Muscle strain: causes, symptoms and treatments. What to do with muscle strain? What to do when sprained ligaments

Human health depends on many parameters. And all of them must comply with the norm, so that a person feels great. In addition to other components of health, sports play a significant role in maintaining it. But now we are not talking about professional workloads, but about those that are useful to every person. It is good when the classes are conducted by a specialist. But many do not have such an opportunity or simply want to do it on their own. In this case, the main thing is to remember that it is better to reduce the load than to harm yourself. It is very important to know what to do with muscle strain and how to help yourself in the first hours after an injury.

The concept of muscles

Muscles are organs of the body, consisting of elastic tissue, which has the property of contracting under the influence of nerve impulses. Muscles perform many functions in the human body, but the most important is the movement of the body and ensuring its healthy life.

Thanks to them, we can blink, smile, swallow. But all these are the simplest possibilities, which are often not even realized. Muscles allow a person to protect himself, carry something heavy and achieve significant results in sports.

The work of the named organ in our body is controlled by the nervous system.

There are several approaches to counting the number of muscles in the body, but it is generally accepted that there are 640 of them. The smallest are in the ear, and the largest are the gluteal muscles. It should also be noted that all of them are diverse in their form.

In combination, it is the skeleton and muscles that create the shape of the body. With a healthy lifestyle, as well as with sufficient physical exertion, the human body acquires a beautiful shape and gets rid of excess fat. Situations are different, therefore, every person, and even more so an athlete, should know what to do with his body.

Causes of stretching

Surely everyone has experienced muscle pain. And many had to look for an answer to the question of what to do with But first you need to understand what exactly is happening. After all, the named problem is, first of all, an injury to muscle fibers or their connection with tendons.

This happens with too much tension or overstrain of muscle tissue. And most often this happens in training, but it can overtake in normal living conditions. So, hard physical labor, lifting too heavy objects, and even a banal stay in an uncomfortable position for a long time can lead to the described outcome.

All causes of muscle strain can be grouped:

1. Strong tension in the ligaments. Mild pain during stretching is acceptable, but it should never be too much.
2. Excessive load, in which the muscles simply refuse to obey.
3. An unexpected change in the load on some muscle or sudden movements. This often occurs when active exercises are performed without a warm-up, or when a person starts active work with the body in the morning.
4. Uncontrolled and uncoordinated body movements.

Muscles can hurt due to an undeveloped muscle corset, as well as due to a person’s poor physical fitness. The two main and most common causes of stretching are exorbitant loads and active work without a warm-up. All other reasons are more superficial. In order to understand what to do when a muscle is stretched, it is necessary to be aware of the degree of damage to the muscle.

Stretch symptoms

When the muscles are stretched, pain, swelling and swelling occur, and a hematoma can also form. In this case, it is best to limit activity and try not to load a certain part of the body.

If it is felt that the muscle contraction does not occur, it is necessary to consult a doctor, as this may indicate a tissue rupture. Also, after a severe injury, scars may appear on it, which will lead to the fact that the muscle becomes less strong.

Stretching of the leg muscles

The muscles of the legs are known to be sore due to severe overload during running, jumping or special exercises. It is very important to give them rest during training and alternate loads on different muscle groups.

With alarming symptoms, it is best to consult a doctor. But what to do when stretching the muscles on the leg at home?

First, cool the sore spot with ice or a cold towel. After that, it is important to bandage the limb well, because peace will help reduce pain.

After a couple of days, it is advisable to start warming procedures. You can warm the sore spot with a bag of sea salt or a regular heating pad. It will be useful to draw Compresses have a very good effect. And one of the most effective is a gauze compress dipped in hot milk.

Stretching the knee muscles: what to do

The best assistant in this matter is rest. In the early days, the knee should rest. After that, you should move on to a set of exercises that are aimed at restoring the functions of the knee joint.

The most important thing to do when stretching the muscles of the knee is to see a doctor, because the treatment can last for months. Most often, the treatment program for a damaged joint includes 4 stages:

• relaxation;
• applying cold logs;
• fixation of the knee joint;
• doing exercises to prevent swelling.

Cold will reduce the pain at first, and the bandage will avoid unnecessary movements. It is also important to raise the knee above the level of the heart in the supine position so that the swelling goes down.

Stretching the calf muscle

This stretching is very dangerous, because it is often accompanied by convulsions. You can pull while running or too active exercises. And, as a rule, this means a partial break in the fibers.

