Learn how to get back on track fast.
Do you push yourself during a workout? Good. Pushing yourself to the limit helps you improve your skills and gain strength. But do you push yourself too much when it hurts? Not good. Some people experience pain after working out, mainly due to minimal stretching, poor stance, lack of education, and other factors. You need to listen to your body and differentiate pain from soreness. When you feel pain, you need to take certain steps to heal the injured area. For instance, a pulled muscle, also called a muscle strain, occurs when the muscle is stretched too far and small tears occur within the muscle. In order to feel better after this type of injury, you need to take specific precautions. Skinny Ms. has gathered simple steps to heal a pulled muscle so you can feel better and get back to the gym!
1. Identify what kind of grade level or severity the pulled muscle is
a. Grade I: Mild discomfort
b. Grade II: Moderate discomfort
c. Grade III: Significant discomfort
2. Rest
Rest is the priority when treating a pulled muscle. The resting period depends on the severity of the injury, but typically lasts 1-5 days.
3. Ice, ice, ice
Icing the injured area will help reduce swelling, bruising, and overall pain. Do not exceed over 15 minutes a session.
4. Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications can help reduce swelling and relieve painful symptoms. These include Advil, iBuprofen, Aleve, or Aspirin.
5. Stretching
Gradually stretch the injured muscle. Including stretching in your workouts helps prevent future muscle strain injuries.
6. Strengthening
Make sure to strengthen your muscle before returning to athletic activities. By regaining strength, you lessen the chances of you re-injuring the muscle.
7. Avoid Muscle Fatigue
Be aware of your muscles. Do not exceed your limit when they become tired. Fatigued muscles are more susceptible to injury.
8. Warm Up Properly
By warming up your muscles before jumping into an activity, you allow your muscles to loosen up and prevent injuries.
Resources: http://orthopedics.about.com/od/sprainstraintreatment/ht/muscle.htm
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I have bi-lateral groin pulled muscles,along with left arm sprains leaving 2 lumps. 1 upper and 1 lower. I’ve been on the mend for approximately 3 month’s now. I’m just now getting to the point where I am not needing my walker constantly. I’m a 58yr old female in poor health. This all stems from 2 consecutive falls in the home. I found that the article was helpful. It gave me some good suggestions, which I will try. Thanks, Joanne Alfano
Be careful and check with your doctor before making any changes to your exercise program. 🙂