how to repair muscle strain

Medication

For immediate self-care of a muscle strain, try the R.I.C.E. approach — rest, ice, compression, elevation: 1 Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort... 2 Ice. Even if you're seeking medical help, ice the area immediately... 3 Compression. To help stop swelling, compress the area with an elastic bandage until...

Therapy

How to Recover from a Strained or Pulled Muscle 1 Take it easy and rest your strained muscle. 2 Apply something cold if the muscle injury is acute. 3 Apply moist heat if the injury is chronic. 4 Take anti-inflammatory medicine. 5 Try some light stretching. 6 ... (more items)

Self-care

Muscle strains, also called pulls, occur when the small fibers within a muscle are stretched beyond their limits, which results in a partial or complete tear (rupture).

Nutrition

Diagnosing and treating a muscle strain: Without proper treatment, you may experience recurring injuries or pain and weakness in the muscle during everyday use. It can be especially painful during exercise and athletic activities. Surgery is necessary to repair a muscle that’s torn as opposed to one that’s strained.

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What is the best way to treat muscle strain?

How to recover from a strained or pulled muscle?

What is a muscular strain?

What happens if you don’t treat muscle strain?

How long does it take for a muscle strain to repair?

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.

Can muscle strains be fixed?

A moderate muscle strain or tear can usually be treated similarly but for a longer period of a time. Normal activities can be resumed when a full range of motion returns without accompanying pain. Moderate tears may require physical therapy. A severe tear that requires surgical repair can take months or longer to heal.

What are 3 symptoms of a muscle strain?

SymptomsPain or tenderness.Redness or bruising.Limited motion.Muscle spasms.Swelling.Muscle weakness.

How can I speed up muscle recovery?

Read on for seven tips for muscle injury recovery that will speed up or improve your recovery.Stay Hydrated. ... Reduce Inflammation With Cherry Juice. ... Increase or Improve Sleep. ... Compress the Affected Muscle. ... Switch to Low-Impact Exercise During Injury Recovery. ... Up Your Protein Intake. ... Limit Alcohol and/or Tobacco Consumption.

Should I stretch a strained 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 long does a grade 3 muscle strain take to heal?

You can typically expect a full recovery in about 2 months for those with a grade II strain. If you experience a grade III strain, healing time depends on the type of surgery you receive and could take anywhere from 6 to 9 months or longer.

Do muscle tears heal on their 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.

Is muscle strain serious?

This strain tears the muscle all the way through, sometimes causing a "pop" sensation as the muscle rips into two separate pieces or shears away from its tendon. Grade III strains are serious injuries that cause complete loss of muscle function, as well as considerable pain, swelling, tenderness and discoloration.

What is the best way to treat muscle strain?

For immediate self-care of a muscle strain, try the R.I.C.E. approach — rest, ice, compression, elevation:

How long after muscle strain can you take ibuprofen?

Some doctors recommend avoiding over-the-counter pain medications that can increase your risk of bleeding — such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — during the first 48 hours after a muscle strain. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can be helpful for pain relief during this time period.

What to look for in a physical exam for a ruptured tendon?

Diagnosis. During the physical exam, your doctor will check for swelling and points of tenderness. The location and intensity of your pain can help determine the extent and nature of the damage. In more severe injuries, where the muscle or tendon has been completely ruptured, your doctor may be able to see or feel a defect in the area of injury.

What is the best treatment for a sprained limb?

Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can be helpful for pain relief during this time period. A physical therapist can help you to maximize stability and strength of the injured joint or limb. Your doctor may suggest that you immobilize the area with a brace or splint.

How to wrap a swollen heart?

Begin wrapping at the end farthest from your heart. Loosen the wrap if the pain increases, the area becomes numb or swelling is occurring below the wrapped area. Elevation. Elevate the injured area above the level of your heart, especially at night, which allows gravity to help reduce swelling.

How to heal a strained muscle?

