How to Avoid a Pulled Muscle

A pulled muscle occurs when the muscle is strained or stretched too far, creating small tears within the muscle. This generates aching, tightening, and stiffening in the muscle, which can be extremely uncomfortable and painful. The hamstring is commonly strained, which can hinder athletes from performing a variety of activities, including running, walking, and jumping.

A muscle pull is a common injury among athletes who train in high-speed activities, such as sprinting, but it can be prevented.

There are a few basic steps athletes at every level should follow to stay safe and prevent injuries like pulled muscles.

Muscle strains can usually be treated without seeing a doctor. Resting and avoiding strenuous activities allows the strain to heal, while icing aids in reducing the pain and bleeding of the muscle.

To help your athletes avoid pulling muscles, follow these simple guidelines from the sports medicine experts at Southern California Orthopedic Institute:

• Strength Training
  Weaker muscles are more susceptible to muscle pulls than stronger ones. Adopting a full-body strength training routine will make your athletes’ muscles stronger and more resistant to pulls.
• Warm-Up
  Warming up prior to a workout will prepare your athletes’ muscles for the strenuous activity they are about to endure. Increasing body and muscle temperature makes muscles less likely to be strained. Warming up can include a brisk walk or light calisthenics.
• Stretch
  Stretching reduces tension in muscles, provides a better range of motion, promotes better circulation, improves flexibility, and can lead to increased energy levels. Performing a slow, deliberate stretch for each muscle group will help prevent pulled muscles throughout the course of the workout or game.

If you have additional questions about how to keep your athletes injury-free throughout the season, contact the sports medicine doctors at Southern California Orthopedic Institute at (877) 952-8484 today.

How to Use Weightlifting and Stretching to Prevent Muscle Strain

A muscle strain occurs when you tear a muscle or stretch it farther than it is meant to go. Depending on the severity of the strain, you might feel some soreness and tenderness, but the muscle still functions — or the muscle might be damaged enough that you lose strength.

You’re more likely to strain a muscle when working out or participating in a sport or other physical activity. Knowing how to prevent muscle strain — and taking action to treat any strains or injuries before they become major problems — can help keep you in the game

Why strength training can help prevent muscle strain

Athletic injuries often occur when a stress is placed on a particular muscle or joint. The sudden starts, stops, and twists involved in many sports can pull or strain a weakened muscle.

If you’re active and athletic, you might think that you don’t have to worry about muscle strain. The truth is many sports focus on building up one particular muscle group in the body, potentially creating an imbalance. Weightlifting and other forms of strength training help to bring balance to your muscles, provided you follow a varied routine and don’t focus on one muscle group while neglecting the rest.

Strength training muscle strain prevention tips

In addition to making sure you train and tone all your muscles, there are a few other things you can do to reduce the risk of injury.

Poor form and lifting more than you can handle are two major causes of injury. If the amount you’re trying to lift is too heavy for you, you won’t be able to move through the full range of motion as you lift, and your muscles can be more susceptible to injury as a result.

It’s also important not to overdo it with strength training. Your muscles need a break between workouts, especially if you have a game during the week. You don’t want to push yourself so hard at the gym the day before a game that you’re too tired or too weak to play.

Find better ways to train

Strength training is much more than simply lifting heavy weights off the ground.

Exercises, such as Pilates, use your body weight and focus on developing a better sense of balance and building the core, and are often better for you than more traditional weightlifting. Pilates and similar core-strengthening exercise routines also help you develop flexibility. Since the exercises mimic movements that you might do in real life, they are also more practical.

Know injuries common to your sport

Different sports affect different areas of the body. People who play soccer are more likely to put pressure on their hamstring muscles and the hip joint than people who swim. When you know the types of injuries that are most common in your sport, you’re better able to develop a training program to help you avoid them.

For example, a soccer player might focus on building strength in their legs and on increasing the flexibility in their hips, while a swimmer might focus on building shoulder and arm strength and on stretches that loosen up the shoulder and elbow joints.

Stretch for muscle strain prevention

Strength training is just one part of the injury prevention puzzle. In addition to helping to strengthen your muscles, you also want to increase their flexibility so that they can move easily and are less likely to be pulled or strained. Stretching is an essential part of muscle strain prevention.

The value of stretching before and after a workout or before and after a game has been debated. Generally, the consensus is that it’s a good idea to stretch before and after your game. To reduce the risk of injury, do a gentle warm-up before you start to stretch. Run in place for a few minutes or do some jumping jacks, then move into stretching.

The type of stretches you do also matter. When you stretch, keep the muscle still. You don’t want to “bounce” it up and down, as doing so increases the risk of injury.

Go easy on yourself as you stretch. If it’s a challenge to lean forward and touch your toes, go as far as you can without feeling pain. Hold the stretch for about 30 seconds, then release. Holding a stretch for longer or trying to reach so far that you feel a twinge or pain won’t make you more flexible and might increase risk of injury.

Stretch again after your game or after your strength training routine. A stretching session at the end of your game helps to cool down the muscles and helps to increase flexibility.

Reid Health’s Athletic Training Clinic works with athletes to help prevent injuries and to treat existing injuries. Whether you’re an athlete who wants to avoid an injury on the field or someone who’s recovering from an injury or surgery, our trainers are happy to work with you to help you get back in the game.

What Should I Do For A Pulled Muscle? (Works Immediately)

Anyone living an active lifestyle is bound to pull a muscle eventually. A pulled muscle, or muscle strain, occurs when your muscles are overstretched or overloaded in some way. Maybe you added a couple extra miles to your morning jog, tried out a new HIIT workout, or added more weight to your strength training sets.

Despite a pulled muscle being a frustrating, painful setback, there are ways to keep your fitness routine on track and take care of your body while you nurse the injury. Here’s how.

Immediately stop and rest.

When you pull a muscle, the pain usually comes on sharply, all at once, and in one specific spot. And it’s typically related to larger muscle areas, such as hamstrings, quadriceps, back, and groin. Note: this is different than delayed onset muscle soreness, which is pain or stiffness related to muscle growth as a result of a challenging workout.

If you’re looking for stretching or yoga workouts while you heal, our app can help. Learn more about Aaptiv here.

Symptoms of pulled muscles can include soreness or tenderness, muscle spasms, inability to use the muscle at all, and overall weakness with the muscle itself. You may even feel pain without moving the muscle, or increased pain when standing, twisting, or walking.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends daily stretching in conjunction with exercise to keep your muscles strong and flexible.

Your first step? Stop the movement, and acknowledge the pain level honestly.

This is not the time to be a hero; a pulled muscle is an injury, and consequently, your top priority should be dealing with it rather than making it worse. Do not power through your workout or assume it’s fine.

The gym isn’t going anywhere, so pay attention to your body when it signals pain.

Try the “I.C.E.” method.

With any injury, most experts recommend the I.C.E. approach: ice, compression, and elevation. Wrap a towel around a bag of ice, use a compression wrap, (this has great reviews) and try to keep the injured area somewhat raised.

All, in addition to rest, can help lower inflammation and keep your blood flowing properly. Studies claim the I.C.E. method won’t “fix” your injury, but it’ll help in the initial hours and days.

