Muscle Strains
A muscle strain is an injury due to a fast stretch or tear of a muscle. It is caused by tears in the muscle fiber. This can result in pain, swelling, bruising, and decreased strength and/ or use of the muscle.
Muscle strains often occur when a muscle is stretched too quickly or contracts with excessive force. This can happen during exercise, sports, slipping or falling, and even routine daily activities.
Muscle strains are categorized based on the severity of the strain.
Grade 1 muscle strain: This is a minor tear of a muscle. This can be moderately painful but will have normal strength and function. There is usually little to no bruising.
Grade 2 muscle strain: This is a partial tear of the muscle. It can be very painful, bruised, swollen, with decreased strength and function.
Grade 3 muscle strain: This is a complete tear of the muscle. Sometimes this causes an audible “pop” or feels like a “pop”. This can cause complete loss of strength and function of the muscle, bruising,and swelling. Sometimes these strains require surgery.
Signs and symptoms of a muscle strain include:
- pain in a muscle after a rapid stretch, fall, collision, or trip
- tightness in a muscle
- difficulty moving a muscle
- bruise or discoloration over the muscle strain area
- decreased range of motion of the muscle
- swelling over the injury site
- muscle spasms
- pain with sleeping
- pain with walking or moving the limb
- muscle weakness
Treatment options:
- manual therapy & manipulation
- patient education
- soft tissue release therapy
- exercise rehabilitation & home exercise programs
- Intramuscular Stimulation
- cervical & lumbar traction
- Shockwave therapy
- LASER therapy
- ultrasound
- therapeutic taping (K taping, sprain taping, joint taping)
- sport injury prevention
- electrotherapy
- cryotherapy/ heat therapy
- instrument assisted soft tissue release
- kinesiology
- passive & active stretching