What to do when the muscles of the human body are strained? Strained a muscle: what to do.

Muscle strain- This is a traumatic injury to muscle fibers or the connection between muscle and tendon. Happening muscle strain when there is excessive tension in muscles or ligaments, when muscles are overstrained as a result of loads that are higher than permissible for a given body.

Crick can occur even in everyday situations - heavy physical work, inept lifting of weights, long stay in an unusual or uncomfortable position can cause muscle problems. Most people pull muscles back or neck when they try to lift something heavy without bending their knees and keeping their back straight. The muscles in your legs can be pulled if you strain too much while running, walking, jumping, or squatting with a heavy dumbbell without warming up first. In this case, the muscles of the back of the lower leg (calf) are most often stretched. Usually such injuries are accompanied by convulsions.

But muscles are especially often injured when performing various physical exercises and sports. Crick occurs either as a result of too strong muscle contraction, for example, during unexpected sudden movements, or due to abnormal muscle function, such as a sudden change in the direction of the load on the muscle. Crick may occur when doing stretching or flexibility exercises, especially with a partner. Often Crick can occur during a sharp transition from one direction of movement to the opposite, during sudden movements in general, and also if the movements of body parts are uncoordinated. Accidental collision and fall may also result in muscle strain.

Factors contributing to muscle strain, are a poorly developed muscular corset, as well as low daily physical activity of a person. Often Crick occurs due to intense physical activity, disproportionate to capabilities, as well as when the load is placed on unstretched, unheated muscles. Proper warm-up, “warming up” the muscles before performing physical work, reduces the likelihood of a sprain.

Crick and microtears are accompanied by the development of painful muscle spasms. Soreness indicates damage, so you should stop exercising as soon as you feel pain.

Symptoms of a Muscle Strain

At muscle strain There is usually pain, swelling or swelling in the injured area. Hematomas may appear. Pain when muscle strain It can be either small or very strong, significantly limiting physical activity. If the back muscle is stretched, then any additional load - turning or bending - leads to increased pain. Rest, on the contrary, helps reduce pain. As muscle strain passes, small scars may appear, so after an injury the muscle may not be as elastic and strong. Often damage to the back muscles is accompanied by the development of swelling of the lumbar region and the appearance of bruises. If the muscle cannot be contracted, consult a doctor; this may be a sign of a tear or rupture of the muscle.

Degrees of muscle stretch

Muscle strain classified into three degrees of severity:

1. Moderate degree muscle strain. Causes mild pain and goes away in a few days.
2. Average degree muscle strain associated with weakness of the affected muscle, its painful contraction.
3. A complete rupture of the connection between muscle and tendon, manifested by severe pain and the inability to contract the damaged muscle. Swelling, internal bleeding, and bruising may appear in the area of ​​the damaged joint.

Treatment for muscle strain

Treatment muscle strain may take from several days to several months depending on the extent of the damage. It is worth noting that Crick- especially the back muscles - is often accompanied by sprained ligaments. In this case, the recovery period may be delayed.

First aid for muscle strain

Provide rest to the injured muscle. At muscle strain physical exertion and sudden movements should be avoided (complete absence of stress on the damaged area is mandatory for 48 hours).

At first it’s cold. At muscle strain To reduce pain and swelling, apply ice to the injured muscle as soon as possible (for at least 20 minutes), and then apply ice every 4 hours for 48 hours. Pre-packaged ice packs, cubes wrapped in a damp towel, or even bags of frozen vegetables (like green peas) will work. However, you should not apply ice directly to the skin; it should be protected with a towel or wipes.

Fixation of the injured limb. If bruising occurs, it is necessary to apply an elastic bandage to the damaged area and place the limb in an elevated position to prevent the increase in tissue swelling.

If necessary when muscle strain You can use medications (analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs)

Treatment of muscle strain: use of NANOPLAST forte therapeutic patch

After 48 hours, the injured area will benefit from warmth. You can use warm compresses and hot baths. Very effective and convenient at this stage of treatment muscle strain NANOPLAST forte is a therapeutic pain-relieving anti-inflammatory patch.

