{"id":3561,"date":"2019-02-04T08:51:58","date_gmt":"2019-02-04T08:51:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=3561"},"modified":"2020-06-11T07:27:44","modified_gmt":"2020-06-11T07:27:44","slug":"10-easy-ways-to-relieve-a-pulled-muscle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/10-easy-ways-to-relieve-a-pulled-muscle\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Easy Ways to Relieve a Pulled Muscle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A pulled muscle, also sometimes referred to as muscle strain, will occur whenever your muscle is torn or overstretched. This usually happens due to improper or excessive use of a muscle, as well as muscle fatigue. Strains could occur within any muscle but tend to be most common for the shoulders, hamstrings, neck, and lower back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strains can limit the movement in the specific muscle group and may also cause mild to severe pain. More moderate strains can be treated at home using hot water, cold compresses, and possibly even anti-inflammatory medications if the pain becomes severe enough to justify the use of pharmaceuticals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strains that are more severe might need to be treated by a trained medical professional. It\u2019s important to remember that the pain in any given muscle group doesn\u2019t need to be severe for it to be a pulled muscle. The easiest way to differentiate pulled muscles from muscle soreness is by gauging the mobility of the muscle group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Rest
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Rest is the easiest way to deal with pulled muscles. The first one to five days are crucial to the healing of your pulled muscle, and as such, you should get plenty of rest during this period. You usually won\u2019t have to immobilize the affected area, and sometimes staying in bed all day could even be detrimental to the healing of the pulled muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do get a cast or splint, it should be upon the recommendation of your doctor. This is due to the fact that getting a splint or cast could make your muscle stiffness. Don\u2019t overexert the affected muscle, especially if it’s painful to do so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the severity of the pain, you might need to suspend your workout routine or work on other muscle groups until you fully recover. If you have a pulled muscle in your arms, you could do squats until you\u2019re feeling good enough to return to your push-up routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Ice
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As soon as you notice the injury to your muscle, apply an ice pack to the affected area to reduce swelling. Don\u2019t put ice right on your skin as this could damage the cells. Instead, wrap your ice in a towel or use an ice pack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leave the ice pack on the affected muscle for around 10 minutes. Repeat the process once an hour for the first day after the injury. After the first day, you should still apply the ice pack to the affected area once every four hours. The application of ice packs to the affected area can reduce the pain while also minimizing swelling and stopping any bleeding that might have occurred as a result of the injury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s nothing wrong with applying ice frequently, especially if the pain is severe, but never go past the 15-minute mark during each application as this may end up causing more harm than good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Compression
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Apply gentle and steady pressure to your muscles to ensure that you compress it in a non-damaging way. This will prevent inflammation and swelling which is the main thing that slows down the healing process. The best way to compress the injury without causing further damage is by adding an elastic bandage and wrapping it around the muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice the muscle swelling, leave the bandage on until it starts to recede. That said, it\u2019s important that you don\u2019t go overboard and wrap the bandage around the muscle too tightly as this could restrict the flow of blood to the muscles which may lead to a clot or other issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you start seeing a purplish hue on your skin, remove the bandage and apply a new one, but this time don\u2019t wrap it around the muscle as tightly to ensure that the blood is able to flow freely. If the skin remains blue, gently rub the area until it takes on a healthier shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. NSAIDs
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Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs for short, include Advil, Motrin, and other brand names that Ibuprofen is sold under. Some doctors suggest that you take NSAIDs or acetaminophens \u2014 such as Tylenol \u2014 to relieve the swelling and pain in the affected muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These medications can help reduce swelling, pain, and inflammation which could speed up the healing process. All that being said, it\u2019s important to remember that these medications can come with some nasty side effects which are why you should consult with your doctor before you go on them. If someone is suffering from back strain and don\u2019t see any results after a round of Ibuprofen or Tylenol, the doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants or prescription pain medications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These medications should be treated as a last resort when other methods have not been effective in reducing swelling and inflammation. If the only complaint is the pain, try to tough it out instead of popping pills. Remember, unlike inflammation and swelling, pain doesn\u2019t slow down the healing process, it\u2019s just a notification telling your brain that you have an injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If someone is suffering from back strain and don\u2019t see any results after a round of Ibuprofen or Tylenol, the doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants or prescription pain medications. These medications should be treated as a last resort when other methods have not been effective in reducing swelling and inflammation. If the only complaint is the pain, try to tough it out instead of popping pills. Remember, unlike inflammation and swelling, pain doesn\u2019t slow down the healing process, it\u2019s just a notification telling your brain that you have an injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Stretching
