How to Treat a Pulled Muscle
Having a pulled muscle is a common injury experienced by most people who are into sports. It occurs when the muscle fiber begins to tear and gets stretched too far. The type of treatment and healing time depends on the severity of the injury.
Grade I - The individual may feel mild discomfort but the injury may not necessarily limit activity.
Grade II - The individual may feel moderate discomfort and can be limited to perform high level activities. The injured person may also experience moderate swelling and observe bruises near the affected area.
Grade III- The individual may feel severe and significant pain. The patient may complain of muscle spasm, bruising and swelling.
If you want to recover soon and treat your pulled muscle, just take note of the following tips:
Take time to rest.
Depending on the severity of the injury, you should take time to rest. There are no magic tricks involved here. The muscle tissue needs time to heal itself so take it easy and make sure you do not overexert it. You may need to rest for one to five days upon consulation with your doctor. Be careful though since immobilization in a cast or splint can lead to stiffness of the muscle so it’s not always recommended.
Use some ice/turn on the heat.
Ice is an effective way to treat the injured area. Ice application helps reduce bleeding, swelling and any other type of pain you may be experiencing. You should apply ice as soon as possible but make sure that it’s not done for more than 15 minutes at a time.
You can also keep your body warm by submitting to heat applications. Muscles usually sustain less injuries with the right temperature according to laboratory studies.
Pop in some anti-inflammatory medications.
To reduce swelling and help fight pain, try taking in these types of medications. You should check with your doctor first on any potential side effects.
Do some stretching and warming up.
Once you are able to resume activity, do some crucial stretching to prevent further muscle injuries. Make your muscles stronger and more flexible and you will less likely be injured. If you are able to establish the proper blood flow before asking your muscles to work hard, then you’ll be fine.
Before getting involved in a strenuous activity, loosen your muscles first by warming up. This way, you’ll be able to prevent injuries since you won’t have stiff muscles.
Always observe your body. If you have not seen any improvements in your injury, you should seek professional treatment. You may have underestimated your injury. A severely torn muscle may require surgery so act now before your situation worsens.