Chiropractor Las Vegas Nv | Muscle Injuries: Strains And Tears
Most of us take for granted the tremendous amount of work our muscles perform for us - until muscle injuries make us painfully aware of their presence
. Read on to learn more about these tenacious tissues and how to heal their strains and tears.
Description of a Strain or Tear
A muscle is made up of thousands of fibers that contract to create movement. Your muscles connect to your bones though tough tissues called tendons. Tendons cross over your joints and help you move the bones that connect to those joints. (In contrast to tendons, ligaments connect bones together and prevent joints from separating.)
Each of your muscles has an opposing muscle that pulls against it. In your leg, for example, the quadricep muscles in the front oppose the hamstring muscles in the back. To work best as a team, the two muscle groups must be equally strong and flexible. If they're not, an imbalance is created during heavy exertion, and - ouch! - the weaker muscle can be strained or torn.
There are three grades of strain and tear injuries:
Grade 1 - A few fibers are overstretched (less than 10%). There's no significant damage to the muscle.
Grade 2 - A partial tear occurs in 10% to 50% of the fibers. The muscle has some significant damage.
Grade 3 - A severe tear or total rupture has occurred, with 50% to 100% damage. The muscle may be completely separated from the bone.
Symptoms of a Strain
You've probably strained a muscle if you notice any of these:
Pain when you move the muscle or a connected joint.
Pain when you rest the muscle.
Swelling or bruising around the injured area. There may also be bleeding.
Weakness or inability to use the muscle.
Diagnosis of the Injury
A medical exam is necessary to know exactly what you've done to your muscle. Your medical practitioner will gently move or press the area to test for weakness and pain. A more accurate diagnosis can be made with X-rays or a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test (MRI).
RICE Treatment
The best way to treat your strain after the injury is with RICE:
Rest - Stay away from activities that aggravate the injury. For leg injuries, use crutches when walking.
Ice - Apply cold packs to the injured area several times a day. Hold them in place for 20 minutes at a time (but not on bare skin).
Compression - An elastic compression bandage helps minimize swelling and blood loss.
Elevation - If possible, elevate the injured area above your heart when you're resting. This also reduces swelling.
Be sure to begin RICE treatment immediately. The 48-hour period just after your injury is the most important phase of the healing process.
Healing a Strained Muscle
After the initial phase is completed, you can begin lengthening and strengthening the injured muscle. Start slowly with range of motion (ROM) exercises. If your strain is severe, consider a pool-based program, referred to as aqua therapy. Later, you can advance to progressive resistance training. Hint: It's safer to start on adjustable exercise machines, rather than free weights or a cable apparatus.
Your muscles enable you to do . . . well, everything. Proper treatment and healing after a strain will keep them going strong, so they can keep you going strong, too.
by: Chris Tomshack
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