Apply an ice pack to the torn muscle area for 20 minutes, and this will slow down the flow of blood to your injured muscle area. Take care not to ever massage the torn muscle area or apply heat to it; doing either will result in more blood flow to the area, which disrupts the opportunity for your muscle to heal.
- Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort. ...
- Ice. Even if you're seeking medical help, ice the area immediately. ...
- Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. ...
- Elevation.
How long does it take a torn muscle to heal?
approach — rest, ice, compression, elevation:
- Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort. …
- Ice. Even if you’re seeking medical help, ice the area immediately. …
- Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. …
- Elevation.
What is the best treatment for a torn muscle?
Natural Treatments for Pulled, Torn, or Strained Back Muscle
- R.I.C.E.
- Heat
- Epsom salt bath to relieve strained muscle in the back
- Essential oil soothing muscle rub
- Exercises for pulled back muscles
- Other Exercises for strengthening your back
- Reduce stress
How can I heal a torn muscle faster?
- Heat. Don’t use a heating pad or take a hot bath.
- Alcohol. Don’t drink alcohol because this can increase the bleeding and swelling. ...
- Running. Don’t run or do any other strenuous activities that might worsen your injury.
- Massage. Don’t get a massage or massage the injured area because this can cause more bleeding and swelling.
How to treat and recover from a strained or pulled muscle?
3 Quick & Easy Steps to Recover from a Strained, Pulled, or Torn Back Stretching Your Lumbar Muscles to help with Strains or Tears. Strengthen Your Back Muscles to Prevent Future Injuries. Rest, and Ice or Heat Therapy.
Can a muscle tear heal on its own?
Most muscle strains do not require surgery, and a full recovery is expected. If there is a partial tear then the athlete can return when they are pain free and have normal strength and motion. This usually occurs following anywhere from a few weeks to a few months of appropriate treatment and therapy.
How do they fix a torn muscle?
Recovery from Muscle Tears – that's Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – treatment for injuries. Your orthopedist may also recommend NSAIDs – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – to help reduce swelling. A moderate muscle strain or tear can usually be treated similarly but for a longer period of a time.
How long should a torn muscle take to heal?
Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury. For a mild strain, you may be able to return to normal activities within three to six weeks with basic home care. For more severe strains, recovery can take several months. In severe cases, surgical repair and physical therapy may be necessary.
How can I make a torn muscle heal faster?
How to Speed Up Muscle Strain RecoveryApply ice or a cold compress immediately.Alternate ice with heat therapy.Perform simple low-impact exercises and stretching.Knee and calf massage for leg muscle strain recovery.Elevate the injured muscle.
What happens if you don't repair a torn muscle?
Rather, the tears your muscle fibers experienced can worsen – resulting in a rupture or complete tear. Unless the condition is addressed, the injury may develop into permanent muscle damage, which not only decreases its physical functionality and performance but can also release proteins into the bloodstream.
Should you massage a muscle tear?
Massage. Therapeutic massage helps loosen tight muscles and increase blood flow to help heal damaged tissues. Applying pressure to the injured muscle tissue also helps remove excess fluid and cellular waste products. A 2012 study found that massage immediately following an injury may even speed strained muscle healing.
What is the difference between a pulled muscle and a torn muscle?
A muscle strain is an injury that occurs when a muscle or a tendon is overstretched. A muscle tear is when a muscle or a tendon is overstretched and it tears.
Is heat good for a pulled muscle?
A pulled muscle should first be treated using the R.I.C.E. method. During the first 72 hours, heat should be avoided to prevent increased swelling and inflammation. After about 72 hours, heat can be incorporated into treatment to increase blood flow and aid the overall healing process.
What foods help repair muscle damage?
6 Best Foods to Eat While Recovering From Sports InjuriesFoods that Contain Plenty of Protein. Protein is the nutrient that reinforces your body's muscle tissue. ... 2. Fruits and Vegetables With Vitamin C. ... Omega-3 Fatty Acids. ... Zinc-Rich Foods. ... Vitamin D/Calcium. ... Foods Rich in Fiber.
Can MRI detect muscle tears?
An MRI is the best type of imaging for looking at tissue. Your physician may order an MRI on the damaged muscle to find or learn more about your injury. This type of muscle tear imaging can pinpoint the location of even the smallest muscle strains and determine whether a partial or complete strain has occurred.
Should I stretch a pulled muscle?
While it may seem counterintuitive, stretching a strained muscle only makes it worse. Your best bet involves avoiding any movement that agitates the affected area and continue to rest until the pain subsides. Light stretching can assist with a minor strain, but only if incorporated a few days after the injury occurred.