What to do when stretching the calf muscle? It all depends on the degree of damage. If this is a slight overload, then it will be enough not to strain it for several days. If a partial rupture has occurred, then the treatment can take months, and a person cannot do without professional help. If the degree of damage is the strongest, then, unfortunately, only surgical intervention can correct the situation.

Stretching the thigh muscles

If you are interested in the question of what to do with a sprain, then you will have to come to terms with the fact that you will spend some time on crutches. If the case is not so serious, then cold applications should be resorted to. However, keep in mind that you can not apply ice to bare skin, as you can catch a cold in the muscles. In addition, it is important to apply a compress that will put some pressure on the sore spot, which will help to avoid swelling.

If the above steps do not help, you should consult a doctor. Most often, he prescribes physiotherapy and the use of nonsteroidal drugs. In the most negative cases, again, it is impossible to influence events without the intervention of a surgeon.

neck strain

One of the most harmless injuries, but you should be very careful with it so as not to cause serious consequences. What to do with stretching will help you:

• wearing a bandage;
• massage procedures;
• reflexology;
• physiotherapy;
• taking anti-inflammatory drugs;
• relaxation;
• acupuncture.

It is extremely rare to see a doctor for a neck sprain, because you can cure it yourself. And yet, if the pain does not go away, you should consult a specialist.

Back or arm stretch

If you are thinking about what to do when stretching your back muscles, then you first have to learn about what not to do. To strongly pull the muscles of the back in training, you need huge loads, because they are quite strong. Mild pain after exercise is the norm, but sprains are a completely different matter.

In everyday life, most often this happens for one simple reason - with the inept lifting of too heavy objects. Therefore, it is very important to bend your knees when lifting something heavy. Many people ignore this fact and get severe back strain and pain.

And in order to understand what to do when the muscles of the arm are stretched, one should realize that emergency medical care is needed. In this case, it is better not to resort to the methods described above (exercises, compresses, etc.). Damage to any part of the upper limb is rarely minor, so the sooner a specialist intervenes, the sooner a good result will be achieved.

If there is time before the arrival of the ambulance, then complete rest should be provided to the hand. You can apply with ice or a cold towel. In the case when the pain is unbearable, it is allowed to take painkillers. If bruising is found on the arm, then it should be given an elevated position to avoid swelling.

Summing up, it should be said that it is useful for each person to know what to do when muscles are stretched. Even if this never happens to you personally, you need to be sure that you can help your loved ones.

The human musculoskeletal system consists of muscles and ligaments that connect bones to each other. Connective tissue fibers - ligaments - form joints and experience stress when moving. That is why sprains are a common injury during intense sports, jumping. Any damage to the ligaments in the area of ​​the joint is called a sprain, but they can be torn, stretched or torn. Coping with sprains with proper and timely treatment is quite simple, although this is a painful and dangerous injury.

• I degree - slight sprain, small tears of the ligament, the victim feels slight pain when moving the joint, no swelling is observed.
• II degree - sprain with partial tear of the ligaments. There is pain in the joint, swelling, increased temperature of the surrounding tissues.
• III degree - severe sprain, tear or separation of the ligament from the joint. A person cannot move a limb due to severe pain, swelling, hematoma appears. With severe injuries, dizziness, loss of consciousness, fever may occur.

Prevention of sprains is the strengthening of the ligamentous apparatus and muscles. Regular physical activity, swimming, an active lifestyle, as well as comfortable shoes and clothes will protect you from sprains, dislocations and other injuries.

Traumatism is quite common in everyday life. At least a person gets injured while playing sports. As a rule, the ligaments of the arms, legs, hips, ankles, shoulders, elbows are damaged.

A ligament is a strong, flexible tissue that holds bones together. Sprains are injuries around the joints.

The duration of the rehabilitation period depends on:

• Completeness, depth of damage to the ligaments.
• The first medical procedures.
• From restoration measures in general.

It follows from this that with prompt first aid and proper treatment, the restoration of human health will not take much time. If the first actions were incorrect, the rehabilitation period lasts a long time. That is why in the article we will talk about what to do with sprains.

First aid

As soon as we get a sprain, we begin treatment. Delay is costly, the victim will pay with health. The more productive the first steps are, the faster the recovery will come.