This can help strained muscles and other injuries. Ice your muscle by using cold packs with a barrier between them and your skin four to eight times per day for 20 minutes at a time.

What is the best way to treat muscle strain?

Properly treating muscle strain requires the right supplies and a comfortable place to rest. You may need the following supplies: Depending on the muscle affected, you may need assistive devices to help stabilize the muscle, especially if it affects one of the limbs. These can include:

How to prevent muscle strains from recurring?

There are several ways you can prevent a muscle strain from recurring, including: allowing for proper time to heal from an injury. stretching your muscles daily. cross-training for sports by weightlifting or choosing another activity to strengthen your muscles. warming up before exercise or intense activity.

What to do if you have a muscle tear?

Talk to your doctor about what steps you can take to avoid muscle strains if you experience them regularly. If you have a muscle tear that requires surgery, medication or physical therapy may be necessary after your procedure. Your doctor will provide specific follow-up instructions based on the type and severity of your injury.

Why does my muscle feel like it's stretched?

Poor conditioning, fatigue, and an improper warmup can lead to a muscle strain. When muscle strain occurs, people often report a popping or snapping sensation. This is the feeling of the muscle tissue being stretched until it snaps. This is often a very painful experience.

How to reduce swelling in a muscle?

Compress your muscle by applying a steady, gentle pressure on it. This prevents swelling and inflammation, which delay healing. Wrapping an elastic bandage around the affected muscle is best. Elevate the injury above your heart to reduce swelling. Use pillows or other devices to raise an affected limb while you rest.

What is the most common treatment for muscle strains?

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the most common and effective treatment for muscle strains is the RICE method . The individual letters of RICE stand for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. In particular, RICE involves the following:

How to reduce muscle spasms?

The application of moist heat can decrease muscle tension and spasm, increase blood flow and promote healing in chronically strained muscle tissue. Use a microwavable heat pack and apply it to your sore muscle (s) for 15 – 20 minutes at a time, three to five times per day, until the tension and stiffness fade away.

How to stop muscle pull from swelling?

Compressing the ice against the muscle pull with the help of an elasticized bandage will help to further impede the swelling, as will elevating the affected area.

What does it mean when a muscle is bruised?

A moderate-to severe muscle strain will usually cause a bruise to form pretty quickly, which indicates some blood vessels that feed the muscle are damaged and leaking.

What happens when muscle fibers tear?

When the muscle fibers tear, the immune system sends lots of fluid containing white blood cells. White blood cells clean up the debris from the damaged cells and connective tissue and lay the framework for a healing response; however, too much inflammation creates pressure, which causes more pain.

How to recover from a muscle pull?

The first step with any muscle strain (and most musculoskeletal injuries in general) is to rest it . This may require taking a few days off work or away from the team, but muscles recover quicker if they are given the appropriate time to rest. If your muscle pull takes longer than a few weeks to recover, then either a significant proportion of the muscle fibers are torn or there's involvement of a related joint and ligaments.

What is a muscle pull?

This article has been viewed 1,114,635 times. Muscle strains, also called pulls, occur when the small fibers within a muscle are stretched beyond their limits, which results in a partial or complete tear (rupture). All muscle pulls are categorized as either Grade I (tearing of a few fibers), Grade II (more extensive fiber damage) ...

What happens if you don't get a massage?

If you don't, you may experience a mild headache or nausea.

How long does it take for a muscle strain to heal?

Make an appointment if a muscle strain doesn’t improve after 48 hours. For most strains, you'll notice an improvement after the first few days. If your pain level is still very high and you're concerned the muscle isn't healing, or if the strain is preventing you from doing daily activities like walking, dressing, or eating, call your doctor and make an appointment. Your doctor can determine if you need to limit your activities or take time off work. [13]

What is muscle strain?