How to heal a torn muscle in the back?
During this time, you should apply an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel to the torn muscle for 15-20 minutes every 2 hours. You should also wrap the injured area in an ace bandage to reduce swelling.
What to do if you have a muscle tear?
2. Ask about physical therapy. Physical therapy may also be necessary if you have sustained a severe muscle tear. Doing physical therapy can help to ensure that the muscle will heal correctly and that you will regain full use of it.
How to treat muscle pain from a muscle injury?
Non-steroidal anti-infammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs, are helpful for relieving pain and inflammation from a muscle injury. Try taking a dose of an NSAID, such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Take only the recommended doses of Ibuprofen or aspirin for 3 to 7 days after the injury.
How to get a swollen limb up?
You can also elevate the injured limb above your heart to help reduce the swelling. Place the limb up on some pillows and lay down. Make sure that you are in a comfortable position. If you can't get the injury above your heart, try to at least keep it parallel to the ground.
How to treat a second degree muscle injury?
For either a first or second degree injury, medical care is not typically needed. You can treat these injuries with RICE, a mnemonic for the treatment. "R" stands for "rest" the injured area. Take a break from exercising until you can move the muscle without pain.
What to do if you have a severe injury?
3. Request a prescription pain-reliever for severe pain. If your injury is severe, then you may experience severe pain as well. In this case, your doctor may prescribe a pain reliever, such as codeine.
What to eat to heal a torn muscle?
Eat foods that contain a lot of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, antioxidants, and protein to speed up the healing process. Some foods that would help include: citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, blueberries, chicken, walnuts, and many more.
What is a torn muscle?
Torn muscles, also known as muscle strains, occur when one or more of your muscles is stretched beyond its natural length. Muscle strains are classified as mild, moderate or severe, based on the amount of muscle damaged and the symptoms you experience.
What is the best supplement for torn muscle?
Vitamin C , also known as ascorbic acid, may be one of the most helpful supplements in treating your torn muscle. According to Phyllis A. Balch, a certified nutritional consultant and author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," vitamin C is an antioxidant that is required for tissue growth and repair.
What supplements can help with muscle tears?
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, both herbal and non-herbal nutritional supplements have historically been used in treating muscle tears, including glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, bromelain, vitamin C, zinc, white willow bark, turmeric, and horse chestnut.
Can tendons tear?
MayoClinic.com states that your tendons may also develop tears if they are overstretched. Dietary supplements have been used for many years to help heal torn muscles, but you should always clear the use of supplements with your doctor beforehand.
Can a torn muscle cause difficulty in performing normal tasks?
Additional Information. A torn muscle, depending on the severity of your injury, can cause considerable difficulty in performing your usual tasks and activities.If you suffer a muscle strain, report to your family physician for a proper diagnosis and to discuss treatment options.
How to heal a torn muscle?
The first goal of the therapist is to stop the bleeding, which is done by applying ice immediately to the site of muscle injury. The injured area is elevated and put on rest. This reduces the blood flow to the injured muscle area.
What to do after a torn muscle is healed?
After the torn muscle has healed substantially, the physical therapist then goes ahead with the muscle strengthening exercises with specific strokes and stretches to correctly align the new muscle threads and fibers.
How does a muscle tear work?
Advertisement. Once the muscle tear occurs, the body rushes the fluid to the area, to immobilize the damaged part. This starts the repair process of the torn muscle. As the damaged muscle area gets filled up with fluid, there is pressure on the torn blood vessels which stops the bleeding.
What are the symptoms of a muscle tear?
The symptoms accompanied with muscle tear are: Pain even at rest. Swelling. Bruising and redness. Inability to use the muscles. Weakness of the muscles. Pain in the movement of the joint related to the torn muscle.
What is a muscle tear?
Muscle tear refers to damage to the muscles or the tendons attached to the muscles. A muscle tear can damage the blood vessels, which can lead to pain and bruising caused due to irritation of the nerve endings in that area. 1 Muscle tear can result from pressure on the muscles during the course of normal daily activities, ...
What is a tear in the muscles?
Advertisement. Our muscles are made of fibers, which resemble the threads wounded into a rope. Tear in the muscles occurs when these threads are stretched too much . As the muscle fibers break, their ends spring or curl up.
How to reduce swelling in torn muscle?
This reduces the blood flow to the injured muscle area. A bandage application helps in reducing the swelling in the torn muscle. Most of the time, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to help ease pain and swelling and to speed up the muscle healing process. Advertisement.
