What To Do If You Strain A Muscle

Editor

Summary of key points

For those of us who are unfamiliar with sprains, strains, tears, and pulls, it can be difficult to diagnose your issue when you’ve hurt yourself. Muscular injuries are common, especially since we’re using our muscles to perform pretty much everything we do. Thus, when we’ve hurt a muscle badly, we need to follow the appropriate recovery period for it to ensure that it recovers well. But, to do that, we need to know the severity of the issue first. In this article, we’ll cover what a muscle strain is. We’ll look at how to identify it and treat it so the injury recovers well and you can continue with life as normal.

What is a muscle strain?

Muscle strains are the term used to describe an injury to a muscle that causes it to tear. Now, that sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? While a torn muscle can be serious and extremely painful, a muscle strain has levels of severity. This means that in some cases, a strain can be really bad, while in others, it might be miniscule. For this reason, muscle strains are given grades based on their severity. 

A grade 1 strain would be considered a slight tear in the muscle. Generally, this injury would be slightly painful and uncomfortable and just requires rest and time to recover. A grade 2 strain is more severe, requiring a longer recovery time and support around the area. 

Finally, a grade 3 strain would be the most severe strain. Grade 3 strains would be a complete tear in a muscle, whether from the tendon or elsewhere on the muscle. For this kind of strain, surgery might be needed, followed by weeks of physiotherapy to assist in recovery. 

What are the symptoms and causes of muscle strain?

Our muscles are used for everything we do, and muscular injuries will always be linked to our activities with various causes. In most cases, strains are caused by overusing a certain muscle group or misusing it. For example, if you repeat the same movement over and over again, you could injure yourself. Likewise, doing fast movements without stretching can also cause your muscles to strain. Here are some symptoms of a muscle strain: 

  • Decreased mobility
  • Pain
  • Weakness
  • Bruising
  • Inflammation

How do muscle strains affect the body?

Let’s be honest: if you have a muscle strain, you’ll know about it, especially if it’s a more severe strain. Generally, when you experience a strain, you might feel the effects immediately or when your adrenaline wears off. Our muscles are made with many strands of muscle fibre. When we contract and extend them, these fibres stretch and press together. Now, when these fibres are stretched beyond their capabilities, they tear. As a result, when that muscle is used again, its strength is compromised, and it might be painful and even bruised or swollen. 

How to treat a muscle strain

Before you can treat a muscle strain, you first need to assess the extent of the damage done. For grade 1 strains, you might be able to continue life as normal, but just avoid exerting yourself physically. However, for a more severe strain, a doctor might refer you to a radiology clinic like Mermaid Beach Radiology to go for an X-ray, MRI, or Ultrasound to get an idea of the extent of the damage.

An ultrasound will be used to check for fluid buildup and tears around the muscle, while an MRI will be used in cases where the doctor suspects internal bleeding, blood clots, or a more severe tear. 

In less severe cases, your doctor might prescribe some pain meds and suggest that you use the RICE method to treat it, which involves:

  • Resting that area of your body
  • Placing ice on it to reduce inflammation
  • Compressing the area to provide support 
  • Elevation

In cases like a grade 3 tear, you’d generally need to go in for surgery for them to reattach the muscle to its counterpart or the tendon. This kind of invasive surgery usually follows a long recovery plan. Throughout recovery, doctors might prescribe you pain medication to deal with any pain and discomfort, as well as anti-inflammatory meds. 

How long is recovery?

For each grade strain, the recovery period will be different depending on the severity of the strain and where it is on your body. A grade 1 strain will take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to recover. Naturally, grade 2 strains will take longer, taking up to 2 months to fully recover. Finally, grade 3 strains can take between 6 to 9 months to fully recover. 

How can you prevent muscle strain?

While some accidents are unavoidable, stretching and keeping your muscles flexible and strong is a great way to reduce the risk of them straining when you do physical exercise. 

Final Thoughts

Straining a muscle can be painful and can also limit your ability to to function normally for a long time, especially with a more severe strain. So, it’s important to know how to avoid straining a muscle and how to deal with it if you have strained one. Remember, stretch before physical exercise and rest if you have an injury.

Editor
Makayla is a medical expert and editor @ WholeYum.

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