Difference Between Tendons And Ligaments

Soft tissues refer to parts of your body that are not basic or vital organs and while at that place are many, the three main ones we will focus on (and you volition be familiar with) are muscles (or to be more than precise skeletal muscles), tendons and ligaments.

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What are muscles?

Nosotros are all familiar with muscles and nosotros all have them, whether you can see them or not! In the most simplistic way possible the part of the muscle is to produce contractions (shortening) to facilitate move.

The muscle is a soft tissue made up of connective tissue (surrounding case) and private muscle fibres, which are striated in advent. Each muscle fibre contains poly peptide filaments, which are responsible for producing contractions. This is what allows the states to motility around and these fibres are activated past motor nerves.

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What are the most mutual muscle injuries?

Muscle injuries are very common and a normal part of life for the fit and active. The almost mutual injuries are muscle strains, lacerations and contusions.

Strain versus sprain: what'due south the difference?

Equally previously mentioned muscles have the power to stretch, however if they stretch as well far or the strength going through them exceeds the force they can produce, the fibres can go past their comfort zone. This causes separation of the fibres and produces a muscle strain. Muscle strains come in different grades (see beneath). Symptoms are an immediate onset of pain following a sudden stretch or an unusual motility.

Grade 1 STRAIN

GRADE ii STRAIN

GRADE three STRAIN

At that place is impairment to individual muscle fibres (less than 5% of fibres).

This is a mild strain, which requires ii to three weeks reduced action with a deadening and steady increase.

There is more than muscle fibres involved, simply the muscle is not completely ruptured.

The rehab period required is usually between 3 and 6 weeks with a slow and steady increase in activity to follow.

This is a complete rupture of a muscle. In an athlete this will ordinarily require surgery to repair the muscle.

The rehabilitation time is effectually 3-6 months.

Lacerations are identical, in that there is separation of fibres however it is usually due to a sharp or slicing trauma to the muscles…we will non attach motion picture of this ane – they are not for the nice!

How do you care for muscle aches and injuries?

Muscles have a swell claret supply and left alone they will fully heal in half dozen-12 weeks depending on the severity of the strain. A complete rupture would need surgical intervention followed past physiotherapy strengthening.

Muscles heal by bridging the separation with scar tissue which a) does not have a contractile chemical element and b) is not every bit stretchy as the muscle. And so information technology is massively important to introduce exercises and stretches to the muscle to optimise recovery and the mode the scar tissue is formed – this is where a physiotherapist can help!

For an optimal and speedy recovery the do programme has to be very specific for each muscle. This is so the muscle is not overloaded and overstretched to the point where it is detrimental to the healing process.

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What are tendons?

Tendons are the soft tissue that connects our muscles to the bone allowing them to be a pully and later produce movement. Tendons differ from muscles because they are mainly made upwardly of collagen and elastin; this means they cannot contract themselves, but they are incredibly strong and strong. They also have a much smaller blood supply, reducing their metabolism.

Their stiffness means tendons have a remarkable ability to store and release free energy like a bound. So much that the Achilles tendon can exist responsible for 55-60% of your force production when running!

What are the most common tendon injuries?

Although uncommon you can have acute strains to tendons similar to the strain of a muscle. This is unusual due to the muscle being more 'stretchy' and therefore more likely to take one for the squad. The grading of these injuries are identical to the muscles strain, please run across above.

A more than common injury of the tendon is "tendinopathy" or "tendonitis" which are both the same thing. This refers to an overload of the tendon over a pregnant fourth dimension period. These are really mutual just below the kneecap, in the Achilles and on the sole of the foot (plantar fasciitis). The overload occurs during movements requiring the tendon to act like a leap eastward.chiliad. jumping, running, throwing and walking.

How do you treat tendon injuries?

This injury reflects the fitness of a tendon along a continuum, so there is no quick fix! The very nature of this injury is that the tissue cannot cope with the work you are giving it.

Therefore, load (activeness) modification is a HUGE role of rehabbing the tendon. Interestingly, the other office of the rehab process involves loading the tendon. Through lots of research it has been demonstrated that eccentric exercises and a boring and heavy load increase has a positive touch on the health of a tendon.

Some physios may prescribe eccentric resistance work and others boring and heavy resistance; this actually depends on the stage of the tendinopathy and type… not forgetting that this in conjunction with you reducing the workload elsewhere.

What are ligaments?

Last, but certainly non least is the ligament; the chief role of this soft tissue is stability and it does this by connecting bone to os. Similar tendons, ligaments do not take a contractile component or a very skillful claret supply. Additionally, they are made up of collagen and elastin but have much smaller elastin properties, which means they are non as springy. This makes sense with their office being to terminate unwanted motion.

What are the almost mutual ligament injuries?

Like to muscles and tendons, ligaments are susceptible to existence over stretched causing the fibres to separate; this type of injury is referred to every bit a sprain. You may recognise the table beneath or discover information technology looks very like to the muscle strain injury and that's because … it is!

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Class one

Course 2

Grade 3

Represents a microscopic injury without stretching of the ligament on a macroscopic.

Little swelling & tenderness with fiddling impact on function.

Considerably more than fibres and, therefore in that location could be increased laxity at the joint.

Moderate swelling, pain and impact on role, reduced properoception, range of movement and instability.

Complete rupture with excessive joint laxity. Can be painful, only occasionally painless.

Complete rupture, large swelling, very tender, loss of role and noted instability of the joint

How do yous treat ligament problems and injuries?

Complete ruptures of ligaments require surgery to exist reconstructed, but other grades require appropriate rest followed past rehab exercises.

Rehab exercises for ligaments should focus on strengthening the surrounding muscles. This is to brand sure the joint is as supported as possible. Controlled resistance exercise does not pose a threat to ligaments, therefore you can progress weights quite apace.

In addition to strengthening it is of import that you focus on proprioception rehabilitation with ligaments. Ligaments are rich with mechanoreceptors, which are cells that tell your body where joints are in infinite. If your body starts to move in unconventional ways that pose a threat to the ligaments, then it is important to accept finite mechanoreceptors to trigger reflexes of postural muscles. They tin can also relay the information to you much quicker, and then you know to correct your movement.

Proprioception (mechanoreceptor) grooming is very easily washed … in principle. Combining various types of residuum piece of work with jumping, changing management, throwing and catching.

If you are worried near any kind of soft tissue injury ever seek medical advice and get it checked out by a md or physiotherapist.

Dominic Richmond is a Chartered Physiotherapist with Physio Fixx

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