Muscle strains are very common. It’s important to identify and treat sprains as soon as they occur. And know how to prevent them from occuring.
Prevent strains. Warm up before training.
What is a muscle strain?
A muscle strain is an injury that damages the internal structure of the muscle fibers. There are three grades of strains, depending on how small or severe the damage is:
Grade 1
- Pain with stretching and resisted muscle contractions.
- Small number of fibres affected.
Grade 2
- Unable to continue activity, pain on muscle contraction and stretching
- Difficulty in bearing weight
- Decreased range of movement
- Moderate swelling or redness.
- Larger number of fibres effected.
Grade 3
- Initial severe pain
- Unable to bear weight
- Rapid onset swelling
- Severe loss of movement and significant pain
- Severe damage to fibres.
A muscle rupture can also occur if the damaged parts of the muscle pull away from each other.
What causes a muscle strain?
A strain can develop when a muscle has too much tension or stress applied to it that it cannot withstand. This is not limited to physical activities and can occur anytime.
There are several ways that this can happen:
- Muscle may not be ready for the sudden stress
- Tension may be too much for the muscle to bear, such as lifting a weight that is too heavy for you
- Muscle is used too much on a certain day.
Muscles that cross two joints are at the greatest risk with certain areas being more likely to be strained than others, including:
- Hamstrings
- Groin
- Back
- Calf.
What are the risk factors?
Factors that increase your chances of getting a muscle strain include:
- Physical activities especially incorporating running, lifting, and jumping
- Tight, inflexible muscles
- Poor body mechanics such as muscle imbalances or running style
- Poor posture during sitting
- Fatigue
- Overexertion
- Cold weather.
How to treat strains
RICE for immediate treatment
R – Rest
I – Ice
C – Compression
E – Elevation
R – Referral
Apply the above immediately when the injury occurs to reduce further injury to the area.
When to seek further attention
| Grade 1 Strain | Grade 2 Strain | Grade 3 Strain |
|---|---|---|
| If does not resolve within 1 week, seek attention | Seek attention | Seek attention |
Beyond Fitness can help you
- Return to sport and prevent further injuries with appropriate exercise programing
- Assess posture/technique and body movement
- Injured area treatments
- Education for self-management
- Refer for additional investigation as required.
Tips to prevent strain
Before activity
Warm up
During the colder months is very important that you perform a warm up before any activity.
Start the activity with a lower intensity movement then build it up to the full intensity that you intend to train at.
Tailored program
Before you perform any activity it’s always a good idea to have your program reviewed by a professional who understands your body and exercise and can give up-to-date competent advice.