Pulled a muscle – How to heal and relieve pain?
6 min read
Asked by: Maria Smith
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 helps a pulled muscle heal faster?
How to Speed Up Muscle Strain Recovery
- Apply 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.
How long does it usually take for a pulled muscle to heal?
Typically, discomfort from a pulled muscle will last between three to six weeks. On the other hand, recovery for more severe muscle strains can take several months. Thankfully, there are many things you can do to prevent a pulled muscle, and we’ve listed a few of them below.
How do you tell if you’ve pulled a muscle?
Symptoms of a pulled muscle include:
- Bruising, swelling or redness at the injury site.
- Difficulty using the affected muscle.
- Muscle weakness.
- Sudden pain when using the affected muscle.
- Pain when the muscle is at rest.
How do you tell if you’ve torn a muscle?
Symptoms of Torn Muscles
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. You may note swelling as well as bruising and discoloration accompanied by a “knotted up” feeling or stiffness.
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.
Should I stretch a pulled muscle?
Should you stretch a strained or pulled muscle? Like we mentioned above, the best thing to do for your pulled muscle is to rest it. Physical Therapist Lewis says “You would want to avoid stretching the muscle for a few days to allow the acute injury to begin to heal.
Is it good to massage a pulled muscle?
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.
Does a pulled muscle get worse before it gets better?
If your muscle strain is mild or moderate, the pain usually goes away within a couple of weeks. Severe strains can take a couple of months or more to heal. The pain is usually at its worst for the first few hours or days. After that, less intense pain may continue for another week or two until your muscles heal.
When should I be worried about muscle pain?
Get immediate medical care if you have muscle pain with:
Trouble breathing or dizziness. Extreme muscle weakness. A high fever and stiff neck.
Do you ice or heat a pulled muscle?
The amount of swelling or local bleeding into the muscle (from torn blood vessels) can best be managed early by applying ice packs and maintaining the strained muscle in a stretched position. Heat can be applied when the swelling has lessened. However, the early application of heat can increase swelling and pain.
Is it too late to ice an injury?
Use ice for inflammation within the first 24 hours. Ice is best as soon after the injury as possible, but never during the activity. Personal preference. After 24 hours, using heat or cold therapy can be determined according to your preference.
What causes muscle pull?
Acute strains can be caused by one event, such as using poor body mechanics to lift something heavy. Chronic muscle strains can result from repetitive injuries when you stress a muscle by doing the same motion over and over.
What is the difference between a strain and a tear?
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 a muscle strain is not the same thing as a muscle tear.
Can a torn muscle heal itself?
When a tear happens, the muscles have been stretched or overworked too quickly. As the body begins to repair itself, the muscle fibers regenerate and connective scar tissue starts to form, with your body’s collagen aiding the process. However, the clean, orderly fibers never go back to their original formation.
How do you tell if you’ve torn a ligament?
What are the Symptoms of a Torn Ligament?
- Snapping, popping or a crackling sound when the injury occurs.
- Pain that doesn’t improve within 24 to 72 hours.
- Swelling that doesn’t lessen within 24 to 72 hours.
- Bruising.
- Limited ability to move the joint.
- Inability to bear weight on joint.
- Symptoms that get worse.
How do I know if I tore a tendon?
Ruptured Tendon Symptoms
- A snap or pop you hear or feel.
- Severe pain.
- Rapid or immediate bruising.
- Marked weakness.
- Inability to use the affected arm or leg.
- Inability to move the area involved.
- Inability to bear weight.
- Deformity of the area.
What does a pulled tendon feel like?
Tendon Tear Symptoms
Severe and excruciating pain. Immediate bruising. Pain and discomfort that worsens with tendon use. A “crunchy” sound or feeling (crepitus) with tendon use.
How do you speed up tendon healing?
Strengthening exercises to help you rebuild tendon strength and avoid future injuries. Ultrasound heat therapy to improve blood circulation, which may aid the healing process. Deep massage to boost flexibility and circulation and prevent further injuries. Endurance activities, such as riding a stationary bike.
What tendon pain feels like?
Signs and symptoms of tendinitis tend to occur at the point where a tendon attaches to a bone and typically include: Pain often described as a dull ache, especially when moving the affected limb or joint. Tenderness. Mild swelling.
What cream is good for tendonitis?
What is the best cream for tendonitis? Mild tendonitis pain can be effectively managed with topical NSAID creams such as Myoflex or Aspercreme.
What is the difference between muscle strain and tendonitis?
Tendonitis can be confused with a muscle strain. The way to distinguish between the two is that with a muscle strain, the pain is felt in the muscle itself, whereas in tendonitis, the pain is felt near where the muscle attaches to the bone.
How do you treat a pulled tendon?
How is it treated?
- Rest the painful area, and avoid any activity that makes the pain worse.
- Apply ice or cold packs for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, as often as 2 times an hour, for the first 72 hours. …
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen or naproxen) if you need them.
How long does a pulled tendon take to heal?
Tendon injury
Tendon injuries are categorized as strains and have similar healing times as muscles. However, if surgical treatment is required, recovery times vary from four months to a year. Tendons enter the final stage of healing at seven weeks, but this process can take up to one year before it is completed.