In the event of an injury, no special medical education is required to help yourself or others. But since a torn ligament can occur at any time, everyone must learn the phased actions when providing first aid.

Immediate steps:

1. The damaged part of the body must be kept without movement.
2. To relieve swelling, apply cold to the injured ligament. Ice is wrapped in some kind of cloth. The procedure lasts about fifteen minutes with a half-hour break. If the bruise was severe, the activities continue to be done during the first day.
3. The damaged part of the body is wrapped with a bandage to immobilize the limb. If necessary, the tire is fixed.
4. With a severe injury (that is, a grade 3 sprain), the limb is not moved for a couple of days.

We make a bandage for about 7 days (several weeks for complex injuries), until the patient's pain disappears. In the early days, a person should drink plenty of fluids.

With a very strong pain syndrome, the doctor prescribes anti-inflammatory drugs,. Drugs must be taken because they effectively extinguish pain, relieve swelling, and prevent infection in the body.

If necessary, the victim uses crutches.

A doctor must be consulted if a fracture is suspected, two-day swelling, fever, if the pain persists for 2 weeks or more.

peace

The damaged ligament must necessarily be in functional rest. Even a little physical activity will aggravate the situation of a person. The consequences of driving are dangerous:

• Tearing of internal tissues.
• Bleeding.
• Damage to the joint capsule.

Even with a slight stretching, it is forbidden to load the affected area during the first week.

Pay attention to the following:

1. As prescribed by the doctor, start an active lifestyle in a timely manner, strain the damaged joint. Otherwise, there is stagnation of blood, restriction of movement (deformation processes) in the affected area, muscle atrophy.
2. The only reason not to join an active life is the incessant pain, which indicates that rehabilitation measures have not yet ended.

There are many techniques for developing damaged joints. The decision on which one is right for you can only be made by a doctor.

bandaging

Due to the immobilization of the affected area, restriction of movement. It's just important that a knowledgeable person puts on a bandage.

Bandage Functions:

• Reduce swelling, relieve pain.
• Due to the fixation, hemorrhage does not occur in the articular part.
• Helps to avoid complications.

For those who do not know how to properly use an elastic bandage, a ready-made bandage, caliper is sold. Each type of joint has its own product type. But if an elastic bandage can be purchased at any pharmacy, then special bandages are sold in a specialized store.

cold benefits

Qualitatively relieves pain symptoms with a heating pad with ice or a cold compress. If there is no ice on hand, you need to take the usual frozen vegetables in a plastic bag that are in the freezer. The container must be additionally wrapped in a towel. With such actions, the victim is not threatened, most of the swelling will be removed, and the pain will decrease. The compress is applied to the damaged ligament every 2–2.5 hours for literally 20 minutes.

The patient in this case must listen to his body. Apply cold until complete recovery.

There are special formulations for cooling bruised areas. The spray contains substances that, when applied to the skin, freeze the surface immediately. Coolant tubes are indispensable in sports after getting stretched.

Correct position

If the ligament with the joint is damaged, the affected area must be located above the level of the heart in order for blood to flow out. This event is important because it relieves swelling, swelling, will not allow blood flow to the affected area, which means that the risk of bleeding is reduced.

Anesthesia

Painful spasms are observed even with a sprain of the 1st degree. If the pain is severe, and the ambulance has not yet arrived, we drink no more than two tablets of analgesics. Even with a serious injury, these measures are effective.

Prohibited actions

Quite often, a person who has been injured is lost due to pain, he immediately “flys out all useful thoughts”. And if it is possible to delay the provision of first aid (ambulance doctors will do all the necessary measures themselves), then there are things that are strictly prohibited in this situation, and it is important to remember them.

1. You can not apply warming ointments, hot compresses to the damaged area, do hot procedures.
2. Do not drink alcohol after injury. Pain, swelling from this will only intensify.

Kneading, rubbing, increased activity is strictly prohibited - these actions will provoke additional complications.

Conservative therapy

Depending on the degree of damage to the joint and ligaments, treatment is carried out inpatient or outpatient. Conservative treatment involves taking several types of tablets.

First of all, the patient is prescribed a course of analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicines are both intramuscular and are available in the form of a cooling gel, ointment, cream. The most requested tools are:

• Diclofenac.
• Ibuprofen.
• Among the popular ones are Indovazin, Ketonal,.