Thanks to its unique properties, the NANOPLAST forte medical plaster not only relieves inflammation, but also has an analgesic effect, improves blood circulation in the injured area, and accelerates the resorption of hematomas. Course of treatment for muscle strain usually ranges from 3 to 9 days.

In case of mild muscle strain The recovery process takes several days (usually no more than 3-5 days). With stronger sprains, and even more so muscle tears The treatment process will take longer (1-6 weeks). In this case, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), usually in the form of tablets, are used for anti-inflammatory treatment of soft tissue injuries. And here NANOPLAST forte can provide significant help - its use allows you to reduce the dosage and duration of NSAID use. Long-term course use of NANOPLAST forte is possible. Consult a specialist.

After pain and swelling have passed, restorative physical therapy is necessary.

A muscle strain in the leg is a complete or partial rupture of muscle fibers. Their damage usually occurs in a state of contraction or tension, for example, when starting too intensely before running. The leading symptom of a sprained leg muscle is a sharp, piercing pain at the moment of rupture. Then, within a few hours, inflammatory edema and hematoma form.

The diagnosis is made based on examination of the injured leg and the patient’s complaints. A number of instrumental studies (MRI, electromyography) are carried out to assess the condition of the muscles and adjacent ligaments, tendons, and soft tissues. For minor damage, treatment is conservative. Surgery is required to restore severely injured muscles.

Main muscles of the lower extremities.

Causes and provoking factors

Muscle fibers do not stretch, but tear under the influence of forces exceeding their tensile strength. Such injuries are not considered dangerous and rarely cause complications. Strain of the calf muscles - the appearance of many microscopic ruptures of the fibers, more often with their emergency compression. Even professional athletes are not immune to this type of injury. Muscles are damaged when jumping, lifting heavy weights, or while running. Sprains are often diagnosed in football players, volleyball players, tennis players, and handball players. Muscles can tear in untrained people who decide to immediately begin intense exercise.

Place of localization of sprains during sports training and sudden movements in everyday life.

In everyday life, such injuries are usually provoked not so much by sudden, impetuous movements, but by the unpreparedness of various structures of the musculoskeletal system for them. If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, then even a slight twisting of the leg can lead to tearing of most of the fibers.

The likelihood of damage increases in the following cases:

• overweight;
• disorders of the vestibular apparatus;
• frequent dizziness due to a sharp increase or decrease in blood pressure;
• inflammatory or degenerative-dystrophic pathologies of the knee, ankle, hip joints;
• hallux valgus, clubfoot, flatfoot;

• postural disorders in which the center of gravity shifts.

The cause of muscle strain can be simple clumsiness, the inability to calculate the result of intense sudden movement. Such injuries are often detected in people with hypermobile joints in combination with injuries to ligaments and (or) tendons.

Clinical picture

The first symptom of a muscle strain in the knee or ankle is severe, piercing pain. It is so acute that loss of consciousness is possible. Painful shock is especially dangerous - a pathological condition that threatens the life of the victim due to increased heart rate and a sharp drop in blood pressure. When the fibers break, a click may be heard, reminiscent of the crunch of a dry stick being broken. Irritation of receptors and increased blood flow lead to redness of the skin in the area of ​​damage. Within a few hours, the following symptoms characteristic of muscle strain occur:

• the pain intensifies when trying to lean on the foot;
• leg mobility is limited;
• a subcutaneous hematoma is formed;

Hematoma due to stretching of the thigh muscles.

• sensitivity changes in the area of ​​damage;
• the affected tissues are swollen, the leg increases in size.

With severe, acute inflammation of soft tissues, clinical manifestations of general intoxication of the body are observed. Body temperature rises, dyspeptic and neurological disorders occur. The victim complains of dizziness, weakness, and drowsiness.

The intensity of clinical manifestations varies significantly depending on the degree of injury. When a small number of fibers are torn, the symptoms of muscle strain in the leg are mild or completely absent.

Treatment tactics

When choosing treatment methods, the doctor takes into account the severity of the patient’s injury. The victim is hospitalized only if there is serious damage to muscle tissue, especially with combined fractures, ruptures of ligaments and tendons, and dislocations. But in most cases, treatment for a sprained leg muscle occurs at home.

First aid for sprains.

The patient is advised to rest in bed for 3-5 days, wear orthopedic devices, and avoid any stress on the injured limb.