Don’t stretch!

While it may seem counterintuitive, stretching a strained muscle only makes it worse. Your best bet involves avoiding any movement that agitates the affected area and continue to rest until the pain subsides. Light stretching can assist with a minor strain, but only if incorporated a few days after the injury occurred.

Watch for bruising or lingering pain.

The vast majority of pulled muscles aren’t serious, but occasionally, severe cases can result in swelling, redness and bruising. If that happens, reach out to your doctor, healthcare provider or physical therapist. Bruising around the muscle or lingering pain past two weeks indicate a deeper injury that could require medical assistance.

The type of injury impacts recovery time.

Strains tend to fall in one of three categories: muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Mild tendon or muscle injuries cause instant pain, a little swelling, and soreness that heals within a week or so. This type of first-degree injury hurts, but you can still move to the muscle to some degree.

Second-degree strains involve muscle damage that lasts up to several weeks, and third-degree injuries often result in tendon or ligament issues, where muscle has been pulled off the bone in a full tear—and these often require surgery and months of rehabilitation to repair.

Knowing the type of injury you have can help determine how long you’ll be out for the count in terms of exercise.

Start slow returning to your routine.

After your pulled muscle heals, you’re likely ready to get back at it. However, you’ll need to take workouts very slow initially, because even minor strains can lead to more severe ones later. Reduce the intensity of cardio, lower the amount of weight you lift, and consider starting with yoga or body weight work as a whole.

Let pain be your guide. If the injured area still twinges, stop and go back to square one (rest!). If you’re feeling okay, progressively add more reps, sets, or miles until you gradually return to your usual workout plan and level of intensity.

Use Aaptiv for beginner workouts while you heal – Learn more here.

Take care to prevent pulled muscles in the future.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends daily stretching in conjunction with exercise to keep your muscles strong and flexible, as muscle fatigue is one of the top causes of injury.

You’ll also want to think about why the pulled muscle happened in the first place. Is it a muscle imbalance? Did you let your ego get the best of you, and push too hard?

Going forward, listening to your body will be key to avoiding pulled muscles whenever possible. Go slow, especially if you’re new to an exercise, and practice good form. Don’t feel guilty about adding rest days to your workout routine, especially when you’re feeling overly tired or worn out.

And keep the word “should” out of your head. Most of us are not professional, competitive athletes, but regular people working out for fun with a commitment to health. Your goal is to feel strong, flexible and agile, so exercising through pain like a pulled muscle or rushing through recovery will only hurt you in the long run.

Aaptiv has workouts to fit your body’s needs. Take the fitness quiz to see which workouts are best for you.

Muscle Strains: How To Avoid And Treat Pulled Muscles

Muscle strains run the gamut from a mild annoyance that goes away after a few days to a serious injury that requires surgery and knocks you off your game for months. Either way, it’s best to avoid them and you can dramatically increase your chances of doing so by taking a few simple steps.

However, if you’ve suddenly increased your level of exercise during the COVID-19 lockdown, you might not be aware of those steps, and you might have suffered a pulled muscle as a result. A study from Bupa UK has found that 14% of UK adults have injured themselves during lockdown and of these injuries pulled muscles are the most common, making up 36%.

For expert advice on how to spot, treat and ideally prevent pulled muscles, we spoke to Damian McClelland, clinical director for musculoskeletal services at Bupa UK Insurance.

Why do pulled muscles happen?

Your muscles are made up of bands of fibres, which relax and tighten to make you move. You may strain a muscle if you stretch it beyond its normal comfortable range, or make it work too hard or too fast, such as during exercise or sports.

The most common muscle strains tend to be in the legs, such as calf, hamstring or quadriceps strains, but other common strains occur in the back, neck and arms.

What are the symptoms?

Muscle strain symptoms vary depending on how bad the injury is, but normally include pain, tenderness when you touch the muscle, swelling or bruising, and weakness or loss of movement.

The symptoms normally ease in a few days, depending on the grade of muscle strain. The longer your symptoms last, the worse your injury is likely to be. A grade one muscle strain is where the fibres are slightly damaged – there may be some pain but the strength of the muscle shouldn’t be affected, and it should settle in a few days.

A grade two strain is a partial tear of the muscle, and you might have some bruising or swelling as well. If you have a grade three strain, you may have felt a popping sensation when you hurt your muscle, and you may have a lump at either end of your muscle and have lost all the strength in your muscle so you can’t use it. If you think you might have a grade three strain it’s important to go to A&E immediately.

How can you prevent them?

There are lots of steps you can take to help prevent muscle strains when exercising. Make sure you warm up thoroughly first with some gentle exercise. Ideally, you should do a dynamic warm-up, which takes your muscles through the range of motion for the activity that you’re about to do. Do this for around five to ten minutes. Warm down afterwards by gradually decreasing your activity levels until your breathing and heart rate return to normal.

It’s also important to use the correct equipment, and always wear the right shoes for your activity: for example, wearing running trainers when you go jogging, and replacing them when they wear out and no longer provide any support.

Make sure you take the time to perfect your technique when you try something new – especially when using weights. Although you might not be able to speak to your gym instructor face to face at the moment, many are offering online appointments to make sure your technique is safe.

And most importantly, seek help if you think you may have hurt yourself. There’s no need to grin and bear it if you’re in pain. If you need to speak to a physiotherapist or a consultant, phone or video appointments allow quick access to advice and treatment. Bupa’s Direct Access MSK service allows customers to bypass the GP and be referred directly to a specialist.

Are there more serious conditions that have similar symptoms, and if so how can you tell the difference?

If you heard a crack, or the injured body part has gone numb, discoloured or cold to the touch or has changed shape, you may have a broken bone so it’s important to go to A&E immediately.

You should also go to hospital if you felt a popping or tearing sensation when you pulled your muscle, are in a lot of pain, have a lot of swelling or find it difficult to move the muscle – for example you may not be able to walk on it. These symptoms can indicate a more serious condition such as grade three muscle strain, where the tendon has separated from the muscle or the muscle has torn apart.

How do you treat pulled muscles?

You can usually treat mild muscle strains at home. Sometimes you may need to see a physiotherapist or have an operation to repair your damaged muscle depending upon how severe the strain is.

If your muscle strain isn’t a bad one, there are several things you can do at home to ease your symptoms and speed up your recovery. You should follow the POLICE procedure as soon as possible after you’ve injured yourself, which will give your muscle a chance to heal and protect it from any more damage:

• Protect your injury from further harm, for example by using a support.
• Optimal Loading. It’s important to start moving the muscle again sooner rather than later, but only do what feels comfortable and speak to a physiotherapist if you’d like further advice.
• Ice. Apply ice or frozen peas wrapped in a towel. Use for around 20 minutes roughly every two hours. Avoid putting ice directly on the skin.
• Compression. Bandage your injury, but not too tightly and remove before going to sleep.
• Elevation. Try to keep your injured muscle raised above the level of your heart to help reduce swelling.

You can also use over-the-counter painkillers if you need pain relief. It’s important to rest your muscle immediately after an injury. After this, you can start to move around gently and slowly, as long as this doesn’t cause any pain. Gradually build up your activity until your muscle feels like it’s getting back to normal. You might also want to do some exercises to strengthen the muscle. A physiotherapist can advise you on what’s best.

