Muscle Strain Recovery - PRICE
There is no worse feeling for an athlete than to be in a training session or competition and they feel a tweak in a muscle. Some are minor little pains while others are excruciating. Having had a hamstring tear, I could barely walk after wards and for the next month and a half. How athletes handle muscle strain recovery will dictate how soon they can return to full time action.
Damage to soft tissues (muscles, ligaments and tendons) can be acute or chronic. Acute injuries occur at a specific point in time. A chronic injury are caused by overuse or repeated stress. Acute injuries that are not treated properly can turn into chronic problems. In either case, the area will swell, feel painful and have a decrease in ability to perform normal tasks.
Types of Injuries
Muscle strain recovery will change depending on the type of injury experienced.
1. Pull - a pulled muscle or muscle strain is a when the muscle fibers have been stretched too far but has not torn apart. Muscle fibers do naturally go through strains as a part of weightlifting heavier weights. The muscle will feel weak and sore but this is very different from an injured muscle that is more painful for a longer period of time.
2. Tears - can be quite painful and will have swelling and possibly bruising which will discolor the skin. The severity of the tear in the muscle will determine how much mobility it will have. A small number of muscle fibers tearing is called a Grade 1 tear. The covering around the muscle (the fascia) is not damaged. A Grade 2 tear is the same but involves more fibers. Grade 3 tears involve even more damaged fibers but in this case the fascia is damaged as well. The highest is Grade 4 which is a complete tear of the muscle and fascia.
Muscle Strain Prevention
To minimize the chance of injuries:
· Warm-up properly with cardio and active (dynamic) stretching to increase body temperature and muscle elasticity. Warm muscle are less likely to tear.
· Start your training or pre-competition warmup with lighter exercises. This will increase blood flow and prepare the muscles for heavier work later.
· Stretching muscles after a workout has been shown to aid in recovery efforts as well as prevention.
· Lift under control and do not attempt to go beyond what is comfortable and safe.
PRICE
P: Protect - if you get hurt, STOP! Do not keep lifting weights or playing, it will just make it worse.
R: Rest - avoid any activity that will stretch the muscle again. Use a physio therapist or sports doctor to determine how much and type of exercise to do to remain active. This will help to avoid loss of conditioning.
I: Ice - apply a bag of ice wrapped in a wet towel immediately to reduce pain and swelling. 20 minutes every hour the first day is recommended.
C: Compression - use an elastic wrap to provide support and to help decrease swelling. Tight wraps are not good as they restrict blood flow.
E: Elevate - depending on the affected area, raise it to a level above your heart to reduce swelling.
Pain relievers like Tylenol can help but do not have anti-inflammatory effects like Motrin or Advil. Some experts do not like using them as they may not allow the body to respond properly to injury.
Minor injuries are not difficult to treat yourself. For more serious injuries, it is always recommended that you see a specialist to avoid possible complications. Muscle strain recovery can be cut much shorter with the proper care
My name is Jacques Delorme and I run a youth nutrition blog at http://visportsnutrition.ca where you can get all sorts of information on nutrition, exercise and motivation for youth athletes. Visit my site and feel free to leave comments and questions if you need more information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacques_Delorme