Pharmacological preparations

Medicines in tablets or injectable solutions are rarely used in the treatment of sprains. The indication for their use is acute pain that occurs in the first hours after injury. Patients are prescribed 1-2 doses of Naiza, Nurofen or Nurofen Forte, Ketorol, Ibuprofen. Intramuscular administration of Diclofenac, Voltaren, Ortofen, Ketorolac can relieve acute pain in a few minutes.

But the severity of pain usually decreases after 5-6 hours, immediately after the inflammatory edema is relieved and compression of the nerve endings is eliminated using cold compresses. Therefore, external agents are used for further therapy. How to cure:

• NSAIDs - Finalgel, Artrosilene, Fastum, Voltaren, Nurofen, Indomethacin, Ibuprofen, Dolgit, Diclofenac. Prescribed to patients from the first days of treatment, they have an anti-inflammatory, anti-edematous, analgesic effect. If the traumatologist has not determined an individual dosage regimen, then ointments are used 2-3 times a day;

• venotonics, venoprotectors - Lyoton, Heparin, Troxevasin, Troxerutin, Heparoid Lechiva, Trombless gel. Used 1-3 times a day from the first day of treatment to eliminate swelling and increased permeability of the vascular walls. External agents promote rapid resorption of hematomas and pinpoint hemorrhages;

• - Finalgon, Capsicam, Nayatoks, Apizartron, Efkamon, Ben-Gay. Such ointments are used for stretched leg muscles only after the inflammatory process has stopped, approximately on the 3-4th day of therapy twice a day. They have a local irritating, distracting, analgesic effect. Improve blood circulation in damaged tissues, stimulating accelerated regeneration (healing).

Sometimes chondroprotective ointments are included in therapeutic regimens for sprained leg muscles. Their active ingredients are chondroitin, glucosamine, hyaluronic acid or collagen. There will be no harm from their use, nor any benefit. The components of these external products are absorbed by the skin, but practically do not penetrate into the joints, muscles, and ligamentous-tendon apparatus.

To speed up the recovery of muscles in the leg during a sprain, systemic chondroprotectors (Teraflex, Artra, Structum) are used in treatment. Intramuscular administration of injection solutions is practiced (,).

The therapeutic effectiveness for oral administration has been confirmed by numerous clinical studies on volunteers. Bioactive compounds cumulate (accumulate) in tissues, exhibiting anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. At the rehabilitation stage, patients are also prescribed electrophoresis with chondroprotectors.

Medicinal electrophoresis.

How else can muscle sprains in the leg be treated: a course of balanced complexes of vitamins and microelements, drinking plenty of fluids, if necessary, immunostimulants, drugs to improve blood circulation. Therapeutic regimens include Combilipen, Neuromultivit, Pentovit. These preparations with B vitamins improve innervation, stimulate metabolism and restoration of muscle fibers.

Non-drug treatment

The victim is allowed to move around the room as the severity of pain decreases. The traumatologist recommends using a cane or crutches when walking. Throughout the treatment, the patient is advised to wear orthopedic devices. In case of severe ruptures of muscle fibers, rigid or semi-rigid orthoses are used to securely fix the leg. For minor injuries, wearing an elastic bandage that slightly limits movement is sufficient. What else should you do when you strain your leg muscles:

• apply cold until the hematoma and inflammatory edema are completely resolved;
• provide rest to the injured leg;
• After relief of inflammation, warm the area of ​​pain with linen bags containing sea salt or flaxseeds, which retain heat for a long time.

After about 3-4 days of treatment, physiotherapeutic procedures are carried out - electrical myostimulation, UHF therapy, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, applications with ozokerite, bischofite, paraffin. Such activities help improve blood circulation, saturate muscle tissue with oxygen, nutrients and biologically active substances. Physiotherapy significantly shortens the rehabilitation period. Complete tissue restoration usually requires 1.5-2 months. After 5-10 sessions of UHF therapy or electromyostimulation, the muscles heal in 4-5 weeks.

Rehabilitation activities

To restore all functions of the injured leg, the patient is advised to do daily physical therapy and gymnastics. Training begins 5 days after the injury, when the victim can already fully lean on his foot. Exercises to stretch the leg muscles are selected by the physical therapy doctor individually for the patient. The first training sessions take place under his leadership. The doctor makes sure that the patient does not put stress on the injured limb and shows how to perform the exercises correctly.