If your muscle doesn’t start to get better and you can’t put weight on it after about a week, contact a physiotherapist or your GP.

How long do they take to heal?

Recovery from a muscle strain will depend on how bad the injury is and which muscle is involved. It may take you a few weeks to be able to walk as normal and it may take even longer for you to get back to your normal exercise or sports. With a very bad strain, it may take months for you to recover completely.

It’s important to keep your muscle moving after an injury, but you may need to make some changes to the way you do things. You may be more prone to hurting that muscle again in the first four to six weeks, so you’ll need to take extra care not to re-injure it.

Sports & Muscle Strain Symptoms and Treatments

What Are Muscle Strains?

You can strain any muscle in your body.

Strains occur when your muscle stretches beyond its normal range of motion or when you put more load on the muscle than it’s strong enough to handle.

When this happens, the muscle fibers tear resulting in a pulled muscle.

Doctors grade strains — from first degree to third degree — based on how much muscle fiber you’ve torn.

Common sports strains

In sports, it’s possible to pull almost any muscle.

The most common sports strains affect the leg or groin muscles, such as the:

• Quadriceps — the muscle in the front of your thigh.
• Hamstring — the muscle in the back of your thigh.

Muscle strain causes and risk factors

Common causes of muscle strains include:

• Playing sports
• Pushing or pulling something heavy
• Exercising
• Falling

The motions involved in high impact sports can put you at risk of strained muscles.

For example, a:

• Groin strain can come from quick, side-to-side motions.
• Thigh muscle strain often happens when you suddenly speed up or slow down while running.

Preventing muscle strains

Warming up before physical activity is key to helping prevent muscle strains and other muscle injuries.

It’s also helpful to work on muscle flexibility and strength.

Make an appointment for muscle strains at UPMC Sports Medicine

To make an appointment or learn more about muscle strains, contact UPMC Sports Medicine at 1-855-93-SPORT (77678).

Learn more about sports-related muscle strains

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Strains and Sprains (for Teens)

What Are Strains and Sprains?

A strain is when a muscle or tendon (tissue that attaches muscle to bone) is stretched too far. A strain is sometimes called a “pulled muscle.” Depending on the level of muscle strain, it may heal within a few weeks, but reinjury can happen.

A sprain is when ligaments (bands of tissue that hold bone to bone at the joints) stretch too far or tear. A sprain may can take 4–6 weeks to heal or sometimes longer.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Strains and Sprains?

Strains and sprains can cause:

• pain, either at the time of injury or later
• tenderness in the soft tissue, usually close to the bone
• swelling
• bruising
• muscle spasms
• weakness or pain when using or moving the injured area

What Causes Strains and Sprains?

Strains can happen when you put a lot of pressure on a muscle or push it too far, such as when lifting a heavy object. They usually happen when someone is active, contracting, stretching, or working body part. They’re more likely when a person hasn’t warmed up first to get blood circulating to the muscles. Strains are common when athletes return to a sport after the off-season. They often affect the muscles in their backs, necks, or legs.

Sprains are caused by injuries, such as twisting an ankle or knee, or from contact with another player. They’re common in sports, but can happen any time.

How Are Strains and Strains Diagnosed?

To diagnose strains and sprains, doctors:

• ask questions about the injured body part
• do an exam, observing range of motion and doing strength tests

Depending on the injury, the doctor may order an X-ray or other imaging study to see if there are other injuries, such as a broken bone. Ultrasounds can sometimes diagnose a minor tear.

How Are Strains and Sprains Treated?

Treatment for strains and sprains usually includes:

• rest, which is the key to recovery and preventing reinjury
• immediate treatments to help with swelling, such as:
  • ice wrapped in a towel placed on the area for about 20 minutes every 1–2 hours
  • an elastic bandage wrapped around the area for compression or a compression sleeve
  • raising the injured area
  • immobilizing the affected area right away and keeping it still for a few days
• warm compresses or a heating pad (after the swelling goes down)
• strengthening exercises, especially eccentric strengthening exercises (movements that lengthen muscles)
• pain medicine for no more than 1 week

Doctors may treat some strains and sprains and strains with a splint or temporary cast.

Can Someone With a Sprain or Strain Play Sports?

If you have a sprain or strain, you’ll probably need to take some time off from sports. You can go back when:

• the swelling goes down
• the sport does not cause pain
• the doctor says it’s OK
• you can participate without a limp
• you have your full range of motion
• you’re back to full strength

What Else Should I Know?

Strains and sprains usually heal without any lasting problems. Be sure to follow the doctor’s instructions so the injury heals as quickly as possible.

To avoid strains and sprains, do a good dynamic warm-up before activity. You can try jogging, high knees, butt kicks, and active stretching. After activity, do some static stretching (holding each stretch for 30 seconds or longer).

A coach, personal trainer, doctor, or physical therapist can show you how to do eccentric strengthening exercises to help with recovery and lower the risk of reinjury.

Back Strains and Sprains

Overview

The back is a complex structure of bone and muscle, supported by cartilage, tendons and ligaments, and fed by a network of blood vessels and nerves. The back—especially the lumbar, or lower back—bears much of the body’s weight during walking, running, lifting and other activities. It makes sense, then, that injuries to the lower back—such as strains and sprains—are common.

What is a strain?

A strain is an injury to either a muscle or tendon. Tendons are the tough, fibrous bands of tissue that connect muscle to bone. With a back strain, the muscles and tendons that support the spine are twisted, pulled or torn.

What is a sprain?

A sprain is the stretching or tearing of a ligament. Ligaments are the fibrous bands of tissue that connect two or more bones at a joint and prevent excessive movement of the joint.

How common are back strains and sprains?

Strains and sprains are very common injuries. Next to headaches, back problems are the most common complaint to healthcare professionals.

Symptoms and Causes

What causes a back strain or sprain?

Twisting or pulling a muscle or tendon can result in a strain. It can also be caused by a single instance of improper lifting or by overstressing the back muscles. A chronic (long-term) strain usually results from overuse after prolonged, repetitive movement of the muscles and tendons.

A sprain often occurs after a fall or sudden twist, or a blow to the body that forces a joint out of its normal position. All of these conditions stretch one or more ligaments beyond their normal range of movement, causing injury.

In addition, several factors can put a person at greater risk for a back strain or sprain, including:

• Curving the lower back excessively
• Being overweight
• Having weak back or abdominal muscles, and/or tight hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thighs).

Playing sports that involve pushing and pulling—such as weightlifting and football—also increases the risk of a low back injury.

What are the symptoms of a back strain or sprain?

Symptoms of a strain or sprain include:

• Pain that gets worse when you move
• Muscle cramping or spasms (sudden uncontrollable muscle contractions)
• Decreased function and/or range of motion of the joint (difficulty walking, bending forward or sideways, or standing straight)

In some cases, the person may feel a pop or tear at the time of the injury.

Diagnosis and Tests

How are back sprains and strains diagnosed?

