Muscle strains are a frustratingly common occurrence in sports & frequent injuries for sports like football & netball. Not surprisingly we see many clients with muscle strains in our practice. There is a lot of misinformation regarding the treatment of an acute muscle strain which we find comes from a lack of understanding of what a muscle strain is.
Muscle Strains: Do’s and Don’ts – ‘A muscle strain is the stretching or tearing of muscle fibers. Most muscle strains happen for one of two reasons: either the muscle has been stretched beyond its limits or it has been forced to contract too strongly. ‘(Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School).
Signs you have strained a muscle include pain, swelling, bruising, ‘pop’ or ‘snap’ at time of injury and reduced strength. The severity of your symptoms may reflect the severity of the injury to your muscle. The severity of the injury will dictate how long your recovery will take.
So, what do you do if you think you have strained a muscle?
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- PRICER: Protect, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate and Refer (to a health professional)
- DO NOT STRETCH! Remember, a muscle strain is damage to a muscle where the fibers have been torn apart, if you stretch – even a little bit – after straining a muscle you could make it worse.
- Seek help, especially if you are planning on returning to a dynamic sport or activity to ensure a safe return to exercise
As proud sponsors of Lane Cove Football Club and Lane Cove Netball Club our priority is to keep its players and the rest of the Lane Cove community fit, healthy and active. If you think you have strained a muscle, reach out to our friendly team of Physiotherapists and get started on the road to recovery!