Understanding Your Injury
You have a soft tissue injury. This means you have stretched or torn a ligament (sprain) or a muscle/tendon (strain).
Ligaments connect bone to bone.
Tendons connect muscle to bone, and together muscles and tendons move your joints.
These injuries are common in sport and falls. They can be painful and swollen but usually heal well with time and sensible care.
Common symptoms include:
- Pain, especially when moving the joint
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Stiffness
- Reduced strength
Symptoms often worsen over the first 24–48 hours before improving.
Most mild to moderate sprains and strains improve over 2–6 weeks.
More significant injuries may take 6–12 weeks.
It is normal for:
- Swelling to fluctuate during the first week
- Pain to increase after activity
- Stiffness in the morning
It is not normal for pain to steadily worsen, or for you to be unable to bear weight after several days.
Use the RICE approach:
- Rest: Avoid movements that increase pain.
- Ice: Apply wrapped ice for 15–20 minutes at a time, every 2–3 hours while awake.
- Compression: Use a firm elastic bandage if advised. It should feel supportive but not tight.
- Elevation: Raise the limb above heart level when possible.
Pain relief such as paracetamol or anti-inflammatory medication may help if safe for you.
Avoid heat, alcohol, massage, and heavy exercise in the first 48 hours.
After the first 48 hours:
- Start gentle movement exercises
- Gradually increase activity as pain allows
- Light strengthening helps recovery
- Avoid pushing through sharp pain
Early, controlled movement improves healing.
If symptoms are not improving after 5–7 days, seek review.
Movement and loading
- Start gentle movement as soon as you can. A little and often is best.
- Aim for comfortable function, not “zero pain”.
- Increase activity in small steps. If it swells more or is more painful the next day, you did too much.
Taping, strapping, and braces
- A brace or tape can make the joint feel more stable, especially in the first 1–6 weeks.
- It may help you return to walking or sport tasks sooner while you rebuild strength.
- Tape stretches and loosens, so it often needs re-doing during the day or during sport.
- A brace is often easier to use and gives more consistent support.
- Support (tape/brace) helps, but it is not a cure. The most important part is rehab exercises (strength + balance).
Exercise therapy (the part that prevents recurrence)
- Do your rehab even when it starts to feel better.
- Focus on:
- Range of movement
- Strength
- Balance / control (proprioception)
- This reduces the chance of the injury happening again, especially for ankle sprains.
Anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) and pain relief
- Anti-inflammatory medicines (like ibuprofen or diclofenac) can help pain in the first few days.
- Topical (gel) anti-inflammatories can reduce pain with fewer whole-body side effects than tablets.
- Tablets can cause problems in some people (stomach bleeding/ulcers, kidney issues, asthma flare, blood pressure issues, interactions with blood thinners).
- If you are unsure, use paracetamol first or ask a clinician/pharmacist.
- Don’t use anti-inflammatory tablets longer than needed.
PRP injections (platelet-rich plasma)
- PRP is sometimes advertised to “speed up healing”.
- For common muscle strains (including hamstring injuries), good quality trials show no clear benefit in return-to-sport time compared with standard rehab.
- PRP is not routine treatment for most sprains/strains. Rehab remains the mainstay.
Return when:
- You have full movement
- Strength is close to the uninjured side
- You can hop, jog, or perform sport-specific movements without pain
- There is minimal swelling
For equestrian athletes, you must be able to:
- Mount safely
- Maintain rein control
- Perform an emergency dismount if required
Return gradually. Increase intensity stepwise.
🚨 Call 000 or go to the nearest Emergency Department if:
- The limb becomes numb, pale, or cold
- Pain becomes severe and uncontrolled
- Swelling rapidly worsens
- You cannot bear weight at all
- You suspect a fracture or dislocation
See your GP or a physiotherapist within 5–7 days if:
- Pain persists
- Swelling remains significant
- You are not improving
Seek earlier review if symptoms worsen.
- In Australia, call Healthdirect 1800 022 222 for 24-hour advice.
- Contact your GP
- or, if appropriate,
- Attend your local Emergency Department
- Australian Institute of Sport. Concussion and brain health. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission; 2024. Available from: https://www.ausport.gov.au/concussion
- Healthdirect Australia. Sprains and strains. Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/sprains-and-strains
- Dubois B, Esculier JF. Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(2):72–73. PMID: 31377722. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31377722/
- Kerkhoffs GMMJ, van den Bekerom MPJ, Elders LAM, et al. Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of ankle sprains: an evidence-based clinical guideline. Br J Sports Med. 2012;46(12):854–860. PMID: 22522586. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22522586/
- Bleakley CM, Glasgow P, MacAuley DC. PRICE needs updating, should we call the POLICE? Br J Sports Med. 2012;46(4):220–221. PMID: 21903616. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21903616/
- Kaminski TW, Hertel J, Amendola N, et al. National Athletic Trainers’ Association position statement: conservative management and prevention of ankle sprains in athletes. J Athl Train. 2013;48(4):528–545. PMID: 23855363. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23855363/
- van Rijn RM, van Os AG, Bernsen RMD, Luijsterburg PAJ, Koes BW, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA. Efficacy of paracetamol versus diclofenac for grade II ankle sprains. Clin J Sport Med. 2011;21(4):300–306. PMID: 21733417.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21733417/ - Hamilton B, Tol JL, Knez W, et al. Platelet-rich plasma injections for the treatment of hamstring injuries: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med. 2015;43(10):2410–2418. doi:10.1177/0363546514541540. PMID: 25073598.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25073598/ - Derry S, Wiffen PJ, Moore RA. Topical NSAIDs for acute musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(6):CD007402. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007402.pub3. PMID: 26068955.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26068955/ - Schiftan GS, Ross LA, Hahne AJ. The effectiveness of proprioceptive training in preventing ankle sprains in sporting populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2015;45(8):1151–1164. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0335-1. PMID: 24831756.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24831756/ - Martin RL, Davenport TE, Fraser JJ, et al. Ankle stability and movement coordination impairments: lateral ankle ligament sprains revision 2021. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2021;51(4):CPG1–CPG80. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.0302. PMID: 33789434.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33789434/
Based on current Australian sports medicine guidance.
DeployED Discharge Advice v1.0
Review due: February 2027 (Annual Review)
NB: This information has been prepared with reference to the most up to date Australian standards and guidance in relevant sports medicine fields. It is prepared in good faith, however is only intended for use as explicitly directed by a DeployED health practitioner. It does not replace medical advice, nor does it purport to be perfect. If you have any doubts about the advice here, please consult your own doctor. If you have not been sent here by us, then this is not for you and DeployED accepts no responsibility for any outcomes which come to pass from your use of this information.