What to do if you have a muscle tear in your abdomen?
Typically this involves rest, ice and compression, meant to protect the muscle from further injury and reduce pain and swelling.
How long does it take for a torn abdominal muscle to heal?
Torn abdominal muscles take at least two months to heal. Image Credit: fizkes/iStock/GettyImages. Severe muscle strains in which the abdominal muscles tear — either partially or completely — are no laughing matter.
Why does my abdominal muscle tear?
Abdominal muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers become overstretched, sometimes to the point of tearing. Typically, the cause is an acute injury, such as a sudden twisting movement, picking up a heavy item or exercising too intensely.
How to do a curl up?
Curl-up: Lie on the floor with your knees flexed and your feet flat. Extend your arms at a 45-degree angle, parallel with your thighs. Contract your abdominal muscles and lift your head and shoulders off the floor without crunching your neck. Hold for five seconds; then return to the starting position.
How to treat a swollen abdominal muscle?
Ice: Apply an ice pack for 20 minutes at a time every hour or four to eight times per day . Ice reduces blood flow to the injury site to control swelling and pain.
Why are my abdominal tears stubborn?
Abdominal tears can be stubborn because of their location. Your abdominals are part of your core — the center of your body — and they are active in everything you do. Modify your movements and ask for help when you need to carry or move something.
What is the best exercise to do to get rid of a torso?
Isometric exercises are a good place to start because they do not require any movement of the torso. One such exercise is the abdominal drawing-in maneuver. To do this exercise:
What Are The Symptoms and Treatment of Torn Muscle?
Muscle tears are a common injury that can happen to anyone, from athletes to older people.
What is a Muscle Tear?
Muscle tear is damage to a muscle or its attaching tendons that occurs due to pressure to muscles. It can happen either during sports or performing various everyday activities, with sudden heavy lifting or the overuse of the muscles.
Torn muscle risk factors
Muscle damage can affect both muscle fibers and the tendons attached to the muscle as well as small blood vessels.
Torn Muscle Symptoms
When it comes to muscle tears, even the mildest ones, the patient notices the symptoms right away.
How to Prevent Muscle Tears?
It is, of course, always preferred to prevent torn muscle over treatment of the injury and rehabilitation.
Recovery from Torn Muscle
If you're experiencing any torn muscle symptoms, immediately see a doctor.
Self-care at home
Besides professional help, you will also need to take special care of your torn muscle and rehabilitation at home.
What is a torn muscle?
One must understand that a torn muscle can be a partial or full tear of the actual muscle fibers as well as the tendons. A torn muscle can also damage the surrounding blood vessels.
How to reduce swelling from torn muscle?
While enduring the pain of a torn muscle, it is important to ice it as to reduce the swelling. I recommend you do this for an hour or two a day until swelling has notably decreased. For pain, stick to your standard over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol.
How to tell if a muscle tear is severe?
Some signs of a muscle tear are redness, swelling, and pain in the muscle when you use it. Once you have identified it get some ice on it and if it's a severe tear then get to the hospital to see a doctor right away.
Why is it important to know the anatomy of a muscle tear?
It is important to note that your muscles are responsible for all of the movements of your body. Bones cannot move by themselves, muscles propel and enable you to function and move.
What is a muscle strain?
A muscle strain is more likely to happen to a muscle that is weak, inflexible, tired, or in one that has not been properly warmed up before exercise. Muscle strains are typically separated into three different categories: Mild (first degree) Moderate (second) Severe (third)
What is a pulled muscle?
A pulled or torn muscle is an injury where the muscle actually rips. A muscle tear is unpredictable and it happens when the muscle is stretched too quickly. Most often it occurs while the muscle is in motion, such as when running, working, or participating in other forms of physical activity.
What happens if you lift too much weight?
When you lift improperly, you risk unnatural movement patterns that can result in a muscle tear. In regards to using to heavy a weight, if you try and force your muscle to lift more than it is capable of, and place it under far more tension than it is ready for, it will eventually give out on you.
What is the best way to treat a torn muscle?
Cold Compresses. One of the best things that is in your hands to perform and leads to proper treatment of the torn muscle is that of application of cold compresses . This can either be in the form of an ice bag or the ready cold compresses bags available in the market.
Is it better to sleep or rest after a torn muscle?
The pain and discomfort associated with a torn muscle is unbearable in many cases. There is nothing better than taking proper bed rest to enhance the treatment process. Making movements can actually worsen the situation further. It is best that you make gentle and limited movements throughout the day. The leftover time should be given to proper sleep and rest to ensure faster recovery.