First, a light warm-up is required or the muscles are warmed up with the help of massage movements - kneading, rubbing, patting. Then start doing the exercises:

• in a sitting position with straightened legs, rotate your feet first in one direction, then in the other;
• sit down, bend your legs, pull your knees to your chest one by one;
• in a lying position, raise your legs straight, try to pull your toes towards the body;
• lying on your stomach, raise your legs 15-20 cm, holding them in this position for 10 seconds;
• standing, rise on your toes, and then smoothly roll onto your heels.

During training, mild discomfort may occur. They disappear as the muscles strengthen. But if pain occurs, exercise should be stopped. It is allowed to resume training after a long rest.

What can happen if left untreated

The most common mistake a victim makes is heating the injured area. An increase in temperature in torn muscles causes enlargement of inflammatory edema. It spreads to healthy tissue, compresses sensitive nerve endings, and provokes increased pain. What else should you not do when you have a muscle strain on your leg:

• try to eliminate painful sensations by drinking alcoholic beverages;
• massage, rub your leg, rotate your foot, rise on your toes or lower on your heels.

The victim often makes the mistake of refusing medical care. Improper fusion of fibers becomes a prerequisite for more frequent tissue damage, but at reduced loads. The functional activity of the joints also decreases, which leads to the development of degenerative diseases.

A muscle strain in the leg can occur for a variety of reasons. Here are the most common:

• Hard physical work. Stretching of muscles is facilitated by the long-term physical tension inherent in such work, especially if it is not proportional to the capabilities of a person who is not prepared or accustomed to it.
• Weight lifting. You can strain muscles or ligaments by lifting weights incorrectly, namely by keeping your back straight and not bending your knees.
• Uncomfortable position. If you are in an uncomfortable position for a long time, this can also cause muscle strain.
• Collision or fall. Your or someone else's clumsiness can cause a sprain if, due to a fall or collision, the muscles suddenly, without prior warming up or warming up, twitch sharply.
• Sports activities. Physical activity during sports without first warming up the muscles is the most common cause of sprains. It can also be performing flexibility exercises, lifting a barbell, or suddenly changing the direction of movement (for example, while playing volleyball or basketball).

Symptoms of a leg muscle strain

• Pain. Depends on the severity of the injury. Therefore, pain when stretching the muscles of the leg can be either slight, aching, or very strong, especially manifested when trying to move the limb. It is very important not to overcome it, but to provide rest to the victim so as not to aggravate the injury by getting a complete muscle rupture instead of a sprain.
• Spasms. They are caused by the fact that a person instinctively strains the injured limb, which causes increased compression of the intact muscles located around the injured area.
• Tumor. A swelling forms in the area of ​​injury caused by swelling of the soft tissues. Its magnitude depends on the severity of the sprain.
• Lameness. Occurs due to pain, spasms and swelling of soft tissues. To minimize discomfort, the victim tries to reduce the load on the sore leg.
• Temperature. At the site of stretching, it increases over time. The swelling feels distinctly hotter than the surrounding tissue.
• Hematomas and scars. Often, after some time, hematomas appear under the skin in the injured area. Sometimes small scars may appear because the damaged muscle has lost its elasticity.

Important! If the pain increases, if it is impossible to contract the muscle, you should immediately go to the hospital, as joint injury, ligament rupture or fracture are possible.

How to cure a muscle sprain in your leg

The speed of healing depends on the severity of the sprain - varies from several days to several months.

First aid for muscle strain

Here are three basic principles:

1. Peace. Provide the victim with peace and immobility. The injured muscle should not be loaded for two days.
2. Cold. To reduce pain and swelling, immediately apply ice (such as a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer, wrapped in a towel) to the injured area for 20 minutes. Repeat cold compresses every 4 hours for two days. Protect your skin from exposure to ice with a napkin or towel. Then you should start making warm compresses.
3. Fixation. To prevent swelling from increasing, apply an elastic bandage to the injured limb and raise the leg 5 cm above the level of the head (for example, by placing it on a roll of folded blanket or pillow).