Mild strains and sprains can usually be diagnosed based on a medical history—including a review of the symptoms and how the injury occurred—and a physical examination by a healthcare provider. In cases of more severe strains and sprains, especially when there is weakness or loss of function, an X-ray may be taken to rule out a fractured (broken) or herniated (bulging) disc as the cause of the back pain.

Management and Treatment

How are back strains and sprains treated?

The treatment for strains and sprains is similar, and often takes place in two phases.

The goal of the first phase is to reduce the pain and spasm. This may involve rest, and the use of ice packs and compression (pressure), especially for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. An over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, such as ibuprofen (Motrin®), may be recommended to help reduce pain and swelling.

After the first 24 to 48 hours, returning to normal activities, as tolerated, is advisable. Extended bed rest or immobility (nonmovement) simply prolongs symptoms and delays recovery.

Most people with lumbar strain/sprain symptoms improve in about 2 weeks. If symptoms continue for more than 2 weeks, additional treatment may be required.

What complications are associated with back strains and sprains?

The most common complication of a back strain or sprain is a reduction in activity, which can lead to weight gain, loss of bone density, and loss of muscle strength and flexibility in other areas of the body.

Prevention

How can back sprains and strains be prevented?

It is not possible to prevent all back injuries, but you can take some steps to help lower the risk of a sprain or strain:

• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to keep your bones and muscles strong.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts added stress on the structures of the lower back.
• Exercise regularly, including stretching, to keep your joints flexible and your muscles in good condition.
• Practice safety measures to help prevent falls, such as wearing shoes that fit properly, and keeping stairs and walkways free of clutter.
• Use good body mechanics when sitting, standing and lifting. For example, try to keep your back straight and your shoulders back. When sitting, keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Don’t over-reach, and avoid twisting movements. When lifting, bend your knees and use your strong leg muscles to help balance the load.
• Stop smoking. Nicotine interferes with blood flow to the muscles.

Outlook / Prognosis

What is the prognosis (outlook) for people with back strains and sprains?

Most people with back strains and sprains have a full recovery with treatment within 2 weeks.

Living With

When should I contact my healthcare provider about a back strain or sprain?

Call your healthcare provider if:

• You have severe pain and cannot walk more than a few steps.
• You have numbness in the area of injury or down your leg.
• You have injured your lower back several times before.
• You have a lump or area with an unusual shape.
• You have pain that interferes with sleep.
• You have obvious weakness in an extremity (hands or feet) after an injury.

90,000 How to prevent injuries and dislocations?

Tears and strains of muscles are professional injuries of athletes. A person who often goes in for sports realizes quite well that before starting a serious workout, it is necessary to properly warm up his muscles, because their temperature in a normal state is natural 36.6 degrees. But after a couple of minutes after the start of active exercises, the temperature rises significantly – up to 38. 4 degrees. It is important that this increase does not occur instantly and unexpectedly for the body, otherwise the muscles are subjected to too much stress, which can lead to their stretching or rupture.To prevent this from happening, the ideal option is to slowly warm up the muscles: firstly, a leisurely warm-up, in which the body gradually warms up, and secondly, a preliminary hot shower, a warming massage, and warming drinks. In the event that the warming up of the muscles occurs gradually, then the possibility of their injury is significantly reduced. This is especially true for the ankles.

However, muscle and ligament injuries, unfortunately, occur not only in sports. After all, most modern people have a very indirect relationship to sports, but, nevertheless, they are forced to quite often perform certain physical actions, including jogging behind a bus, jumping over a puddle.Untrained muscles and ligaments that have lost flexibility due to lack of physical activity are often injured in such cases. That is why the percentage of household injuries due to a rupture or sprain of a ligament is so high.

In order not to start such injuries, it is necessary to use a warming ointment. APIZARTRON is well suited for these purposes due to its combination of warming and anti-inflammatory effects. APIZARTRON should be applied to the damaged area with a thin strip about three centimeters long and about one millimeter thick, wait until a warming effect appears on the skin and only then rub.APIZARTRON should be used until muscle mobility is fully restored.

Avoiding Injury While Playing Sports

The best way to avoid sports injuries is not to play sports at all.

But, as everyone knows, a sedentary lifestyle leads to serious illness

Protect yourself, sir!

Two categories of athletes are most often affected by sports injuries – beginners and professionals. The former suffer from irregular classes and a lack of knowledge of physical culture. Professionals, on the contrary, because of the high intensity of training and extreme physical activity. Yet professionals rarely get hurt in their daily workouts.

Most injuries occur among amateurs and beginners. These injuries are caused by various factors. Let us dwell on the main causes of damage to the musculoskeletal system. Up to 30% of injuries in gyms are associated with insufficient warming up of muscles and ligaments. “Cold” ligaments are not elastic, do not stretch well. So when you start intense exercise, instead of stretching, they strain.Tears of ligaments and tendons are always accompanied by pain and spasm of the surrounding muscles.

It is extremely important to always set aside time before training to warm up muscles, ligaments and joints, 5-10 minutes of gymnastics will prevent many injuries.

Don’t overstrain!

A distinction should be made between acute and chronic overload injuries. Amateurs are prone to acute injuries. This comes from too high a single load in a person who is not trained enough or does not pay attention to the signals of his body. Chronic overload injuries are only found in professional athletes who have been working hard for many years. Exercise over several weeks or months can cause kneecap pain, fatigue fractures, a split calf, a sprained calf, achilles tendon soreness, or burning pain in the heels. Most athletes face such problems in one way or another. As an example, David Beckham’s recent injury: while preparing to hit the ball, with virtually no load, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Pain in the knee joint

Pain in the knee joint bothers amateur athletes mainly due to problems with the meniscus. The meniscus is the cartilage lining between the bones that make up the knee joint. Meniscus tears are common among skiers, football players, and hockey players. After the rupture of the meniscus, its fusion does not occur. A torn meniscus disrupts biomechanics – movements in the joint are impaired. Treatment in this situation is possible only surgical. The currently existing technologies (arthroscopy) make it possible to suture the damaged meniscus with mini-incisions, without general anesthesia and without the risk of bleeding. In this case, the patient can go home within 6-7 hours after the operation.

No additional knee fixation is required after surgery.

Pain in the shoulder joint

The shoulder joint is injured no less often than the knee. With its high range of motion, the shoulder joint is extremely vulnerable, since the stability of the joint is supported by a large number of ligaments and muscles. Injuries arise from sudden movements that occur when playing tennis, badminton, and butterfly swimming.

According to the literature, up to half of the injuries are again associated with the fact that athletes neglect to warm up muscles and tendons before training. To avoid this type of injury, it is also important to strengthen the muscles of the rotator cuff and those shoulder muscles that attach to the bones of the arms. A simple exercise can help. Do the usual shrug of your shoulders: lift both shoulders as high as possible, bring them together, then relax. Perform up to 25 shakes twice a day.

And of course, if you suffer from regular shoulder pain, you should consult your doctor.

Stretching the calf muscles

Stretching the calf muscles (calf and soleus) is not so common, mainly football players, runners, dancers suffer from it. Achilles tendon injury (the Achilles tendon is an extension of the calf muscle) is also common in football players as a result of frequent strikes on the ball.

