Your Guide To Treatment Options For Torn Muscles (1)

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Today Topics Your Guide To Treatment Options
For Torn Muscles
If you lead an active lifestyle, youre at risk
of developing strained or torn muscles. At all
levels, muscle injuries are frequent in common
sports, accounting for as much as 55 of all
sports- related injuries. So regardless of your
age or overall fitness, you should understand the
causes of muscle tears and sprains, what
symptoms to look for, and your treatment options.
Heres what you need to know if you feel extra
sore, stiff, or are struggling to move after
exerting yourself. COMMON CAUSES OF MUSCLE
INJURIES Contrary to common conception, you dont
need to be an athlete to suffer from a
muscle injury. As Johns Hopkins points out, even
walking at a moderate pace can be enough. That
said, the causes you hear about most often do
tend to be exercise-related. These include a
person not warming up before exercise, having
poor flexibility, or overexerting themselves.
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Non-exercise-related trauma is the next most
common cause. Slipping, falling, or otherwise
losing your footing can result in muscle sprains.
So can lifting something too heavy or lifting in
an awkward position. Acute muscle sprains are
also more common during cold weather. Chilly
temperatures make the muscle fibers stiffer than
would otherwise be. In this state, theyre more
susceptible to stress and tearing. So when its
cold out its extra important to take the time
to warm up before any physical activity. SIGNS
OF TORN MUSCLES The symptoms you experience can
vary depending on how a sprain occurs and how
severe the damage is. Warning signs to watch
for include sudden pain, lingering soreness,
reduced range of movement, bruising or
discoloration, swelling, stiffness, weakness, and
spasms in the muscle. In the case of a mild
injury, you might only feel a slight stiffness.
The muscle will be tender and sore, but youll
still be able to move as normal. These symptoms
will fade in a matter of weeks. By contrast, a
severe muscle tear is impossible to ignore. The
pain can be debilitating and your range of
movement is highly limited. These injuries can
take months to heal. Read More Managing Pain
After Spinal Cord Injuries A Comprehensive
Guide TREATING A MUSCLE INJURY You can often
take care of some sprains at home by applying
rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE).
RICE is the standard first-aid procedure for many
common injuries and may be the only treatment
that a mild sprain needs. However, some symptoms
can be warning signs of a more serious injury.
Numbness in the affected area, bleeding from the
injury, or the inability to move a limb are all
urgent symptoms. Pain that doesnt improve after
a week is also a cause for concern. If you
experience any of those conditions, you should
seek medical attention as soon as possible. A
physical examination will let a doctor determine
the extent of your injury so that can recommend
a course of treatment. The next steps will
depend on how bad the injury is. A doctor may
prescribe anti-inflammatory medications to
reduce pain and swelling. They may also give you
pain relievers to reduce your discomfort.
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If medications are not sufficient, you may need
to undergo physical therapy. In therapy, youll
learn and perform exercises to help strengthen
the damaged muscle and restore its full range of
movement. If an injury is severe enough, you may
be recommended surgery to reconstruct the damaged
tissue. Success rates vary, and surgery will
always be reserved as a last resort. A
NON-SURGICAL ALTERNATIVE FOR SEVERE INJURIES If
you are recommended for surgery, you may yet have
an alternative option. Platelet rich plasma
(PRP) therapy is a non-surgical treatment that
can help your body heal damaged tissues. The
technique uses the platelets in your blood to
help stimulate your bodys healing
response. Platelets are the cellular fragments
that cause your blood to clot. Think of them like
natural bandages. If you ever scrapped your knee
as a kid, the scab was formed by platelets
clustering at the site of the injury and
hardening into a protective shell over the
wound. PRP works by extracting platelets from a
sample of your blood and producing a dense
concentration of them. The resultant platelet
rich plasma is then injected into the site of a
muscle injury. There, the platelets will break
down, releasing their natural growth factors and
helping speed the healing process. Its a
relatively new procedure, championed by athletes
like Tiger Woods, the Philadelphia Phillies
Aaron Nola, and tennis star Rafael Nadal. And
research supports its regenerative
potential. If you sustain a serious muscles
tear, PRP therapy may be your best way to avoid
undergoing surgery. It may also provide relief
from lingering muscle pain when other treatments
fail. Read more Prp Therapy For Tendon Strain
What You Need To Know COMMON MISTAKES AFTER TORN
MUSCLES After suffering a muscle injury, you
might try stretching out to relieve the pain. But
you should resist that impulse. When a muscle
is torn, the damaged fibers will start working to
heal and reattach to each other. Muscle fibers
are very delicate during this period, and
aggressive stretching can cause more pain,
further damage to the tissue, and delay
healing. Earlier we touched on the acronym RICE.
But theres also the lesser-known HARM, which
describes a set of behaviors to avoid after an
injury.
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HARM stands for applying heat, drinking alcohol,
running, and massaging. All these activities can
increase the pain, swelling, and damage from an
injury during the first 48-72 hours and should
be avoided. Lastly, many athletes who suffer
long-term injuries do so because they rush
themselves back into action before theyre ready.
This is understandable for professionals who are
under pressure to perform. But everyday
individuals with no such responsibilities can
make the same mistake. This can be because
muscle tears become less painful as they heal.
But the fact that the pain is subsiding doesnt
always mean youre ready to return to
action. Its important to test your limits
gradually, starting with modest exercises and
working your way back up to 100. You should
also get the approval of your medical
professional before returning to strenuous
activity. RECOVERING FROM MUSCLE INJURIES While
torn muscles and similar injuries may be common,
theyre nothing to take lightly. A lack of
proper treatment can extend your recovery time.
In severe cases, the damage may even be
permanent. So if you suspect youre dealing with
a muscle injury, dont wait. Contact us today to
schedule an evaluation and discuss your
treatment options. Read more Your Guide To
Treatment Options For Torn Muscles Thank You
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