Please note! The best prevention of sprains is regular exercise. And also a mandatory warm-up to warm up the muscles before any more or less significant physical activity, be it exercise or lifting weights.

How to treat leg muscle sprains with ointments

• Acute period. In the first 24 hours after injury, when the pain is severe, the use of irritating ointments that cause a rush of blood is not recommended. Anesthetics, painkillers containing heparin and plant extracts are indicated. Such as “Golden Star” mint, clove and eucalyptus balm, Lidocaine ointment, cooling gels Venoruton, Heparil, Indovazin, Rutozid, Troxevasin, Essaven. They should be used according to the attached instructions.
• In 48 hours. During this period, it is necessary to begin thermal procedures. Warming external preparations that combine analgesic and vasodilator effects will help, such ointments as Apizartron, Virapin, Viprosal, Naftalgin, Nicoflex, Revma-gel, Sanitas, Fastum-gel, Finalgon, Espol, Efkamon.

Treatment of leg muscle sprains with folk remedies

As soon as a muscle strain occurs, the victim should be kept at rest and the injured area should be cooled. Pieces of ice are suitable for this. Since stretching in everyday life is not so rare, you can prudently prepare it and keep it in the freezer. To do this, you need to freeze several batches of ice cubes in the mold that comes with each refrigerator, pour all the cubes into a thick plastic bag, tie it, press it into a flat shape and store it in the freezer.

If necessary, you need to take it out, wrap it in a terry towel and apply it to the sore spot. The first time - for at least 20 minutes, then this cooling compress should be repeated every 4 hours for two days.

If you don't have ice, you can use any frozen product from the freezer, also wrapping it first. You can simply cool the injured area with cold water and soak a towel in it. You can drop chamomile or lavender aroma oils into the water to enhance the positive effect.

Two days after the injury, when the pain subsides, warming procedures begin. A heating pad wrapped in a towel is applied to the sore spot, and warmed up with salt or sand. Salt or sand is poured into a canvas bag and then heated in the oven. Place the injured leg on a hot bag of salt or sand for 10 minutes. Repeat every hour for the third day after injury.

Recipes for ointments for stretched leg muscles:

1. Soap-egg ointment. Grind the gray laundry soap on a grater. 1 tbsp. l. combine such soap flakes with 2 tbsp. l. water and the yolk of one egg, stir. Apply the resulting analgesic and anti-inflammatory ointment to gauze folded in several layers and apply to the affected area. Secure with a bandage.
2. Eucalyptus-garlic ointment. This remedy also relieves pain and relieves inflammation. Boil a handful of eucalyptus leaves, fresh and crushed, and a peeled head of garlic in animal fat. Strain. Lubricate the injured area.
3. Honey ointment with aloe. Take 2 tbsp. l. honey and a medium aloe leaf. Grind it (in a meat grinder or blender), combine with honey, mix. Apply the ointment to the sore area, covering it with gauze and securing it with a bandage.

The cornflower decoction is prepared as follows: pour half a glass of boiling water into 3 tsp. twisted cornflower flowers and leave for 60 minutes. After straining, take 3 times a day. Dose - half a glass.

Remember! In order for the pulled muscle to develop and become elastic and firm again when the pain goes away, you need to start doing massage and therapeutic exercises.

What to do when stretching muscles on the leg with compresses

Here are several suitable recipes:

• With bodyaga. Moisten the bodyagi powder purchased at the pharmacy with water to form a paste, and rub it with light movements into the injured area on the leg. This will speed up the resorption of hematomas and relieve swelling.
• With milk. Soak a cloth in hot milk and place it on the sprained area. When it cools down, moisten it again and apply it to your leg. Do this 2-3 times. This compress relieves pain well.
• With onion. Grind 2 onions in a meat grinder, add 1 tbsp. l. salt, stir. Place the mixture on gauze, cover it and apply it to the injury. Wrap it on top. Salt will remove excess liquid, and onion will relieve inflammation.
• With garlic. Squeeze the juice from a head of garlic and mix with the juice of one lemon. Soak the gauze and apply to your leg.
• With tea. Moisten gauze folded four times with warm tea and apply to your leg. Wrap with warm cloth. Replace the compress when it dries out.
• With potatoes. Grind one raw peeled potato, one onion and a handful of fresh or salted finely chopped cabbage, add 1 tbsp. l. Sahara. Mix all this into clay (you can buy it at the pharmacy), diluted with yogurt until it becomes soft plasticine. Apply it to the sore spot overnight, covering it with a napkin, wrapping it with a bandage and insulating it with a scarf.
• With clay. Combine 500 g of clay with 5 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar and 2 minced garlic cloves. Mix well and apply to the injury site. Wrap with cloth, secure with a bandage and insulate. Hold until the clay dries. Then change the compress to the same one with new clay. Repeat the procedure 3 times.
• With elderberry leaves. Tear the leaves of the plant and apply to the strained muscle. Reinforce with a bandage. Change this compress 3 times a day.
• With flour. Take 1 glass of salt, water and flour, mix. Wrap the resulting dough around the injured area on the leg and secure with a bandage. Remove the compress when the dough becomes hard.
• With arnica. Make a tincture of camphor alcohol (200 ml) and mountain arnica flowers (20 g). Moisten a napkin with it and apply it to your leg. Reinforce with a bandage and insulate with a scarf.
• With tansy. Grind the flowers of the plant (3 tablespoons), then pour a glass of boiling water. Let it brew for 60 minutes, then strain. Moisten gauze with infusion to make a compress.
• With elecampane. 3 tbsp. l. Pour boiling water (1 glass) over pre-crushed elecampane root and leave for 20 minutes. Make a compress by moistening gauze with the infusion, securing it with a bandage and insulating it with a towel or scarf.
• With cuff. Pour boiling water (500 ml) over the leaves of the common cuff (100 g) and leave for 4 hours. Then strain. Apply compresses using gauze as usual. Keep it for half an hour. The procedure will relieve swelling.

Please note! To avoid sprains, exercise, watch your weight and wear shoes with heels (this strengthens the calf muscle), but not higher than 5-6 cm.

Muscle is a special tissue of the human body that can stretch and contract. The structural unit of any muscle is muscle cells (fibers), based on their structure and tasks, they are distinguished: skeletal, they are also striated, smooth - they line hollow internal organs and the myocardium.

Skeletal muscles are involved in the movement of the body and ensure the maintenance of the necessary posture, allowing a person to solve pressing problems. This is the only muscle group whose work is controlled by consciousness.

Each skeletal muscle consists of a “belly” - an active part involved in contraction, and two peripheral passive parts, with the help of which it is securely attached to the skeleton. The abdomen itself consists of numerous muscle bundles that unite individual cells. They are separated from each other by a connective tissue layer.

Muscle cells are distinguished by their elongated shape and correspond in length to the muscle itself, as they are located between two tendons. In this area, the outer membrane of each cell is securely connected to the collagen structures of the tendons.

Under various conditions, any of the structural units of the muscle may be damaged or its integrity may be compromised; this condition is called muscle strain. Its severity depends on the volume of injured tissue.

Causes and signs of muscle strain

A muscle strain is a type of injury that everyone has likely experienced. Most often it occurs in people involved in sports or dancing. But it can also be obtained in everyday life: with sudden or careless movements, lifting weights. In this case, individual muscle fibers rupture, which is accompanied by hemorrhage and local swelling. The strength and duration of pain and the degree of dysfunction depend on how large the volume of damaged tissue is. If single fibers are subject to stretching, then the pain at the site of injury will be moderate and feel like a burning sensation or an unpleasant pulling sensation. The contractility of all muscle tissue is impaired and movements in the injured area are somewhat limited. As a rule, with this degree of sprain, the symptoms last no more than a week; if the pain continues further, then this is a serious reason to consult a specialist. When a muscle is stretched very strongly, it ruptures completely and is absolutely unable to function. The painful condition can last more than four weeks and does not normalize on its own. To restore the integrity of the torn muscle, surgical intervention is necessary.

How does a neck muscle strain manifest?

Partial disruption of the integrity of the muscle groups of the neck can occur when:

• sharp mechanical impact.
• unnatural position of the head during a fall.
• keeping the head in one position for a long time.