Do not forget that bruises and hematomas appear around the affected area. We smear the joint with a heparin compound (Troxevasin) so that there is no blood clot, accumulation of bruises. With uncontrollable pain, we use anesthetic agents (Novocain).

As prescribed by the doctor, warming ointments are used, but these medicines are prescribed only in the recovery period. The compositions contain bee, snake venom (), other warming components that are allergens for the human body. We take in moderate doses.

In what period do we need to seek qualified help:

1. The movement of the affected area is limited, vigorous activity is impossible.
2. Painful shock that lasts more than one hour.
3. The edema is constantly increasing, it is impossible to remove it on its own.
4. The fever starts.
5. All signs of severe stretching (swelling, redness, fever in the area of ​​injury, cramps).
6. The above symptoms do not go away within a few days.

In some cases, it may not be a bruise, but a fracture, a torn ligament, or serious damage to the joint.

ethnoscience

Do not forget about folk remedies. But they do not replace standard treatment, but are only an addition to it.

What will be effective for bruising:

• Salty dough. One by one, mix flour with salt to knead a stiff dough. Add a little water to the resulting composition. Roll out, cut into strips, attach to the sore spot. There must be a warm bandage at the top. Pain will be gone by morning.
• DIY mix. Laundry soap is rubbed on a grater, mixed with egg yolk. Water is added to obtain a homogeneous mass. The resulting solution is impregnated with a bandage folded in several layers. Very soon there will be no trace left of the bruise.
• Onion remedy. Cut the onion into small pieces, add sugar, mix thoroughly so that it dissolves. A large layer of the composition falls on the gauze, the fabric is applied to the place of stretching. The dressing is changed only after a day.
• Vitamin C. A bruise is inevitable with a bruise. To get rid of darkening on the skin, you need vitamin C in large quantities. It can be replenished through food. Eat more green onions, citrus fruits, sauerkraut. If necessary, drugs are bought at a pharmacy, but only as prescribed by a doctor.
• Iodine grid. When several hours have passed after the injury, a mesh is made with iodine. First, we apply a small amount of the drug to the skin to determine the degree of allergenicity, then, if everything is fine, we make a full-fledged mesh. For treatment, a five percent solution of the drug is required. We draw the grid in such a way that the resulting cell is at least 1 centimeter in diameter.
• Clay compress. In a blender, beat raw potatoes and part of onions. A little sugar and 3 tablespoons of clay are added to the gruel. Everything is mixed and applied to the tissue, which is applied to the bruise. Wrap with cling film on top, wrap with warm material. The course of treatment lasts several days, the dressing is changed every four hours.
• Hops ordinary. At the end of summer, the inflorescence is harvested, when the fruits have just begun to ripen. The cut plant is dried in the shade. We take 3 tablespoons of ordinary hops, pour boiling water over it, let the composition brew for about half an hour, then filter. It is good to apply compresses to the stretch.
• Plantain leaf. We collect the plant during the three summer months. The leaves are dried in a dark, well-ventilated place. Shredded dried plantain is poured with boiling water in a ratio of 1:5. The resulting consistency is infused for several hours, after which the compress is ready.

Thus, a simple sprain for an ignorant person will be a stalemate. But there is no need to be very upset - if there are problems with treatment, you can always contact the clinic. Only in severe cases, surgical intervention is required, and the doctor will always suggest effective measures.

Surgical intervention

Surgical intervention is used when we do not get positive results with conservative treatment. Quite often, professional athletes go through the operation so that the joints with ligaments function as before.

Most often, patients are sent for arthroscopy. During the procedure, the reconstruction or replacement of the damaged ligamentous fragment is performed. After arthroscopic intervention, people recover very quickly, since only 3 small punctures are made by a specialist. And after the operation, a relatively easy rehabilitation period.

Surgical assistance is relevant in the first hours after the injury, after a month's treatment of a bruise.

Rehabilitation activities

As soon as the acute period of the disease has passed, there are no more severe pains, we proceed to rehabilitation measures. The main task in this period is to return the damaged place to full capacity for work. Not to be missed:

• Physiotherapy.
• Massage.
• Physical exercises (physiotherapy exercises).

Procedures are carried out at home, in a local hospital, specialized rehabilitation centers.

With a slight stretching, a fixing bandage, anti-inflammatory compounds, medicines are used to strengthen the walls of the vessel. The patient is at rest.

