Working out can be a great way to stay connected with our bodies, keep fit and active, and maintain optimal health. However, straining our muscles can be a common and frustrating part of the process. Finding ways to avoid muscle strains, and to treat them properly when they arise, helps remove these interruptions from our exercise regimens.
Muscle strain: what it is & prevention
A muscle pull or muscle strain may seem like little more than an annoying pain, but it’s nothing to take lightly. A strain is actually an incidence of tearing of the fibers (1). It can come about during physical exercise or even when stretching. In either case, it arises when we “overdo it,” pushing our bodies beyond the threshold they can handle at a given time.
Here are a couple of techniques from Fitness.com.au you can use to avoid strain:
- When aiming for weight loss or otherwise trying to tone the body, always be patient. Be careful to slowly and incrementally build up your workouts.
- Use a 15-minute warm-up strategy to prepare your muscles for exercise.
- Consistency in working out is great for your health, of course; but the regularity with which you exercise will also keep you strong and less likely to pull muscles.
How to treat muscle strain effectively
WebMD offers an approach called PRICE that can be used, both for pain relief and to get back to peak condition, following a strain (2). Here are its components:
- Protect the muscles that are injured with a bandage or other type of device, containing the muscle and restricting motion.
- Rest for 24 to 48 hours, respecting the damaged tissues.
- Ice as soon as you realize that your muscle has been pulled – the sooner, the better. Ice for 10 minutes per hour, as possible. Weight loss and general activity can’t continue until you have reduced the swelling.
- Compress the injury with a loosely fitted bandage. Make sure that it is not excessively constricting the body part.
- Elevate the strained region. Make sure to get it higher than your heart. Perform elevation as often as possible during recovery.
Pain Relief & Recovery Solutions
Sometimes, unfortunately, the pain of an injury doesn’t quickly resolve. In that event, the Atlanta Medical Clinic can help to alleviate your pain and get you back into action. Get your complimentary consultation for our non-surgical, pill-free treatments today.
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