is what speeds recovery. The LightForce Class IV laser is applied over the injured ligament or muscle to increase local circulation and reduce pain and spasm. On a fresh, irritable injury we start at a low dose and increase as the tissue settles.
Laser is FDA-cleared for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain and spasm and for increasing local blood circulation, which are the acute-phase needs of a sprain or strain. It supports the healing your body is already doing; it does not replace the loading and balance work that make the joint stable again.
Recovery
What progress
looks like.
looks like.
Grade 1 sprains and strains usually settle within one to three weeks, grade 2 within three to six, and grade 3 injuries take longer and occasionally need a surgical opinion.
Walk Normally
Keep the joint moving within comfortable range and walk as normally as you can from the start.
Daily Balance Work
The balance and strengthening program is what stops the next sprain. Do it every day.
Resist Total Rest
Complete rest is the most common mistake we see and the reason ankles keep rolling.
Why AR Physical Therapy
Treated properly
the first time.
the first time.
You want the swelling down, the joint stable and no repeat next season. We build all three into the plan.
- Evaluation and treatment led by a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist
- Screening for fractures and other injuries that need imaging
- Class IV laser therapy for acute pain and swelling
- Force plate balance and strength testing before you return
LightForceClass IV laser
DorsaVi3D motion capture
KeiserPneumatic resistance
KinventForce plate analysis
Questions
Common questions.
Should I ice a sprain?
Ice can help pain in the first day or two. Beyond that, movement and loading do more for recovery than ice does.
Do I need an X-ray?
Only if certain signs are present, such as inability to bear weight or bone tenderness in specific spots. We screen for them at your first visit and refer you if needed.
Why does my ankle keep rolling?
Because the balance and strength lost in the first sprain were never rebuilt. That is the part of rehab most people skip and the part we insist on.
Does laser hurt on a fresh injury?
No. You feel gentle warmth, and we keep the dose low while the tissue is irritable.
Get Started
Treat the sprain
properly this time.
properly this time.
Book an evaluation in the first few days and start moving safely.