The Achilles tendon is often injured during aerobics, especially if you have weak calves. To rise on tiptoe, then slowly lower yourself.Do the exercise until your calves are tired. This exercise should be done twice a day.

Ankle sprain

Most often, ankle ligament injuries occur when the foot is turned. And here, the old advice as the world can come in handy – carefully look under your feet. True, this does not even exclude another, no less wise advice – the muscles and ligaments of the ankle joint should be strengthened. Stepping exercise, for example, provides a good workout for this muscle group.

In addition, experts argue that performing such a simple exercise on each leg before and after training can reduce the severity of possible ankle ligament injuries.

Stand facing the wall with your right foot slightly forward and your left back. Bend your right leg at the knee and straighten your left. Place your hands on the wall and tilt your body forward without lifting the heel of your left foot off the floor.

Stay in this position until you feel a slight stretch in the calf muscle of the left leg.Do not change position for 15 to 30 seconds. Then change legs and again stay in this position for another 15-30 seconds.

It should be noted, however, that this kind of injury is extremely difficult to prevent in team games, in particular in football. Here, special attention should be paid to shoes. It should cover the ankle joint. It is very important to choose athletic shoes that are appropriate for the sport.

Simple safety rules

To avoid excruciating pain for an unused membership to a sports club, follow just a few simple rules. First, be sure to start exercising by warming up the muscles before training (almost half of the injuries occur with “cold” muscles). Secondly, classes should be regular, with a gradual build-up of loads. And the last, given the crazy rhythm of today’s life, situations often arise when, for some reason, amateur athletes miss training. In this case, maladjustment develops extremely quickly.

In the absence of training for 6 weeks, for example, the athletic form of an adult falls by 75%.Often, having come to the gym after a long break, an amateur athlete sets himself tasks that do not correspond to his sports training, which leads to acute injury from overload. A slow return to sport is very important here. After all, muscles and other organs and systems of the body retain the memory of the achievements of the last lesson. The form is typed quickly enough, but only with regular exercise.

To the doctor!

Injuries and strains of muscles and tendons require treatment. If everything is left to chance, the recovery process will take at least three weeks at best, and in a situation where you are unable to provide peace to the injured organ (we limp, but we go to work), pain can persist for a month and a half.

In the acute period (the first 12 hours after injury), cold is needed on the area of ​​injury and anti-inflammatory ointments or gels. The next day, anti-inflammatory therapy should be continued and warming (sports) ointments should be used.

If you continue fitness classes with an unhealed injury, then this situation can turn into a chronic form. And then you are welcome to shock wave therapy.

Any muscle and tendon injury will heal sooner or later. But there is one muscle in the human body that requires a particularly careful attitude towards itself. I’m talking about the heart muscle. Its damage can have the most dire consequences, including disability or death. Watch your heart, listen to it. Before visiting sports clubs and in the process of increasing loads during training, ECG and functional tests should be done regularly.

Orthopedist-traumatologist, vertebrologist, chief physician of the clinic “Be healthy”, Ph.D. Konstantin Sergeevich Ternovoy

Guide to injuries in the gym

Ligament sprain

Degrees of ligament damage

Ligaments are stretched by no more than 4% and with sudden movements can break, partially or completely.

Stretching of the ligaments of the shoulder, elbow, wrist and knee joints occurs most often.

Signs of trauma

Traumatologist Oleg Milenin claims that on the first day after a sprain, patients usually do not have any symptoms, there is no pain.

Milenin Oleg Nikolaevich

Traumatologist-orthopedist, Associate Professor of the Department of Surgery of the National Medical and Surgical Center named after Pirogova N.I., candidate of medical sciences, head. Department of the Sports Medicine Clinic.

The next day, pain appears, which increases with movement and with pressure on the site of injury. Swelling may also appear.

Reasons

Oleg Milenin says that sprain often occurs due to a violation of muscular-articular feeling, or proprioception.Normally, the muscles should absorb the excessive load by their contraction and thereby remove it from the ligamentous apparatus.

When the athlete is tired or insufficiently prepared, proprioception is impaired, resulting in a sprain or even rupture of the ligaments.

Fitness instructor Ruslan Pustovoy claims that sprains often occur on the treadmill, as well as with improper exercise.

Ruslan Pustovoy

Instructor of the Fitness Territory fitness club chain, champion in power extreme, orthopedic traumatologist.

What to do

When stretching, stop training and fix the injured limb. Oleg Milenin says that with mild sprains, subject to proper treatment, the pain goes away in 3-4 days. Treatment includes fixation of the limb, the use of anti-inflammatory ointment, cold.

Exercise therapy doctor Oleg Evdokimov claims that in some cases, the very next day after stretching, you can start classes with a physical therapy coach.

Oleg Evdokimov

Physician of exercise therapy and sports medicine, trainer of the “Health and Sport” studio.

If the pain and swelling persist within a few days, then most likely a more serious injury has occurred and you should see a doctor. Therapy will include immobilization of the limb using a bandage or plaster cast for a period of three days to a week, with further rehabilitation.

When to return to training

Ruslan Pustovoy states that the recovery period after sprains usually ranges from one week to a month, depending on the severity of the injury.

How to avoid

Oleg Milenin advises to strengthen the muscles that run parallel to a particular ligament to prevent sprains. At the same time, it is important to train muscular-articular feeling, and not just muscle strength.

To do this, it is worth doing exercises that develop balance, such as exercises on the platform.To strengthen the ligaments of the joints of the legs, it is worth incorporating jumping exercises into the workout, and multidirectional exercises performed at high speed are suitable for the ligaments of the joints of the arms.

Partial muscle tear

rob3000 / depositphotos.com

Oleg Milenin says that muscle tear occurs when it contracts in the opposite direction from the direction of the load. Most often, the flexors of the back of the thigh muscles, the Achilles tendon, the pectoralis major muscle, and the tendon of the long head of the biceps are torn.

Signs of rupture

Oleg Milenin claims that when a rupture occurs in the middle part of the muscle (muscle abdomen), a hematoma occurs. With a more extensive rupture, the muscle is deformed, and this is noticeable visually.

With this, you can feel no pain. But this does not mean that it is worth postponing the visit to the doctor: the injury is quite serious.

Reasons

Medical rehabilitation therapist and fitness trainer Andrei Pitirimov argues that muscle tear occurs due to the use of too much weight without preliminary preparation or prolonged contraction when working under static conditions.

Andrey Pitirimov

Rehabilitation physician and fitness trainer.

For example, if you are performing a lift with the wrong technique and are trying to lift a lot of weight with your biceps, you will most likely tear one of the muscle heads.

What to do

Oleg Evdokimov suggests the following sequence of actions:

• stop training;
• apply cold to the site of the alleged injury;
• fix the injured area;
• See a doctor.

Tears of muscles are treated in different ways, depending on the severity of the injury: either a fixation bandage is used with further rehabilitation, or, in more severe cases, surgical repair of the muscle.

When to return to training

Oleg Evdokimov says that in case of partial muscle tears, complete rest and taking painkillers are supposed for 10 days.