A neck strain is manifested by the following symptoms:

• Pain in the neck (most often in the back) accompanies any attempts to turn the head.
• Prolonged headaches in the occipital region are noted.
• Shoulder movements cause pain in the upper joints.
• The upper limbs are stiff and their sensitivity is reduced.
• Patients with such injuries are characterized by irritability and increased drowsiness.
• Sometimes stretching is accompanied by signs of a sore throat.

How does a stretched chest muscle manifest?

This injury most often occurs in athletes who lift weights. It can also be obtained from a directed blow to the pectoral muscle area, a sudden movement, or in a child from a fall during active games.

Such an injury to the pectoral muscle is accompanied by severe pain in the area of ​​injury and limited mobility of the shoulder girdle. The patient complains that it is difficult for him to take a deep breath and move his body (turns and bends).

How does a trapezius muscle strain manifest?

Violation of the integrity of the trapezius muscle can occur in many cases, usually they are associated with heavy physical labor: heavy lifting, prolonged exposure to a forced position, often such injury occurs during car accidents or during sports training.

Damage to the trapezius muscle affects:

• movements of the head and shoulders - they are difficult and cause pain.
• arm strength - it noticeably decreases, tingling or numbness is felt in one or both limbs.
• Sensations in the back - you can feel the muscle trembling under the skin or its characteristic “petrification”.

How does a muscle strain in the groin area manifest?

In this zone there is a group of muscles whose main task is to adduct the hip. These are muscle fibers located on the inner thigh. With their help, the lower limbs are brought together and separated. Groin muscles can be injured mainly during sports:

• sensible efforts with the legs.
• sudden change in the position of the lower extremities.
• a quick start or sudden acceleration.
• strong lunges.

Damage to the groin muscles can be recognized by:

• Sharp pain in this area.
• Increasing swelling and the appearance of hemorrhage.
• Lack of contractile activity in the muscle.
• After some time, “bumps” and depressions form on the surface of the muscle tissue.

First aid and treatment principles for muscle strains

Actions that must be taken immediately after injury are aimed at reducing swelling and inflammatory reaction in the area of ​​injury. To do this you need to provide:

• Minimal muscle activity in the damaged area, or better yet, its complete absence.
• Exposure to a cold agent to constrict blood vessels and reduce pain. You can use a cold water bottle or ice from the freezer for this. Initially, it is applied for at least twenty minutes, and for the next forty-eight hours - once every four hours.
• Fixing the injury site with an elastic bandage.
• Taking painkillers.
• Transporting the victim to the emergency room.

After examination and an accurate diagnosis, ruling out more serious injuries, treatment for muscle strains usually involves the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are prescribed both for internal use and locally. It is important to remember that these medications should not be self-administered, especially to treat injuries in a child.

A few days after the injury, physical therapy methods can be used. Treatment, including electromyostimulation, massage and acupuncture techniques, will give the muscle fibers the necessary elasticity.

Treatment of muscle fiber damage with traditional methods

After completing the course of treatment with medications, it is recommended to continue therapy with folk remedies. Most often, tinctures, decoctions and ointments prepared independently at home are used for this.

Recipe 1. Fill a glass halfway with dried poplar buds, pour boiling water to the top and leave for thirty minutes. Distribute the steamed mass over a gauze bandage and secure it at the sprain site for several hours.

It is convenient to use fresh birch leaves at home. They are evenly laid out on gauze in several layers and secured to the injured area.

Recipe 2 . To do this, you need to prepare an ointment from horsetail, ground into powder, and homemade butter. Infuse for one day in a cool place, and then rub into painful areas.

Recipe 3. Prepare a strong decoction of plantain leaves, and then dilute blue clay with it. Spread the paste in a thin layer over a linen rag and apply to the affected area, secure with a bandage and insulate with woolen cloth.

Recipe 4 . It is easy to prepare at home. To do this, chop a medium-sized onion by passing it through a meat grinder. Mix with sugar and place on gauze, fix in place for a couple of hours.

A sprained leg muscle is not a particularly serious injury. But due to the intense pain syndrome, it causes considerable discomfort. And since such a nuisance can happen to anyone at the most unexpected moment, you need to know what to do if you pull a muscle on your leg, how to provide first aid, how and according to which method to treat a sprain.

