What is a sprain ?

A sprain is defined as a traumatic injury of one or several ligaments. A simple pulled muscle or the partial tearing or overstretching of ligaments is known as a strain. A sprain is more severe and refers to the complete wrenching of the ligaments from the joint or involves an injury to a muscle or the band of tissue that attaches a muscle to the bone.

An acute sprain is the result of a brutal trauma. It is painful and is often accompanied by swelling and bruising. A recurring or painful sprain (with a buildup of fibrous tissues around the ligament, a loss of elasticity due to the lack of appropriate care) results from regular use of an incorrectly aligned articulation; that’s the consequence of a severe sprain or is due to a malfunction of the joints. The assessment and the treatment of these two entities differ, but both can be solved using tecartherapy.

Example : Treating an ankle sprain with tecartherapy

Winback Tecartherapy can be used to treat numerous sprains such as an ankle sprain. To do so, the convex electrode is first used to stimulate the blood vessels at the back of the knee. The practitioner goes on to massage the fibular muscles and the back of the shin with the electrode on CET mode, then all around the top of the foot in order to reduce the swelling (low pulse on CET mode). He then spends 2 or 3 minutes (using low pulse on RET mode) under the calcaneus to finish the treatment.

Once the ankle swelling has gone down, it is of interest in order to speed up the healing of the ligaments, to use Winback tecartherapy on CET mode or the bands. This really saves a lot of time because being pain-free, the patient goes back to exercising sooner. The final step of the rehabilitation consists in gentle proprioception exercices which aim towards a return to normal of the “vigilance system” so that the patient gets his/her sensations back and the ligament gives the correct information concerning the position of the ankle.

Despite the appropriate treatment, some patients may still feel pain. This is often the case when a severe traumatic injury took place or when the patient is reluctant to use his/her ankle. Fitting the electrodes to the ankle will make the patient realize that he/she doesn’t feel any particular pain (painkilling effect) and thus will be able to move on. Fitting the electrodes to the ankle will make the patient realize that he/she doesn’t feel any particular pain (painkilling effect) and thus will be able to move on.

The benefits of Winshock cryo trechnology in regard to sprains and strains

With Winshock, which is particularly efficient in the acute phase, the treatment is more effective thanks in particular to its fast and localized action as well as the possibility of using the device in thermal shock mode, to stimulate the blood and lymph system, or of using it in continous cold mode to prevent oedemas. This action is also effective in treating chronic inflammation (when the ankle remains swollen for more than 10 to 15 days).

Each stage of the tissue repair has its own programme. For example, in the case of an ankle sprain, after applying the Push Back mode (15 minutes at 10°C) with accessory 2.0 to accelerate drainage, the Push IN mode (5 minutes at 10°C) is used with accessory 1.0 for an anti-inflammatory effect.

In the event of a sprain that is still painful after several weeks, Tecar provides a quick solution to restore elasticity and reduce pain due to its strong collagen and analgesic action.