Overview

Sprains: A sprain is a tear in your ligament caused by an unanticipated jerk that twists the area. The severity of the injury determines the treatment for a sprain. Based on the Mechanism of injury, a soft tissue injury can be classified as Mechanical, Chemical, Thermal or Miscellaneous. They can also be classified as acute and Chronic based on their severity. A typical classification of soft tissue injury includes.

Strains: A strain can be caused by overuse or by applying a strong force to a muscle or tendon. Strains are common soft tissue injuries among athletes. 

Bursitis: Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs found throughout your body. The bursae aid in the reduction of friction during a joint movement. Bursitis is an inflammatory condition of the bursae, most commonly affecting the major joints like the elbow, knee, foot and hip. 

Tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendons. Tendonitis is commonly caused by overuse of a body part through repetitive motions. The  Wrists, elbows, and knees are frequently affected joints.

Causes

• Overuse: Repeatedly overusing the same muscle group for an extended period, such as while painting, stitching, decorating, etc 

• Overloading: A sudden spike in load on a specific muscle group can cause a soft-tissue injury. Overloading typically entails exercising at a higher intensity than you are accustomed to or lifting a heavier-than-usual object or abruptly increasing your regular activity.

• A Slip or Fall 

• A sudden shift in course: Twisting, turning, jumping, swinging and overstretching are examples of actions that can result in injury. 

• A forceful blow like hitting with something, dropping a heavy object upon your body part, or even Machine-induced accidents like being crushed.

Symptoms

• Pain 

• Inflammation 

• Swelling 

• Immobility

Ayurvedic View

Asthi vaha sroto dushti- it's a condition where there is mainly shleshaka kapha (synovial membrane, fluid) involvement along with prakupita (aggravated) vata dosha in sandhi pradesha (joint area), which results in adika shoola (severe pain), aankunchana prasarana kashta chesta (pain and restrictions while extension and flexion movements), resulting in weakness of that soft tissue, when strained, can cause pain, etc. The Ayurveda way of approach is to bring the dosha back to prakruta awastha (balanced state), reduce the symptoms, thereby increasing the range of movement of the affected soft tissues, and nourish the dhatus (strengthen tissue) by Ayurvedic panchakarma treatment.