Muscle Injuries

Muscle injuries are one of the most common consequences of sports accidents, incorrect movements or awkward actions at work. As a rule, these are not serious, but require a few days of rest. In a few exceptional situations, however, medical intervention is necessary. Basically, muscle injuries are curable – the chances of success are always very high.

Muscle Injuries

What are muscle injuries?

Muscle injuries are tears or other damage to the muscles. These can therefore lie in a tear of entire bundles or individual fibers. Muscle injuries are therefore usually noticeable or even painful. See eshaoxing for Hemolysis Definition and Meaning.

They are usually accompanied by a slight tugging. However, if entire muscle bundles are torn, the muscle injuries would be associated with considerable pain. In most cases, only one operation can restore the full functionality of the musculoskeletal system.

Minor muscle injuries, on the other hand, can be treated with soothing ointments, baths, massages and heat therapies. If the symptoms persist for several days, a doctor should be consulted as a precaution. He can determine whether the injuries are actually muscle injuries or whether the bones and organs are damaged.

Causes

Muscle injuries usually occur where the body is not sufficiently warmed up during sporting activities. Likewise, when lifting heavy loads, so-called incorrect movements can lead to tilting or overstretching and thus to muscle injuries.

It is not uncommon for the affected person not to notice slight damage to the muscles – but this becomes worse when running in the woods or playing football and can have painful consequences. Muscle injuries therefore usually occur where a lot of movement is required.

In a few situations, slipping on icy paths or a misstep on the stairs also causes such muscle injuries. Thus, every person will be hit by muscle injuries several times in their life.

Symptoms, Ailments & Signs

Muscle injuries are sometimes associated with pain sensations of varying intensity. A tugging is usually also noticeable. In addition, the musculoskeletal system is restricted. However, muscle injuries can also occur that are not noticed by the person concerned. Muscle injuries often occur during sporting activities.

A muscle strain, a milder type of muscle injury, involves unnatural muscle stretching. The muscle tension is disturbed, the muscle hardens and pain sets in. This reflexive tensing is intended to avoid serious consequences. After a short recovery, the symptoms can recede. A muscle fiber tear causes sudden pain as nerve-carrying muscle fibers tear.

The pain is stabbing, similar to a stab wound. A load or movement is hardly possible. The restriction of blood flow causes an inflammatory reaction in this area. A massive, prolonged muscle tightening occurs. The pain expresses itself like cramps. When a muscle bundle tears, a visible bruise often forms because the vascular injuries are more intense.

This is due to the damage, the tearing of the muscle sheath, which consists of connective tissue. A muscle fiber tear or muscle bundle tear must be localized precisely. They can be palpated precisely. In addition, the sensation of pain can only be felt locally at the muscle injury. In case of complications and in severe cases, pain at rest over a longer period of time can lead to significant sleep disturbances.

Diagnosis & History

The affected person does not even feel a large number of muscle injuries because they occur without pain. Only the slightest pull in the thigh or limitations in mobility are noticed.

Such muscle injuries can actually occur every day and are usually forgotten after a day or two. On the other hand, more severe muscle injuries can occur during sport, which are not only noticeable, but require an intervention. In most cases, the person affected will help themselves with warming ointments.

If this is not sufficient, the specialist should be consulted. In particular, muscle injuries that are accompanied by complete or partial tears of the muscle bundles and damage to cartilage and tendons often have to be treated. In some cases, muscle injuries also require surgery.

Complications

Muscle injuries can cause a variety of symptoms and complications. The further course of this disease depends very much on the injury itself and its severity. As a rule, those affected by muscle injuries primarily suffer from severe pain and thus also from restrictions in everyday life.

It is not uncommon for this to lead to restricted mobility and also to a reduced quality of life. The patients can also depend on the help of other people and suffer from reduced resilience. Complications from muscle injuries usually arise when the muscles continue to be used after the injury.

This can lead to various consequential damages such as swelling or painful cramps. Pain from the muscles can also spread to other regions of the body and cause symptoms there. Pain at rest often leads to sleep disturbances.

Treatment of muscle injuries usually does not lead to further complications. However, the exact type of treatment depends heavily on the injury. In most cases, however, the course of the disease is always positive.

When should you go to the doctor?

Muscle injuries should always be checked out by a doctor as soon as they increase in intensity, occur suddenly or are persistent. If they occur after a serious fall or accident, it is advisable to see a doctor so that the extent of the damage can be determined. In the case of minor injuries, sufficient rest is often sufficient to regenerate the symptoms.

After intense sports or physical exertion, muscles are overstrained, which does not have serious consequences. With the application of heat, relief and often recovery can be achieved. Medical care is not necessary in these cases.