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Stretching is a great way to stop the injury before it ever occurs. Stretching on a regular basis will make your muscles more flexible and generally stronger. The elasticity in your muscles tend to degrade as you age, so stretching regularly can avoid the usual aches and muscle tears that most associated with old age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, while aging will inevitably weaken your muscles, you can significantly slow the process by stretching your muscles on a daily basis. Avoid static stretches \u2014 stretches in which you hold a pose for 30 seconds or more \u2014 if you\u2019ve just woken up as you might end up pulling a muscle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stick to dynamic stretches like jumping jacks or shoulder circles until you have your muscles warmed up. Once your muscles are all warmed up, start doing static stretches to cool them back down before resuming with your daily routine. If you feel any pain, stop immediately and monitor the area for an injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

to dynamic stretches like jumping jacks or shoulder circles until you have your muscles warmed up. Once your muscles are all warmed up, start doing static stretches to cool them back down before resuming with your daily routine. If you feel any pain, stop immediately and monitor the area for an injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Strengthening
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It\u2019s crucial that you build your strength back up before you resume your workout routine. Going straight back to physical exertion after recovering could trigger a relapse and put you out of action for longer than would have been necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The injury will reduce the strength of your muscles, but you have to bear in mind that the strength will be further reduced during the resting period, especially if it\u2019s a significantly long period or severe injury. After all this time, your muscles will be a bit out of shape and need some warming up before it gets back to its peak physical activity. If you strengthen your muscles back after recovering through some light exercise and stretching, you\u2019ll have a lower chance of re-injuring them shortly after you recover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by doing your normal exercise routine but at a tenth of the volume and intensity. If you feel fine afterward, do it at a fifth of the intensity, and then keep scaling up until your back where you were pre-injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Heat
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Many studies have shown that the stiffness in your muscle can be significantly affected by the surrounding temperature. Your muscle will be less likely to get injured, specifically with injuries like tears or strains, if you keep your body warm prior to exercising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to achieve this is through dynamic stretching such as shoulder circles. Try to stretch the muscle group that you\u2019ll be working on. If you\u2019re going to do squats, start with some lunges. If you want to do a round of push-ups do some shoulder circles beforehand to ensure that your shoulders are nice and loose before they have to lift the weight of your body. If you want to take a jog, start by taking a walk, then a brisk walk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you do, it\u2019s important that you don\u2019t try to go full swing right out of the gate. While it may make you feel like a badass, it\u2019ll just lead to injuries that will keep you from your exercise routine for an extended period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Limit fatigue
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Limiting the fatigue of your muscles is important if you don\u2019t want to have to deal with constant or recurring injuries. Fatigued muscles have significantly higher chances of sustaining an injury compared to muscles that aren\u2019t fatigued. This is especially important for athletes as many amateurs will overwork themselves for lack of patience and a hunger to become the best in no time at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While dedication is certainly important in any sport, it\u2019s equally important to remember that going hard may be good in the short-term, but can lead to poor performance in the long-term if injuries are consecutive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the reason that professional athletes are often encouraged by their coach to take a break whenever they feel fatigued as it\u2019s better to take a few minutes off than be benched for weeks due to pushing the envelope one too many times. What it comes down to is listening to your body before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Gentle Exercise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Often if you have pulled a muscle or caused any similar injury, you will be told to rest the affected area. This is good advice as it will give the muscle a chance to recover, rather than potentially causing