Physical exercises are very important, which will help develop the articulation, strengthen the muscles. Therapeutic exercise is carried out after consultation with the attending physician.

Joint correct actions will surely give their positive results.

Muscle strain is a traumatic injury to muscle fibers or their sections with tendons. Stretching appears with significant physical overload, muscle tension. However, it is quite simple to damage a muscle: one has only to slip or fall incorrectly.

Risk factors may be inept lifting of weights, prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position. Muscles that are poorly trained will subsequently respond with significant pain. When the muscle tissue is very tight, you may feel that something is torn or bursting in you. Muscle strain is not a very dangerous injury, but still this pathology should be treated due to sharp and annoying pain. The muscles of the lower leg, that is, the calves, are most susceptible to stretching. The knee joints are also affected. Quite often, the ligaments where the wrists are located are also damaged if a person falls on an outstretched arm. However, the elbow and back can also suffer from sprains.

Muscle strain symptoms

Symptoms of muscle strain vary depending on the degree of damage. The main symptom is pain. It can be different: both insignificant and very sharp, capable of limiting physical activity.

There are three degrees of pathology:

1. At the first, a small number of fibers are torn, and minor pain sensations appear.
2. At the second degree of stretching, swelling of the joint is possible, the occurrence of moderate pain.
3. If the third degree of the disease occurs, there is a complete rupture of the ligament, significant pain and joint disorders.

There may also be swelling and slight swelling at the site of the sprain. In the case of a pronounced effect, edema during stretching and the occurrence of a hematoma are possible.

Stretching the muscle can greatly stretch the muscle, and the tissue will be torn. After the stretching begins to pass, perhaps the appearance of minor scars, the muscles after injury become not so strong and elastic. A highly stressed joint can cause injury to the tissues of the ligaments, as well as other elements that support the joint. In this case, the joint may swell and become very sensitive. Common symptoms of stretching can also be called hemorrhage in a painful place, as well as pain when feeling or palpating the stretched part. As in the case of fractures, deformation does not occur. Signs of stretching usually disappear by 5-10 days. If there are gaps, the symptoms go away after a month. To make an accurate diagnosis, a doctor's examination and x-rays are necessary.

Muscle strain treatment

1. Rest is needed for the muscle that has been injured. Avoid sudden movements and physical overload. For 2 days, the load on the damaged area should be absent.
2. To avoid swelling and pain, ice should be applied immediately. The minimum is half an hour. After that, for two days, ice is applied every 4 hours. Ready-made ice cubes are perfect, you can use frozen vegetables or fruits. Ice is not applied directly to the skin, the skin must be covered with napkins or a towel.
3. Fixation. The injured limb should be securely fixed. If bruising occurs, an elastic bandage is used. The limb is placed on an elevation so that there is no increase in tissue edema.
4. Anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics are used as needed.

After a couple of days, it will be possible to carry out thermal and warming procedures. Use the following ointments:

• "Finalgon". It has a good vasodilating effect, increases blood flow under the skin.
• Espol. Ointment, which has in its composition capsicum. This creates pain relief and has a distracting effect.
• "Naftalgin". The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect is created thanks to fatty alcohols, analgin and sperm whale alcohol.
• Sanitas. Eucalyptus oil, camphor, lard and petroleum jelly help the muscle recover faster.
• "Efkamon". An ointment that dilates blood vessels, gives the muscle warmth. Consists of clove and mustard oil, paraffin.
• "Nicoflex". The cream contains lavender oil, which has a distracting and resolving effect. In a sore spot, the temperature of the skin and muscles rises.

The problem goes away after 5-10 days with proper treatment. To prevent the injury from aggravating, seek the help of a specialist at the first symptoms.

sprains

Ligaments are dense collections of connective tissue that strengthen the joints. Ligament sprain is a complete or partial rupture due to a traumatic effect on the ligamentous apparatus of the joint. Covers damage to 1 or several ligaments. Injuries appear with rapid movements in the joint. Usually the joints of the lower leg and elbows are stretched, the knee joints are injured less often. Since the ligamentous apparatus has many blood vessels, the first painful symptoms immediately begin to appear in the patient.