Symptoms of injury can vary. Except for the pain that accompanies stretching the leg muscles in any case.

The sharp pain that occurs when muscle tissue is damaged can be very strong or mild, throbbing or continuous. If there is no load on the limb, the pain subsides when stationary. When moving or touching the site of injury, the pain flares up again.

Depending on the severity of the leg muscle sprain, the following symptoms are typical:

1. Moderate sprain (initial degree) is accompanied by tolerable pain, which goes away in 3–4 days.
2. Moderate damage is characterized by pronounced pain of varying intensity that occurs with the slightest movement or contraction of muscle fibers. If blood vessels are damaged, subcutaneous hemorrhage occurs and a hematoma occurs. The soft tissues in the area of ​​injury swell, the patient complains of weakness of the injured limb. Motor activity is limited.
3. When a severe muscle strain occurs, the muscle fibers rupture, in some cases they are torn from the tendons of the foot, in the area of ​​the knee or hip joint. All this is manifested by severe pain, severe swelling, subcutaneous bruising and hematomas. Excruciating pain occurs at the slightest load on the leg or touching the site of injury.

Muscles can become stretched for a variety of reasons. However, regardless of the circumstances, emergency measures must be carried out immediately.

First aid

As soon as you feel that a muscle in your leg has been pulled, even if the pain is minor, you need to stop all activities performed before the injury. It is important to ensure complete rest of the injured limb in order to reduce pain as much as possible. To drain blood, you need to place any object under your leg so that it remains elevated at all times.

Attention! When sprained by any force of gravity, the leg should be at rest for at least 48 hours.

First aid measures for a muscle strain in the leg involve cooling the injured area. For a compress, use any available means:

• a towel (scarf, T-shirt, etc.) soaked in water;
• ice cubes in a bag;
• snow;
• products from the freezer.

Before applying a cooling compress to the injury site when a muscle on the leg is pulled, wrap a bag of ice (snow, frozen food) in a dry soft towel. The cold should be on the stretch area for only 15 to 20 minutes. Then the procedures are repeated every 3–4 hours.

At the end of first aid, a tight fixing bandage is applied, limiting the range of movements of the limb. This should be done immediately if you have pulled a muscle in your leg.

Painkillers

During the first 24 hours after injury, local drugs are used to reduce severe pain: Voltaren emulgel, Fastumgel, Lidocaine, Golden Star balm.

Gels used for vein diseases are considered effective in treatment:

• Troxevasin;
• Essaven-gel;
• Heparin gel;
• Indovazin;
• Rutoside.

These drugs differ favorably from ointments and creams in their ability to be well absorbed into the skin, due to which the effect of cooling and pain relief of tissues is achieved more quickly.

Further treatment

Two days after the injury, treatment of a sprain involves the use of warming, anti-inflammatory, vasodilating, and local absorbent drugs. The duration and regimen of therapy depend on the severity of the injury.

For mild sprains, the use of warming ointments and gels is sufficient. Such events are carried out at home, independently.

Ointments aimed at activating local blood circulation, stopping the inflammatory process, and healing damaged tissues help quickly restore muscle fibers damaged by a stretch injury:

• Finalgon;
• Nicoflex;
• Espol;
• Ethkamon;
• Sanitas.

The use of such drugs in local therapy for sprains helps eliminate pain, swelling, and resolve hematomas. The course of treatment lasts 3–5 days.

Attention! Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and homeopathic remedies can be used in the treatment of sprains only as prescribed by a doctor.

What to do if you have a moderate sprain? At home, the same warming ointments and gels are used. Warm herbal or manganese baths are indicated. To increase blood flow and reduce swelling of damaged tissues, it is recommended to do a light foot massage daily. Recovery occurs in 10–15 days.

In case of severe sprains, you cannot do without the help of a specialist. When muscle fibers rupture, surgical intervention is required, since the tissue cannot recover on its own. Surgical treatment is also necessary in cases where muscles are separated from tendons or large blood vessels are damaged as a result of injury.

After surgery, treatment for a severe sprain consists of first aid measures. Absolute rest, cold compresses and a compressive bandage are required. During the period of rehabilitation and recovery, the patient is recommended to undergo physiotherapy, massage, and therapeutic exercises. The course of therapy is up to 2 months.