Sprains and Strains 2
In part 1, we discussed the basics of what a sprain is, how to classify it and what to do in case you suspect a sprain. In summary, support, ice, elevate and an anti-inflammatory are great immediate care that you can do to initiate healing. Sprains will have a profound impact on your biomechanics, so proper care is very important. Sprains to the neck, back and knees are the most important to take care of properly.
In this section we will discuss Strains. Strains are defined as an injury to a muscle due to overloading or overstretching. To be specific a strain is an actual tear in the muscle or tendon. A sharp pain localized with in a muscle group characterizes a strain. The pain and sensation is usually profound enough to make you want to stop what ever it is you are doing. Common indications are a "tightening up sensation" in the muscle leading to limited and painful motion. In addition you may experience swelling, redness and an increased sensation of skin temperature in the localized area. In severe cases you may even see bruising.
Muscles are basically a series of thousands of fibers. These fibers are arranged into bundles. Bundles are arranged into specific muscle bodies. Muscle bodies are then arranged into groups. For example, the top of your thigh is the quadriceps muscle group. Most people refer to it as the "quad". This muscle group is made up of 4 individual muscles. Each muscle is designed to handle a specific load of work and together they allow you to extend your knee so you can walk, run and kick. It's this way through your entire body, several individual muscles making up a group of muscle that performs a specific function.
The severity of a strain depends on a couple of factors. The severity of the tear with in a specific muscle and the number of muscles torn with in a group. Ultimately, the severity of the strain reflects the number of fibers that have been torn. Bleeding with in the muscle usually occurs with a strain. Visually seeing bruising in the skin is an indicator of sever bleeding.
Lets look at three examples:
1.) You fall against a table and bruise your thigh. This is not a strain; this is a blunt force injury.
2.)You are jogging on a loose surface, hyperextend your knee and feel a pulling sensation in your hamstring. It stiffens up and is uncomfortable to walk. When you get home you feel a painful area that is warm to the touch. This is a minor strain.
3.)You are running in a sprint and you feel a sharp pain in your hamstring. It stiffens up and is very painful to walk. When you get home you find bruising in the area with sharp unbearable pain upon any movement. This is a tearing of the muscle with bleeding. This is a serious strain.
Sometimes you can strain a muscle when falling or crashing or even slipping on a slippery surface. In a crash you might hyperextend your hip and in the process tighten up to resist that motion. In this process you can strain a muscle or tendon. You can also strain a tendon by not properly stretching before an activity. A common example of this is the classic groin injury.
Depending on the severity, strains can take several weeks or months to heal. If you suspect a strain you should get it examined by a doctor specializing in physical medicine. Proper nutrition, taping and rehabilitation will be necessary to assure timely healing. The more severe the strain the more important proper rehabilitation will be. This is because you are not just healing the injury, but also the scar tissue that will form in the muscle from the injury. Scar tissue will impair muscle strength and function and will also interfere with the nervous system. This combination can make an entire leg or arm weak and unstable. Instability like this can lead to further injuries.
Immobilization and ice packs are the best immediate care when you suspect a strain. Use an ice pack in a "15 minute on-15 minute off" pattern for the first couple of hours. After that, ice for 15 minutes every hour. Ibuprofen or Naproxen are good over the counter pain meds with anti-inflammatory properties. A good herbal anti-inflammatory would be Boswellian Root or Echinacea.
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