Oleg Milenin claims that in the event of a partial tear, physical activity can be returned no earlier than in four weeks.In the event of a complete rupture and surgical intervention, it can take about six months before returning to sports.

How to avoid

Oleg Milenin advises to train tendons and ligaments to prevent muscle ruptures. To do this, it is worth including in the training exercises during which the agonist muscles and the opposite antagonists contract at the same time. In addition, jumping and balance workouts are helpful.

Also, with serious exertion, you can take preparations containing collagen.

Pinched nerve

Pinched sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle / physology.co.uk

Andrey Pitirimov says that the nerve roots extending from the spinal cord can be mechanically compressed by a spasmodic muscle, a trigger point in a muscle or shifted vertebrae due to osteochondrosis.

Signs of trauma

When a nerve is pinched, sensations can be varied: from numbness and goose bumps to pain.

Causes

Attempting to do many reps with untrained muscles can result in muscle spasm and nerve pinching.

What to do

If a nerve is pinched, you must see a doctor. If the pinching is caused by muscle spasm, the doctor prescribes drugs that relax the muscles, as well as physiotherapy and massage.

If the vertebrae are damaged, further treatment will include manual therapy, osteopathy, surgery.

When to return to training

The timing of therapy and rehabilitation depends on the cause of the pinching. With muscle spasm, painful sensations can last for 7-10 days.

If the pinching occurs due to displacement of the vertebrae, intervertebral hernia or other problems with the spine, the timing of treatment and rehabilitation depends on the severity of the disease.

How to avoid

Oleg Milenin advises avoiding the same type of flexion and extension movements, as well as microtraumas of joints and ligaments.

Intervertebral hernia

CLIPAREA / depositphotos.com

Intervertebral (or intervertebral) hernia is a rupture of the annulus fibrosus, the membrane of the intervertebral disc, and the release of its liquid contents – the nucleus pulposus.

Andrey Pitirimov claims that a hernia forms over the years due to incorrect posture and gradual destruction of the intervertebral disc, after which the slightest overload can cause internal rupture (protrusion) and hernia – the release of the liquid part of the disc.

Most often, an intervertebral hernia occurs in the lumbosacral region, less often in the cervical region and very rarely in the thoracic region.

Signs of trauma

With a hernia in the lumbar spine, the pain is felt in the lower back, radiates to the buttock or leg.With a hernia of the cervical spine, pain manifests itself in the neck, shoulders, and head. Dizziness, tinnitus, numbness of the fingers may appear. A hernia in the thoracic spine is manifested by pain in the chest area.

Causes

Rupture of the annulus fibrosus usually occurs after a strong and abrupt movement. It can be a jerking exercise with the wrong technique, when all the load goes to the back.

Abrupt lifting of the projectile from the floor can also result in injury, since many people who follow the technique during the exercise completely forget about it when carrying and folding pancakes or free weights.

What to do

Andrey Pitirimov advises, to relieve pain, lie on your back on a hard surface and place soft objects under the physiological curves of the spine. You may need to be transported on a stretcher to get to the doctor, so call an ambulance immediately after injury.

The doctor will prescribe drugs of the NSAID group (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), therapeutic exercises. In rare cases, surgery is required.

Over time, the nucleus pulposus dries out and ceases to press the nerve.However, since there is no normal cushioning between the vertebrae, further training requires special attention, creating a strong muscle corset and reducing working weights.

When to return to training

Andrey Pitirimov claims that after successful treatment of a hernia with massage, therapeutic exercises and traction, recovery will take several months.

How to avoid

Oleg Milenin advises to perform special exercises that equalize the load on the intervertebral discs, and also train the muscles of the back and abs.

It is also worth monitoring the position of the body in everyday life, for example at the workplace.

Dislocation

stockdevil_666 / depositphotos.com

Oleg Milenin says that dislocation is a complete divergence of the articular surfaces of the bones that form the joint, relative to each other. Subluxation, or incomplete dislocation, is a partial displacement of these bones in relation to each other.

When exercising in the gym, dislocations in the shoulder and elbow joints most often occur, much less often in the knee.“Unfortunately, after the first dislocation in 95% of cases, young patients have a relapse,” warns Oleg Milenin.

Signs of trauma

When dislocated, the joint is deformed and edema appears. Due to damage to blood vessels and soft tissues, a hematoma may appear.

Movement of the injured limb causes sharp pain, with passive movement resistance is felt. If the nerve trunks are damaged, limb numbness may appear.

Causes

The cause of dislocation is often an attempt to lift too much weight in the machine and improper technique. So, for example, a heavy weight in a platform for a leg press can result in a dislocated knee, and a barbell press while sitting or behind the head can result in a dislocated shoulder.

What to do

If you receive a dislocation, you must fix the joint and immediately contact a traumatologist. Oleg Evdokimov explains that if you get to the doctor in the first 30 minutes after the injury, then the dislocation can be corrected without anesthesia. After 40 minutes, the stiff muscles will make it difficult to reposition and the patient will need anesthesia.

After the dislocation has been reduced, the patient undergoes a rehabilitation course, which includes physiotherapy.

When to return to training

Ruslan Pustovoy claims that after a dislocation, you can start training in at least 6 weeks.

Oleg Milenin says that in case of dislocation, the articular lip and ligaments can come off, which must be fixed surgically using the so-called anchor clamps.

In this case, arthroscopic surgery is performed through several punctures, so recovery is quick and after 4 months the patient can already return to his usual level of stress.

How to avoid

Oleg Milenin advises for the prevention of dislocations to train muscles that press the articular surfaces to each other and resist the load leading to dislocation. It is also helpful to do exercises that develop responsiveness.

General Tips for Preventing Injury

There are a few guidelines to follow to avoid injury in the gym.

• Carry out a high-quality and long warm-up, perform leading exercises.
• Gradually increase your working weight and increase the number of repetitions.
• Only learn new complex movements under the supervision of a trainer.

That’s all. Share in the comments what kind of injuries you had in the gym and how long it took you to recover.

First aid for sprains – BU “Republican Center for Disaster Medicine and Emergency Medicine” of the Ministry of Health of Chuvashia

Everyone knows a simple truth: if you don’t want to get hurt, stay at home, preferably without moving. But is this life? Definitely not. Our everyday life is in motion, which often causes such unexpected troubles as sprains of ligaments and muscles. Unexpected surprises lie in wait for us everywhere: being late, catch a train on the subway, quickly run up the stairs to the office, turn sharply during training, etc. muscles and tendons. By the way, a muscle strain is often much worse than a fracture.

In one bundle

What we call a sprain is actually an injury that results in damage to the ligaments between bone and muscle. Therefore, be extremely careful with abrupt starts, stop jumping through flights of stairs and tie up with show off during bed games – all these cute and at first glance moments can easily provoke not only a sprain, but also a ligament rupture. In most cases, this problem overtakes the knee, arch of the foot and ankle.

It’s one thing if after a too sharp jump you feel pain, you feel uncomfortable to move and the place that was damaged is swollen – all these symptoms indicate a banal sprain. But if you heard a characteristic click, the swelling does not even think to subside for several days and a sharp pain is felt at the site of the injury, such a picture may indicate a ligament rupture due to excessive load.