Muscle strains occur when the muscle stretches too far or contracts too quickly [1] This can happen due to sports, other physical activities, or simply in the course of daily life. Depending on the severity of the muscle strain, you can treat it at home or seek medical attention.

What is the best medication for a strain?

NSAIDs are available over-the-counter and include ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen.They can be very effective at easing the discomfort and swelling associated with a strain. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding dosage and read the warning labels regarding any potential drug interactions.

How to help a strained leg?

Elevate a strained leg muscle on a pillow. You can prop your leg up on a pillow while you are lying in bed or sitting on the couch, for instance. Elevating the muscle as much as possible will help prevent and reduce swelling. [5]

How to get rid of a strained muscle?

4. Apply heat for 15-30 minutes every 2-3 hours to increase blood flow to the injury. Heat will help improve the circulation to the strained muscle. If you have a hot water bottle, hold it against the strain for about 15-30 minutes at a time several times a day.

How to heal ribs from a strain?

If you have a rib muscle strain, then you can try the Wim Hof method, which encourages the use of deep breathing to relieve pain while also emphasizing the benefit of staying hydrated, getting lots of sleep, and eating plenty of protein for healing.

How to stop swelling from heat?

If you're experiencing a lot of pain and swelling, you can alternate the heat with an ice pack, which will reduce pain and swelling.

How to prevent muscle strain?

One of the easiest ways to prevent a muscle strain is by engaging in light foam rolling. Just a few minutes of proper rolling can improve an individual's mobility until every exercise has greater effectiveness and efficiency. The technique can also be used to treat muscle strains by loosening tension. When engaging in light foam rolling, individuals use a piece of hard foam to smooth their muscles. It can sometimes be a little bit achy or painful. Muscles are covered with a connective tissue called fascia, which tightens during periods of repetitive motion and inactivity.

What causes muscle strains?

Muscle strains result from light damage to muscles and their tendons. When muscles are used to perform everyday activities, they become fatigued and susceptible to overstretching or tearing. Both short periods of excessive activity and long periods of gradual overuse can produce muscle strains. Symptoms of a muscle strain include weakness in ...

Why is it important to keep a muscle elevated?

Keeping the strained muscle elevated also reduces pain and swelling and protects the muscle from further strain.

What to do if your muscle is strained?

If the muscle feels as though it may be strained, swollen, bruised, or painful, it is wise to rest it until symptoms subside. Avoid any exercise involving the muscle and other activities that could put a strain on it .

Why do non-athletes have muscle strains?

Many of the muscle strains non-athletes experience occur when they lift a heavy object improperly. There are ways to lift objects that minimize the strain on the body. Lifting a heavy object by using one's spine to bear the burden will make the muscles in one's back.

How to tell if muscle is straining?

Symptoms of a muscle strain include weakness in the muscle, swelling or bruising, pain when using the muscle, pain when resting the muscle, and an inability to use the muscle at all.

Why do muscles get knots?

A tightened fascia is what causes muscle 'knots,' which often lead to strain because they don't have enough range of motion to do the exercises.

Overview

A muscle strain is an injury to one of your muscles that causes it to tear. They’re one of the most common injuries, especially among athletes.

Diagnosis and Tests

Your healthcare provider will diagnose a muscle strain with a physical exam. Make sure to tell them what you were doing when you first noticed your symptoms. Because muscle strains come from physical activities, it’s important they know what led to yours.

Management and Treatment

You can treat most muscle strains with at-home methods of first aid, including:

Prevention

The best way to prevent muscle strains is to stretch and warm up before exercising. Increasing your overall flexibility will also protect your muscles from future injuries. The more flexible you are, the more room your muscle fibers have to stretch before they begin to tear.

Living With

Talk to your healthcare provider right away if you’re experiencing severe symptoms like intense pain. If you’re still feeling pain after a few weeks of at-home treatments, talk to your provider.

What is the treatment for a minor strain?

– that’s Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – treatment for injuries. Your orthopedist may also recommend NSAIDs – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – to help reduce swelling.

