In today’s blog post we discuss muscle strains as a result of athletic or physical activity, and the best ways to help you recover from muscle injury. Being active is beneficial for our bodies, but when you overdo it, it may result in sprains, strains, or pulled muscles.
Muscle injury or muscle strain, occurs when there is a partial or complete tear of a muscle or tendon. This type of injury usually causes mild to severe pain, and other symptoms, like bruising and immobility. Muscle strains can occur without warning and affect people of all ages and fitness levels.
After a demanding workout or gruelling sports practice, sore muscles are to be expected. Almost all types of athletic activity carry some risk of muscle strains. These injuries often occur more in contact sports, such as football, or sports that require a quick start, like tennis. Yet, muscle damage is not always the result of sports activities, improper warm-up or applying too much force during a workout.
After a muscle injury, avoid inactivity and be sure to increase your level of activity gradually as your body allows. Don’t push your body too hard. You need time to rehabilitate, or more injuries will occur.
Several treatments exist for strained muscles, and patience is the key to a great recovery. Get help early and focus on the early steps of healing for a successful recovery. In the meantime, as you are healing, be sure to stay moderately active to avoid stiffness and atrophy.
How to Recover from Muscle Injury or Pulled Muscle
Use the “RICE” approach for Pulled Muscle:
- Rest: Rest the muscle for some days or till your doctor gives you the go ahead. If you had a minor muscle strain, you should be able to do some gentle movement after a couple of days.
- Ice: Applying ice to the affected area can help reduce inflammation. Ice application should begin as soon as possible after experiencing muscle strain. Do not apply ice directly to bare skin. Wrap the ice pack in a towel first instead. Apply ice frequently to the injury sit, but not for more than 15-20 minutes at a time.
- Compression: Wrapping the muscle with an elastic bandage can help bring down swelling. Avoid wrapping it too tightly, remember, you don’t want to cut off circulation. Compression can help to keep swelling and inflammation low, both of which can slow down the recovery process. It is also effective when used during exercise as a preventative measure.
- Elevation: Elevate the injured muscle to reduce swelling. In addition to compressing the affected muscle, it can also be helpful to elevate the muscle whenever possible. When you elevate an injured muscle above your heart, it can help reduce the swelling.
Reduce Inflammation to Aid Muscle Injury Recovery
You may experience a lot of pain and swelling when you are recovering from a muscle injury, as this is usually a result of inflammation. Reducing inflammation is a great way to manage the symptoms of your injury and speed up the healing process.
There are plenty of over-the-counter treatments you can use to reduce inflammation – such as ibuprofen. These non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce swelling and relive painful symptoms.
These treatments may be done for the first week, followed by progressive functional physical therapy, as needed. These medications have potential side effects, including bleeding. So please check with your healthcare provider prior to starting anti-inflammatory medications.
Ways to Recover from Muscle Injury: Switch to Low-Impact Exercises
One of the most important things to remember is that muscle injury can occur to active or athletic individuals of all kinds, from runners to yogis to weight lifters. When it comes to muscle injuries, they tend to result from overstretching the muscle. During your injury recovery process, you do not want to make the injury worse.
Switch to a form of exercise that won’t have high impact on your injured muscle and help prevent the injury from worsening. Examples of low impact exercises include swimming, walking, etc.
Drink Enough Water to Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is condition that results when there is loss of excess fluid from the body. Dehydration slows down your muscle’s natural ability to heal itself.
Saying hydrated is particularly important if you want to recover from muscle injury. The recommended intake of water per day is at least 8 glasses of water. Your body may require additional intake, based on your weight and daily activities.
Ways to Recover from Muscle Injury: Improve Sleep Schedule
Resting is an important element that helps you recover from muscle injury. Your body has many means by which it can heal itself, but it needs the right environment to do so.
Getting adequate sleep (between 7-9 hours) facilitates the healing process. A stable sleep schedule helps you feel well-rested.
Avoid Over-exerting Injured Muscle
Avoid worsening your injury by making sure you don’t over-exert your muscles. Muscles that are fatigued are more likely to be injured. Gradually increase your level of activity when you start an exercise program to build endurance, and do not push yourself too hard.
Expected Duration to Recover from Muscle Injury
How long a sprain lasts depends on the location and severity of the injury. Return to full activity is usually allowed when the patient is pain free, has full range of motion, and full strength.
Mild (Grade I) injuries may require only two to three weeks, while moderate strain may take up to 8 to 10 weeks or more to heal. More severe injuries (Grade III) may persist until the torn muscle is repaired surgically and require significantly more time.
There is a high chance of the muscle injury recurring if you attempt to go back to sports or workout sessions before these requirements are met.
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