further damage through microtears, or damage to the ligaments. What\u2019s more, is that when you have one injured muscle, it can force other muscles to \u2018step in\u2019 and do its work, thereby potentially leading to imbalances and an even greater chance of injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUT when used correctly, gentle exercise does have a number of benefits. For one, this is a good way to encourage blood flow to the affected area and thereby help to speed up recovery. Sometimes bodybuilders will use this technique by employing what\u2019s known as a \u2018feeder\u2019 workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, gentle exercise can help to prevent muscle wasting, which otherwise can set you back even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trick is to use gentle exercises with a lightweight and simple movement. In particular, you should aim to use what is known <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Contrast Therapy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve talked about using cold in order to treat a muscle injury, and we\u2019ve talked about using warm too! You might have noticed that these two strategies are well \u2013 contradictory! So how can you use both hot and cold? And why not just pick one or the other?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, this is something that athletes and their coaches are all too aware of, which is why they will often engage in something known as \u2018contrast therapy\u2019. Here, you alternate between extreme hot and cold in order to further encourage the healing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, the heat will help to expand blood vessels, relax the muscle, and encourage blood flow. At the same time though, the cold will help to ease inflammation and numb the discomfort. And the action of switching between hot and cold will create a kind of pump action in the blood vessels to encourage even greater blood flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Massage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Massage is a simple and straight forward way to treat a range of different injuries and particularly when it comes to the muscles. Get a massage, and you will have an expert manipulate and relax the muscles that are in pain, which once again helps to encourage circulation and blood flow to the affected area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more though, is that an effective massage will also help to ensure that you still have a full range of movement. The expert will gently move you through a number of positions in order to help you avoid loss of strength or mobility. They can also look out for other issues, or even help you find the root of the problem that caused the injury in the first place \u2013 perhaps you might be carrying excessive tension for instance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Nutrition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nutrition is crucial for all kinds of healing \u2013 full stop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to recovery from a pulled muscle though, one of the most important types of nutrition to focus on is simply protein intake. Consuming more protein, of course, means consuming more amino acids (these being the building blocks of protein). When you do this, your body will recycle the amino acids and use them to rebuild your muscle tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many other types of food that can aid with a pulled muscle too. For instance, if you consume more omega 3 fatty acids, then this can work to reduce inflammation and thereby help the swelling dissipate more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, minerals can help to restore muscle structure, while supporting your immune system with vitamins is also very wise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Elevation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We have already discussed the use of rest, ice, and compression. We\u2019re missing just one of the big four strategies often recommended by doctors in that case: elevation. This gives us the famous \u2018RICE\u2019 acronym, which is a handy one to remember if ever you\u2019re trying to recover from an injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elevating your injured limb is a very good idea if you have pulled a muscle as it will effectively reduce the amount of swelling, causing the fluid to travel back out of the area rather than getting trapped there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now keep in mind that swelling is not a bad thing in itself. In fact, the right amount of swelling can be extremely useful in helping to prevent infection (these fluids carry antibodies), not to mention carrying nutrients to the area to help with the repair of tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem comes when you have too much inflammation, which can actually damage <\/em>the tissue \u2013 not to mention causing a lot of discomforts. Use RICE sparingly than in order to stem the very worst of it predominantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Addressing Imbalances<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, consider looking at your form and your technique in order to see where the accident came from in the first place. What you might find is that you have an imbalance that caused one muscle to be overly tight or loose. Often, poor posture and ill-advised training will lead us to develop excess strength in some muscle groups as compared with others, which can force us into unnatural movement patterns and even delay recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking with a physiotherapist or a chiropractor can help you to address these issues, as can simply taking the time to assess your own lifestyle and routine and think about the corrective exercise that might help you to move more effectively in the future.
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