In the first and second cases, apply a compress with ice to the sore spot as soon as possible and go to the doctor – it is possible that the injured limb needs surgical intervention.

If you have earned yourself a banal sprain, your best helpers will be ice compresses and a pressure bandage. Try not to make sudden movements for at least a couple of days, and the injured limb will begin to quickly recover, increasing its endurance to stress. Put physical exercise aside for a week or two, otherwise your injury can only worsen.

In the event that the ligaments are stretched too much or, together with the injury, the position of the joint has become unstable, the leg with stretching must be immobilized by placing a splint or plaster cast on it.

To completely forget about your injury, you will need physical therapy. By the way, if this is not the first time you have pulled these ligaments, doctors advise using elastic bandages and bandages – they perfectly support the joint weakened by regular sprains. So you will avoid not only weakening it, but also destruction in the future. Ideally, you should know your sore spot and always behave carefully with it during any physical activity.

Pulling muscles

Muscles experience stretching due to excessive stretching of muscle tissue, which is overloaded in excess of normal.The result is swelling and unpleasant pain. Naturally, you yourself know all this. Even a person who knows about sports only from films manages to stretch muscles, because this does not require any super-complicated actions – just bend sharply, stretch or make any other careless movement, being in a completely unprepared form for sports.

A prime example: In martial arts, fighters most often earn themselves stretches in the hips and groin area. You can also stretch your muscles quite painfully as a result of a banal fall during the winter.

When injured, the muscle still continues to contract, but it is given to her with great difficulty and discomfort. But if the muscle contraction has stopped, and the pain does not even think to subside, this state of affairs may indicate a much more serious injury, called a muscle rupture. In this case, the body needs absolute peace, long-term treatment and even surgery.

But if you just stretch your muscles, lie in bed for several days and periodically apply compresses with ice to the damaged area throughout the day.Next, cold compresses should be replaced with hot ones, although many people like to use exclusively ice. To heal completely, avoid physical exertion on the damaged muscle for several days. If the sprains are more severe, use anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants.

How to prevent muscle strain?

Start with a regular warm-up. Naturally, before a night of violent sex, no one will think about this. It is important to just remember about your strengths and capabilities, avoiding overstrain. But in anticipation of an active workout in the gym, doing a full warm-up or at least a few muscle stretching exercises is incredibly important.

Still

It also happens that the body’s predisposition to various sprains has been inherited from your relatives. You can’t argue with genetics! If you do not want to distance yourself from sports, be sure to include exercises with weighting materials and general strengthening exercises in your training program.

For those “lucky ones” who nevertheless received a serious sprain, the experts remind the magic word that athletes from America came up with – “RICE”. Rest – rest, Ice – ice, Compression – pressure, Elevation – lifting. Otherwise, it is a pressure bandage, ice and bed rest with the injured limb up.

Do not forget about the huge selection in the field of various ointments and gels that have both analgesic and warming functions for damaged tissues. Naturally, you should consult your doctor before using them.

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90,000 Muscle sprains and tears | Examination and treatment in Germany

The Orthopedics Center informs: muscle strain, partial and complete muscle rupture

Determination of muscle strain, partial and complete muscle tear

The orthopedic surgeon identifies various forms of muscle damage. The most common are:

• muscle strain
• partial muscle tear
• full muscle tear

Muscle tears and strains often occur when playing sports that require sudden acceleration and deceleration, such as football, tennis, squash …
When muscle fibers are stretched, pulling pains initially appear, which gradually intensify, the muscle becomes hard and dense .

A muscle strain is usually caused by a sudden, violent movement.Unlike muscle tearing during stretching, orthopedists do not detect serious damage to muscle fibers.

In the event of a partial rupture, only individual muscle fibers are damaged, for example, during sharp turns or acceleration. Orthopedic surgeons diagnose partial rupture of muscle fibers most often in the calf and thigh muscles. As a rule, a partial rupture is accompanied by hemorrhage (hematoma) and is characterized by a sharp, intense pain. If the muscles of the lower leg or thigh are affected, the affected person can hardly move. Muscle tension (muscle tone) is increased.

Complete muscle rupture also presents with sudden, sharp and prolonged pain. Under the influence of excessive load, the bundles of muscle fibers are completely torn off and detached from the bone, the muscle contracts, and a visible retraction appears at the site of the rupture. In some cases, the cartilaginous tissue is also torn. When a muscle ruptures, heavy bleeding into the tissue occurs and the natural function of the muscle is almost completely lost.

Synonyms and Similar Terms

Synonyms: rupture of muscle bundles
ID: pulled muscle, torn muscle fiber, muscle tear

Description of muscle strain, partial and complete muscle tear

Approximately every fifth sports injury under the supervision of an orthopedic surgeon is associated with damage to muscles, tendons and ligaments … Muscles make up about 40% of body weight; in total, a person has about 300 muscles. During sports or physical activity, injuries can occur, which are considered by orthopedic doctors:

• muscle strain
• partial muscle tear
• complete muscle tear

According to orthopedists, muscle strain is the easiest form of the above injuries.Stretching damages only small structural and functional units of the muscle fiber – the so-called sarcomeres. With a partial rupture of muscles, individual muscle fibers are damaged, while with a complete rupture, muscle bundles are completely torn off. Complete muscle rupture is the most severe of the three injuries listed.

Causes of muscle strain, partial and complete muscle rupture

Muscle injuries are often caused by sudden, abrupt, uncoordinated movements, as well as systematic muscle overload or direct external force, for example, as a result of a blow to a muscle or an accident.

The risk of injury increases when:

• insufficient preparation for physical activity
• insufficient warm-up and stretching
• muscle strain
• improper training
• muscle overload
• muscle contractions
• large losses of minerals

heavy losses the presence of previously received injuries

The effectiveness of the treatment (therapy) prescribed by the orthopedist depends on the form and severity of the injury.

What can you do for a muscle strain, partial or complete muscle tear

Stop exercising immediately if you injure your muscles. Orthopedic surgeons recommend resorting to the so-called PECH-rules for first aid (in the Russian abbreviation PLFP-rules):

• P = rest (Pause)
• E = ice (Eis)
  
  

  Apply ice to the injury site and cool it – it is recommended to apply ice not on the skin, but, for example, on a towel, so as not to cause frostbite of the skin

• C = Compression,
  
  

  Apply an elastic tight bandage to the injury site

• H = lifting (Hochlagern) of the injured part of the body

In addition, you should seek the help of an orthopedic surgeon to determine the severity of the injury: sprain, partial rupture of individual muscle fibers or complete muscle rupture.

The period during which you need to adhere to the sparing regimen depends on the type and severity of the injury received. When a muscle is stretched, the recovery period is usually 1 to 2 weeks, until the muscle is ready to withstand physical activity. With a partial rupture, the recovery process can take from several weeks to several months.

When playing sports, you need to listen to the signals of your body and in no case ignore the pain.This will only exacerbate the injury and significantly slow down the recovery process.

Help from specialists

Depending on the symptomatology, in addition to consulting your attending physician, detailed diagnostics from various specialists may follow. These include:

• orthopedist
• surgeon

What awaits you at your orthopedic appointment?