Causes of sprains

The main reason for the appearance of a rupture or stretching is the rupture of parts of the fibers. Breaks appear in the case of movement of the joints, if the permissible limits of physical capabilities are exceeded, or during movements that are not characteristic of this joint. For example, an ankle sprain appears if it is not arched outward correctly. Thus, the ligament is torn or stretched. The reason is playing sports or active games, where lateral movement on the site is necessary. Breaks also occur when climbing. It is also possible the influence of everyday situations. The ligaments of the following joints suffer most quickly: knee, ankle and wrist. The knee and ankle are often stretched during a bad landing after jumping during gymnastics, volleyball or basketball. Damage to the ligaments of the hands and wrists most often occurs when falling on the hands, when the bulk of the body is in the hands.

Sprain symptoms

The degree of the disease is determined by the stages of damage to the ligaments. Joint pain is the most common symptom after a blow. With further movement, a person can injure his ligaments even more significantly. After a period of time, bruising and swelling occurs. Limited movement in the joints. In addition, if there is a complete rupture, the mobility of the articular apparatus increases.

• First degree stretch. The lightest level of injury to the tendon fibers, during which they are partly torn. With this form, there is a slight soreness, mobility is slightly limited. The tumor is expressed slightly. As a therapy, it is recommended to keep the joint calm.
• Second degree. There is a rupture of the ligament fibers and a slight stretching. The patient is concerned about soreness, swelling, bruising in a painful place. Movement in the affected joint becomes uncomfortable, and pathological mobility may develop.
• Third degree. The tendon is completely torn. Patients feel significant swelling and redness. You can see the unstable state of the joint, the bruises become wider. Often, such injuries need the help of a surgeon, he will stitch the torn ligaments together. Rehabilitation takes up to six months.

Quite often, due to trauma, small nodules occur in the area of ​​​​stretching and rupture. Subsequently, they will rub against the fabric located nearby. Perhaps the formation of chronic inflammation in the joint.

Most often, patients suffering from sprains do not rush to see a doctor. However, it is very important to seek the help of a specialist in time in order to prevent dangerous injuries to the joints and tendons. Because physical dynamism may decrease in the future. If you find such symptoms, be sure to contact the surgeon:

• significant pain that interferes with walking and movement in the joint;
• numbness in the area of ​​\u200b\u200ba damaged joint or leg;
• a large hematoma or redness where the injury was received;
• painful and pronounced movements in the joints;
• loss of the ability to move in the joints;
• cracking in the affected joint and palpable pain;
• temperature increase and fever;
• lack of visible improvement some time after the injury occurred.

First aid for sprains

After an injury or sprain, a patient needs first aid. To begin with, it is necessary to create for a person complete peace and immobility of the joints or limbs that have been injured. After that, put something cold on the affected area. It can be ice or frozen vegetables, for example. The joint should be secured with an elastic bandage or by any other means. The limb must be set above other parts of the body. At first, you can not massage, rub the sore spot, or take a bath or hot shower. Otherwise, there will be even more inflammation and swelling. If there is severe pain or a crunch, be sure to call a doctor! In order to pass the pain syndrome, various drugs are used. These are mainly painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.

How to treat a sprain?

Doctors recommend applying special ointments to the affected area. Ibuprofen or diclofenac is used for this purpose. They perfectly remove pain and severe swelling. For the treatment of sprains, a nanoplast patch is also recommended. This is a therapeutic anesthetic patch that improves blood circulation and accelerates the resorption of the hematoma. Physiotherapy is often used. If there is a complete rupture of the ligament, surgery will be required. During therapy, alternative methods can be used:

1. Raw potatoes. You should make gruel out of it, rubbing it on a grater, and attach it to a painful place. Such lotions should be done 5-6 times a day.
2. Clay. It must be brought to the form of sour cream, laying it along with the matter on the sore spot. Bandage clay with linen with an elastic bandage. Leave the mixture for a couple of hours.
3. Aloe. The plant must be rubbed and a gruel of leaves applied to the damaged ligament. Then rewind with a bandage.

It is worth remembering that folk remedies can be used only after a surgical study. Only a doctor will be able to prescribe the required treatment, so there is no need for experiments: contact specialists. And yet, folk remedies perfectly complement traditional therapy.

Crick. Symptoms, treatment.

Sprains are the most common type of injury, affecting all athletes equally, both beginners and professionals. This can happen anywhere: during a workout on the treadmill or at home on the machine.

Faced with such an unpleasant phenomenon, it is important not only to recognize the degree of damage, but also to take the right measures for a speedy recovery.

The cause of muscle damage is almost always jerky, jerky movements or excessive exercise to muscles or ligaments.

