Do wait three days to a week after the injury, depending on severity and symptoms, to begin stretching. Using pain as a guide; if you feel sharp pain in the injured area, it means it is too early to start stretching. Do wait until the inflammation mostly goes away before the first stretch.
Your doctor may recommend the following at-home treatments: Rest. Rest the muscle for a few days or until your doctor gives you the okay. If you have a minor muscle strain, you should be able to do some gentle movement after two days.
So, as simple as this advice goes, if you're gaining an increased range of movement or flexibility in a muscle by stretching it, but ultimately not resolving your pain, then stop, as the muscle is often more in need of a strengthening program and further stretching may result in further damage.
With a pulled muscle, however, the pain is usually immediate. “The pain from a pulled muscle is intense, sharp, and localized to where the injury occurred and can also be associated with swelling, bruising, and difficulty moving the joints nearby,” said Gregory.
It's important to note that you should never massage a strained muscle that hasn't been given 72 hours to rest. Massaging a freshly-strained muscle can actually increase inflammation and even cause further injury, so be sure to wait at least three days before attempting any massage therapy.
Muscular pain often feels localized, tender to the touch, and worsens with movement or specific activities. It may also be accompanied by muscle spasms or visible signs of inflammation. Internal pain , on the other hand, may feel deeper, more widespread, and unrelated to movement.
Do wait three days to a week after the injury, depending on severity and symptoms, to begin stretching. Using pain as a guide; if you feel sharp pain in the injured area, it means it is too early to start stretching. Do wait until the inflammation mostly goes away before the first stretch.
Avoid sharp movements, bouncing, and rocking back and forth as such motions cause the muscles to tense up. Rapid, jerky movements can result in strain and muscle tear, so you should start with slow, gradual movements and ease into the motion, focusing on the targeted muscles.
A back specialist can typically diagnose a mild strain or sprain by reviewing your symptoms and learning how your injury occurred. Depending on the severity of the pulled back muscle, they may recommend additional treatments, such as: Prescription medications for pain or inflammation. Muscle relaxant drugs.
To help prevent swelling, try to avoid heat (such as hot baths and heat packs), alcohol and massages for the first couple of days. When you can move the injured area without pain stopping you, try to keep moving it so the joint or muscle does not become stiff.
After an acute injury, ice should be used to minimize swelling for the first two to three days. After this period, heat can be used to increase blood flow and assist the natural healing process. Applying heat too early may cause additional swelling by increasing blood flow to the injury.
Even with mild strains, it's important not to overdo it. Swimming, walking, and stretching are good activities to begin with, increasing intensity gradually. Moderate to severe strains require a longer recovery period.
Do not do activities that involve heavy lifting or twisting of your back for the first 6 weeks after the pain begins. Do not exercise in the days right after the pain begins. After 2 to 3 weeks, slowly begin to exercise again. A physical therapist can teach you which exercises are right for you.
Avoid holding intense stretches for more than 20 seconds. Prolonged intense stretching can restrict oxygen flow to your muscles, causing connective tissue development that reduces flexibility. Keep these stretches short and sweet to gradually increase your flexibility over time.
In general, aches and pain can arise from the joint, the muscles, tendons/ ligaments and the nerves. While stretching is often situation dependent, if the pain comes from the nerves, stretching the area of pain may actually make it worse.
The Golden Rule
Make sure that all your angles are correct as you start the movement. You must move with the right speed and with the right posture. Your focus should be moving the joint as little as possible as you stretch the muscle.
In fact, a 2012 study found that massage right after an injury may even speed strained muscle healing. If the area is too sensitive for massage, wait about a week and ask your doctor. After that, you can start massaging the injury and surrounding muscles to help with pain and improve range of motion.
In addition, heat and ice shouldn't be the only components of your warmup and cool-down routine. Be sure to pair heat with light warmup exercises and ice with a post-exercise stretching period.
Sudden and severe pain
Worsening pain with muscle contractions. Swelling and bruising.
This is a personal preference. Some feel acetaminophen works better for them, whereas others find ibuprofen better relieves a headache. Muscle ache or pulled/strained muscle. Ibuprofen typically works better for this kind of pain relief, due to the anti-inflammatory effects.
Visceral pain might be your body telling you that you have an injury, infection or condition that's affecting one of your visceral organs — your heart, lungs, bladder or reproductive system and digestive system organs. The pain usually feels dull, deep down and spread out.