How to prevent muscle tears?

In most cases, muscles tears are preventable by observing proper warm-up techniques and never forcing a cold muscle to perform full tilt. Using the proper form in any activity is also critical to maintaining healthy muscles. Know your body’s limits. When it comes to pushing your body to the extreme, there’s no such thing as “no pain no gain.” In fact, pain often is the first sign that a muscle has been injured. Get to know your body and understand its signals. This is the best way to not only avoid injury, but to ensure continued peak performance.

What is a muscle tear?

Torn muscles can occur any time your muscle becomes strained or overstretched. This can happen as a result of exhaustion and fatigue, improper use, or overuse. While any muscle can be affected, torn muscles most often occur in the lower back, neck, shoulder and hamstring.

How long does it take for a muscle tear to heal?

Moderate tears may require physical therapy. A severe tear that requires surgical repair can take months or longer to heal.

What is the most common injury that happens when you are trying to get in shape?

Aches, sprains and soreness are common when one is trying to get in shape. However, muscle tears (also referred to as strains) can be more problematic.

What percentage of muscle fibers are torn?

Torn muscles are categorized by the severity of the injury: mild which is a simple strain affecting 5% of a muscle’s fibers; moderate which is up to 25%-30% and accompanied by swelling, decreased range of motion and pain; and severe which is an actual tear in a muscle that is accompanied by extensive swelling.

How do you know if you have a torn muscle?

Symptoms of Torn Muscles. When you tear a muscle, even when it is mild, you will know immediately. Expect pain and soreness, as well as spasms and swelling in the affected area. Depending on the severity of the strain, you may find it difficult to move the area, if at all.

What is the best treatment for muscle strain?

Compression with an elastic bandage for support. Elevation to allow fluid to drain away. Over-the-counter painkillers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen can relieve muscle pain and swelling. Your doctor may suggest you see an orthopedic specialist for further treatment if you have a severe strain.

What is a muscle strain?

The amount of time it takes to heal from a muscle strain depends on severity. Grade I strains heal within a few weeks. Grade II strains can take up to 3 months or longer. Grade III strains may require surgery and months of rehabilitation.

What happens when you overload a muscle?

Injuries happen when you overload a muscle, which means it's contracting and elongating at the same time. Certain factors that predispose you to a muscle strain injury include: Previous injuries. Weak muscles.

What are the different types of muscle strains?

Types of muscle strain. Doctors assess the severity of a strain based on the strength or range of motion you have after the injury. There are three grades of muscle strain: Grade I: A mild strain that damages less than 5% of individual muscle fibers. Grade II: Significant loss of motion and strength. It involves more muscle fibers, but the muscle ...

How long does it take for a grade 1 strain to heal?

Grade I strains heal within a few weeks. Grade II tears can take up to 3 months or longer. If you've had surgery from a Grade III strain, gaining normal muscle function will require months of rehabilitation. If you suspect a muscle strain but didn't hear a "pop" that would require a visit to a healthcare provider, the RICE rule can help.

What is a grade 3 strain?

Grade III strains may require surgery and months of rehabilitation. A strain, or pulled muscle, is an injury to your muscle or tendon. It occurs when these fibers are overstretched or torn. A muscle strain can occur because of an accident, misusing a muscle, or simply because a muscle is overworked.

How long does it take for a muscle to heal from a grade 2 strain?

Grade II: Significant loss of motion and strength. It involves more muscle fibers, but the muscle hasn’t ruptured. This type of strain takes around two months to heal. Grade III: The muscle or tendon ruptures, causing swelling and severe pain.

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 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 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.

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 you take supplements for a torn muscle?

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. Dietary supplements may be a helpful adjunct therapy for your torn muscle. However, the use of supplements should not supplant other treatment methods recommended by your primary care provider. Dietary supplements should always be used with the same caution used when taking prescription drugs.