Before the orthopedic surgeon begins examinations, he will conduct a conversation (history) about your current complaints. In addition, he will also ask you about past complaints, as well as the presence of possible diseases.

The following questions may await you:

• How long ago did the symptoms appear?
• Could you describe the symptoms more accurately and localize them?
• Have you noticed any changes in the symptomatology process?
• Do you experience additional symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pains, dizziness?
• Have you experienced similar and similar symptoms in your family?
• Do you currently have any diseases or hereditary predisposition to the disease and are you on treatment in this regard?
• Are you currently taking any medications?
• Do you have any allergies?
• Do you often find yourself in a state of stress at home?

What medications do you take regularly?

The orthopedic surgeon needs a review of the medications you are taking regularly. Please prepare a chart of the medications you are taking in the form of a table before your first appointment with your ophthalmologist. A sample of such a table can be found at the link: Medication Scheme.

Examinations (diagnostics) conducted by German orthopedists

Based on the characteristics of the symptoms identified during the history and your current condition, the orthopedist can resort to the following types of examinations:

• general examination of the body
• X-ray examination
• ultrasound examination ( sonography)
• NMR imaging
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Treatment (therapy)

Treatment (therapy) performed by an orthopedic doctor depends on the severity of the muscle injury.The age of the patient also plays a significant role in the choice of therapy. It is important to keep the damaged muscle at rest and not to overload it during treatment.

When stretched, the injured muscle can be subjected to slight physical exertion after two weeks. However, in some cases, the recovery process takes a longer period of time.

With a partial rupture, it may take weeks or even months for the muscle to fully recover. Small scars remain at the site of the rupture of the muscle fibers.It is in the places of microtrauma that the likelihood of repeated muscle rupture increases significantly.

When a muscle is completely ruptured, an orthopedic surgeon often resorts to surgery. The torn off muscle bundle is sutured, and the resulting hemorrhage (hematoma) is removed. In this way, the orthopedic surgeon prevents the build-up of lime (calcium salts), which interferes with the proper functioning of the muscle.

In case of partial and complete rupture of muscles, the orthopedic surgeon, as a rule, conducts a course of drug therapy (taking ibuprofen and diclofenac drugs), which is aimed at reducing pain and preventing the development of inflammatory processes.

In addition, the doctor may prescribe physiotherapy exercises. However, if unpleasant painful sensations appear during exercise, they should be stopped immediately.

Electrical muscle stimulation (a physical method of treatment) is widely used in the treatment of partial muscle tears.

Prevention

When playing sports, you should adhere to certain rules in order to prevent the possibility of muscle strains and tears:

• warm up your muscles well before training
• try to avoid muscle overload
• wear sports shoes designed for your sport
• listen to your body
• wear bandages or bandages to protect certain parts of the body from damage and injury (for example, knee or elbow)

Forecast

According to orthopedic surgeons, the prognosis for muscle injuries is favorable, since muscles, as a rule are well supplied with blood.However, the healing process depends on the severity of the injury – recovery can take days, weeks, or even months. It is important during this period not to overload the damaged muscles and adhere to a sparing regimen.

90,000 Below the waist – keeping your legs in good running shape

Running is a great way to keep fit. It has numerous benefits such as improved health, fitness and overall well-being. However, as with any physical activity, it can cause injuries that need to be recognized and treated (at home or with the help of a doctor).If you are unlucky and injured, the information below will help you get back to running in a short time.

The most common injuries are often preventable as they occur due to sprains due to overload, improper shape, machinery and equipment. Recognizing it early and providing emergency treatment when an injury occurs can accelerate recovery and prevent long-term disability. The MYRUN Technogym treadmill helps prevent injury by improving your running style through direct and immediate feedback.

Most of these injuries are mild to moderate, so let’s treat them quickly and don’t get worse. This article talks about how to identify some of the most common injuries by their symptoms and how to treat them quickly and effectively so you can get back on the treadmill as soon as possible!

Legs

1. Muscle stretch

Cause: Muscle sprains that result from tearing of muscle or tendon fibers are very common in any sport where muscle contraction and lengthening occurs frequently.Muscles are like chewing gum. The more you chew the gum, the more pliable it becomes and the easier it can stretch further without effort on the part of the chewer. Warming up the muscles correctly before intense training helps the muscles gain elasticity and become less prone to injury. If the muscles are not warmed up enough before an intense workout begins, they resemble fresh chewing gum. They are inelastic and, if stretched, risk ripping or tearing. The muscles most commonly stretched for runners are:

Calf muscle

Symptoms: Depending on the severity – tension, soreness when moving, cramps, swelling and bruising, lethargy to the touch.Severe and sharp pain is rare – with a complete rupture or stretching of the muscle. In this case, the person is not able to step on the sore leg.

Inguinal muscle

Symptoms: Pain and soreness in the groin area and on the inner side of the thigh. Pain occurs when the legs are drawn together or the knee is raised. In case of injury, a person experiences a “cracking” or pulling sensation, followed by sharp pain.

Hamstring

Symptoms: Depending on the severity – sudden and severe pain during exercise, cracking and stabbing sensations, pain in the back of the thigh and lower part of the buttock when walking, straightening the leg or bending, inability to walk or stand, lethargy or bruising.

Treatment: If the severity of the injury is mild to moderate, regardless of which muscle group it is located in, the following PRICE principles apply:

Prevention

Rest

Ice

Applying a tight bandage

Raised limb position

Anti-inflammatory analgesics (remember that these drugs can have side effects, so use them briefly if not prescribed by your doctor) and special strengthening exercises are also effective.

2. Piriformis syndrome – sciatica lumbosacral

Cause: A large muscle that is involved in almost every movement of the lower torso – the pear-shaped – is located deep in the buttock. It stabilizes the hip joint and performs lifting and rotational movements, moving the hip away from the body. Pain occurs when the piriformis muscle presses on the sciatic nerve.

Symptoms: Tingling or numbness in the back, pain radiating to the leg and getting worse when climbing stairs or sitting.

Treatment: Rest and stretch: Sit cross-legged – sore thigh over healthy. lean forward and hold the position for 15 seconds. Repeat three to five times on each side. When you return to your regular training schedule, avoid running on inclines or uneven surfaces, control your posture, warm up and stretch properly.

3. Shin split

Cause: Shin splints is a collective term used to describe pain that occurs when you run vigorously on a hard surface such as a road or sidewalk.You are at greater risk if you run for less than 5 years, wear oversized or worn shoes, are overweight, have flat feet, tight calf muscles, or weak ankles.

Symptoms: Pain is felt along the shin bone (tibial) and radiates to the inside of the shin. At first, it has a dull aching character, but it can become sharp if you do not pay attention to it and continue training

Treatment: Rest, ice, and OTC analgesics.

You may not get any injury, however if you do get injured you should rest your leg and heal the injury before returning to training. Most sprains are mild to moderate and can be treated at home using PRICE principles (protection, rest, ice, tight bandage, elevated position). Care and self-care are extremely important because they help you run for a long time, without injury and with pleasure. Remember to see a doctor or physiotherapist if you experience severe pain or suspect serious injury.

.