In the event of limitations in the musculoskeletal system, incorrect posture or pain, a doctor should be consulted. If there is pain at rest or hypersensitivity to touch stimuli, the body needs help to heal.

If the general physical resilience decreases, if there is an inner weakness or if sporting and everyday activities can no longer be carried out as usual, a doctor is needed. If new bruising develops some time after the muscle injury, there are impairments that should be investigated and treated. Rest pain, sleep disturbances and stiffening of the joints are uncommon. If cramps occur, turning movements can no longer be carried out or if the gripping function fails, a doctor’s visit is advisable.

Treatment & Therapy

For the precise treatment of muscle injuries, it is always necessary to know the stage of the disease. If an athlete has pulled a little muscle from insufficient warm-up before a soccer game or a jog, a few days of rest and a supportive cream will usually be enough to relieve the strain on the affected part of the body.

Muscle injuries that are associated with significant pain or have not healed after a few days should be left to a medical assessment. A few sessions are often enough to achieve success with massages, electrotherapy and heat therapy.

If muscle injuries with tears in the fibers or even the bundles are identified, the following must be considered: If the patient is prevented from doing his or her job for a long time without the affected body part, surgery is usually carried out as quickly as possible in order to be able to better remedy the consequences of the muscle injuries.

Such a measure is also accompanied by rehabilitating sports lessons, in which mobility is promoted and the merging of the muscles is supported. However, the orthopedist should decide what to look for in the case of muscle injuries in individual cases.

Outlook & Forecast

In the case of muscle injuries, the prognosis depends on the type and intensity of the injury. A muscle strain heals within four to six days. You can then start training again. A prerequisite for a speedy recovery is medical treatment and rest. If you continue to train despite a strain, a muscle fiber tear can occur. There are usually no major complications from a hamstring tear, but the recovery time is significantly longer. The injury heals without further symptoms within two to six weeks.

If training is started too early, re-injury can occur. In the worst case, the muscle is permanently damaged. Depending on the severity of the muscle injury, there may be permanent limitations in the movement of the muscle. This sometimes leads to psychological problems. Athletes in particular are heavily burdened by a muscle injury, especially if the symptoms persist over a longer period of time.

Early treatment improves the outlook. Life expectancy is not usually reduced by muscle injuries. However, severe injuries can lead to poor circulation, nerve damage, and other complications that reduce quality of life.

Prevention

In principle, muscle injuries can be avoided by exercising a lot and warming up sufficiently before exercising. In addition, you should never start an activity at high speed. Rather, the body must slowly get used to the challenges and be allowed to warm up at the same time. Nevertheless, muscle injuries can never be completely avoided.

Aftercare

The good prospects for recovery mean that those affected are fully operational again after a muscle injury. There is therefore no reason for scheduled follow-up examinations after recovery. However, sporting activities should only be started slowly. The more extensive the therapy, the longer the introductory training should last.

The doctor treating you provides appropriate information as part of the initial therapy. Implementation is the responsibility of the patient. Follow-up care also aims to prevent disease recurrence. This is done in the case of tumors and other ailments through close medical follow-up.

However, this procedure is not possible with muscle injuries. Because the causes lie in overloading and the effects of violence. They occur within a few seconds and cannot be predicted medically. Rather, patients can prevent new muscle injuries in their everyday lives.

After a long vacancy, the intake of sporting activities should only be increased slowly. In addition, a warm-up phase is fundamentally important for adequate muscle blood flow. Preventive measures also include wearing appropriate protective equipment when there is a risk of injury, as is the case in rugby and other physical sports. Sports physicians impart relevant knowledge in the context of initial therapy.

You can do that yourself

Muscle injuries always require medical attention. In the case of acute symptoms, physical activity should be stopped first. Otherwise it can lead to a strain or even a muscle fiber tear. The muscle must then be cooled with ice and stored in an upright position. A sports ointment can be applied to closed injuries. A pressure bandage regulates blood flow and prevents the injury from worsening. Herbal preparations that have a pain-relieving and decongestant effect are particularly suitable.

After the medical examination and treatment of the injury, rest and rest apply. The affected muscle should not be strained for at least two to three days in order not to jeopardize the healing process. Herbal remedies like bromelain and papain also help during recovery. In consultation with the family doctor or a sports doctor, you can slowly start exercising again after a few days. It is advisable to relax the muscle well at the beginning. However, massages should be avoided for the time being, as kneading and stretching can disrupt the healing process.

In the case of major muscle injuries, a sports break of three to six weeks should be taken. At the same time, the injury must be checked regularly by a doctor.