Muscle & ligament injuries
Muscle and ligament injuries are extremely common in everyday life and sport—from simple strains and sprains to more significant tears. They can happen suddenly (a misstep, a tackle, a quick change of direction) or build gradually through overuse and poor recovery.
Muscles, ligaments, and tendons form a connected system that stabilises and moves your joints. When they’re overloaded, under-trained, or poorly recovered, they become vulnerable to injury. Hormones, nutrition, sleep, and stress also influence how well these tissues repair.
At Roots Health Clinic in Prague, we combine physiotherapy, chiropractic care, manual therapy, and targeted rehab to calm pain, restore strength, and reduce the risk of future injury.
Strains, sprains & tendon issues
Muscle and ligament injuries can feel like:
a sudden “pull” or “pop” in a muscle
sharp pain around a joint after twisting or rolling it
lingering stiffness, weakness, or a sense that the area is “not right”
recurring tightness or pain when you try to return to sport
They’re some of the most common reasons for time lost from sport, physical work, and daily activities. Lower-limb strains and sprains (ankle, knee, hamstring, calf) are particularly frequent in running, football, and change-of-direction sports.
Our goal at Roots is not only to help the tissue heal now, but to help you understand why it happened and how to come back stronger.
What's going on in the body?
To understand these injuries, it helps to know what these tissues actually do:
Muscles
contract to create movement and absorb force
made of fibres that can lengthen, shorten, and produce power
injuries are often called strains (graded from mild to severe)
Tendons
tough, collagen-rich cords connecting muscle to bone
transmit force from muscle into the skeleton
injuries are often tendinopathy or, in more severe cases, partial/complete tears
Ligaments
strong bands of connective tissue connecting bone to bone
limit excessive motion and provide joint stability
injuries are called sprains (mild stretch to full tear)
When these tissues are overloaded beyond their current capacity, we see:
small microscopic tears and local inflammation (milder injury)
larger fibre disruption, swelling, and bruising (moderate to severe)
in some cases, joint instability (with ligament tears) or weakness and loss of power (with muscle/tendon tears)
Most of these injuries heal well with the right balance of protection, early movement, and progressive loading.
Why you might be feeling this way
Muscle and ligament injuries rarely happen “out of the blue.” Often there’s a background of:
Sudden spikes in load
going from low activity to intense training
holiday or weekend warrior scenarios
Fatigue and poor recovery
repeated sessions with little rest
lack of sleep or high stress
Weakness or imbalance
certain muscles under-trained or slower to activate
one side of the body working harder than the other
Limited joint mobility or poor control
stiff hips, ankles, or thoracic spine forcing other areas to compensate
reduced core control, making limbs absorb more strain
Previous injury
scar tissue or altered movement patterns around an old injury site increase reinjury risk
Hormones and nutrition (supporting role)
hormonal shifts (e.g. stress hormones, menstrual cycle changes, low thyroid) can affect tissue quality and recovery
low overall energy intake, inadequate protein, or poor micronutrient status can slow healing
Your symptoms are your body’s way of saying: “This tissue or joint was asked to do more than it was ready for.”
How we can help at Roots
At Roots Health Clinic, we don’t just rest the injury and hope. We guide you through a structured recovery plan.
Your care may include:
Physiotherapy & rehab
clarify what tissue is involved and which movements are safe
early-stage protection plus gentle, pain-tolerable movement
progressive strengthening (local muscle, surrounding muscles, and whole-chain support)
sport- or work-specific drills to get you back to what matters
Chiropractic care & joint mechanics
assess how the spine, hips, knees, ankles, or shoulders are moving
improve joint mechanics so injured tissues aren’t constantly overloaded
address compensations that developed after the injury
Manual therapy & soft-tissue treatment
reduce excessive muscle guarding and pain
improve local circulation to support healing
help you move more comfortably so exercise rehab is easier
Education, load & lifestyle guidance
how much to rest vs. how much to move
pacing, training modifications, and return-to-play advice
basic guidance on sleep, stress, and simple nutrition principles (adequate protein, collagen-rich foods, vitamin C and minerals) to support connective tissue repair—without overcomplicating things
The aim is not just to get you “pain-free for now,” but to build resilience, so the same thing is less likely to happen again.
Hurt a muscle or ligament? Get structured rehab in Prague
If a muscle or ligament injury is stopping you from moving, working, or training the way you want, you don’t have to guess your way through recovery.
At Roots Health Clinic in Prague, our physiotherapists and chiropractors work together to:
identify what’s injured and what’s driving the overload
reduce pain and restore movement safely
build strength, control, and confidence so you can return to what you love
Preventing reinjury – what comes after rehab
The most common time to get injured again is right after you’ve just recovered.
That’s why we don’t stop at pain relief. Once your symptoms improve, we help you build a long-term foundation with:
Strength and mobility where your body needs it most
Simple home routines to keep progress going
Education on movement patterns, warm-ups, and load management
Tips for sleep, stress, and nutrition to support recovery
Whether you’re going back to sport or just want to move confidently through everyday life, we’re here to help you stay strong—without setbacks.
When you should seek emergency care
Most muscle and ligament injuries are suitable for conservative care.
However, you should seek urgent medical attention if:
you hear a loud crack or pop followed by immediate inability to bear weight or move the joint
there is a visible deformity, large gap, or obvious joint dislocation
pain is severe with sudden, rapid swelling and loss of function after significant trauma
there are signs of fracture (e.g. bone tenderness, grinding, or obvious misalignment)
you develop numbness, loss of circulation, or extreme colour change in the limb
In these cases, imaging and orthopaedic assessment may be necessary.
What people often notice after care
As rehab progresses, many people tell us they:
have less pain and stiffness day to day
regain strength and power in the injured area
feel more stable and confident in the joint
can return to sport or work with fewer “twinges” and setbacks
understand their warm-up, training, and recovery routine much better
The goal is to leave you feeling stronger and smarter about your body than before the injury.
The “reinjury trap” – why it keeps happening
One of the most common frustrations we hear: “It got better… then I hurt it again a few weeks later.”
Many people return to activity too quickly—or without addressing what caused the injury in the first place.
Here’s what often gets missed:
Rehab stops too early – pain fades before full strength and control are rebuilt
Compensations linger – other muscles or joints take over, increasing risk elsewhere
Loading jumps too fast – from basic rehab to full training without a smart ramp-up
Underlying issues remain – like poor joint mechanics, nerve sensitivity, or movement habits
At Roots, we bridge the gap between symptom relief and long-term resilience—so you don’t have to keep starting over.