At the moment, the victim may feel a rupture of excessively stretched tissue - damage to the tendon or internal fibers has occurred (stretching or rupture of the ligament that supports the joint).

This is followed by a severe pain attack that prevents full movement. Pain during muscle strain is different, and will be present for a long time when walking (if the muscles of the leg are affected) or physical activity on the affected body part, until the damaged tissues are completely restored (this may require 1 to 6 weeks).

Sports training and ordinary physical exercises lead in the frequency of injuries. Trouble can occur during stretching or flexibility exercises, with a sharp load on any muscle. Damage is not uncommon in case of accidental falls, bumps or improper lifting of weights(without bending your back and knees). Injuries caused as a result of the described actions are referred to as acute sprains.

Chronic sprains are observed with prolonged, constant and strong impact on a specific muscle group, and are typical for athletes, especially weightlifters, and people subject to heavy physical exertion.

Whatever the cause of the damage, it is necessary to competently and timely provide yourself with first aid, and if possible, contact a traumatologist.

Symptoms, signs and diagnosis

Symptoms depend on the degree of damage: it can be both excessive stretching and tissue rupture.

The main symptom of muscle strain is swelling in the affected area. With ruptures, internal bleeding is possible, as a result of which bruises and bruises are inevitable. With sprains, there is no deformation characteristic of fractures.

As healing occurs, tissue scarring occurs, which entails loss of muscle elasticity. If the ligaments and articular elements were damaged, pain and swelling will haunt the victim for a long time.

There are several degrees of damage:

• the first is characterized by minor pain and ruptures of some fibers of the ligamentous apparatus;
• the second degree is characterized by moderate pain, swelling in the joint area, weakening of the damaged muscle, loss of capacity;
• the third degree is characterized by severe pain, complete rupture of the ligament with dysfunction of the joint, there are no contractions in the damaged muscle.

Quite often, sprain symptoms appear after significant physical exertion, but are felt only during movement. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as "krepatura". Sometimes the pain is so palpable that it interferes with a person's daily activities.

There are the following forms of tendon lesions:

• tendinitis- trauma to the tendon apparatus, resulting in ruptures of blood vessels and inflammation of adjacent tissues;
• tendinosis- tendon rupture (complete or partial) without internal inflammation of the fibers;
• tenosynovitis- local inflammation of the tendon sheath.

The most common sites of traumatic stretch marks are the leg muscles (femoral, calf), as well as the ligaments of the knee and ankle. Wrist, elbow, shoulder, back, and hamstring sprains are less common, but no less painful.

Leg and calf muscles

In case of damage to the leg muscles, it is necessary to immediately begin medical measures, since leg injury can lead to serious complications incompatible with sports. Thrombophlebitis, lameness, and even disability can become a terrible complication of ankle ligament rupture.

Injuries to the calf muscles are a common problem in jumpers, runners, skiers, gymnasts, and wrestlers.

Hips

Excessive tension of the femoral muscles occurs when the leg is extended at the knee and at the same time a sharp contraction of the muscles located on the back of the thigh: biceps, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The same thing happens with insufficient warming up of the muscular apparatus and excessive fatigue.

Treatment may take 10 to 20 days. Rehabilitation after a rupture of the muscles and ligaments of the thigh can take up to six months.

The rupture of the adductor muscle of the thigh is the scourge of football players, basketball players, slalom players, and volleyball players. Other types of femoral tissue are most often torn in runners, wrestlers, and gymnasts.

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Backs

Sprains and ruptures of the spinal muscles are the fate of weightlifters. So, long muscles most often suffer from weightlifters, shot throwers, slalomists, rowers, and divers.

The trapezius muscle is often torn in weightlifters, shot throwers, wrestlers, slalomists, rowers, volleyball players.

Hand

The most common hand injury is sprain and rupture of the wrist joint. This type of injury is typical both for athletes (throwers, volleyball players, basketball players, wrestlers and weightlifters), and for each person in the event of a fall, weight lifting, heavy monotonous manual labor.

Stretching of the elbow joint and adjacent muscles occurs with prolonged carrying of weights in all categories of citizens.

shoulder

The most common injuries of the shoulder girdle are ruptures of the deltoid and periosteal muscles. Occurs in sports such as gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, wrestling.

Biceps brachii ruptures are common in wrestlers, weightlifters, rowers, and gymnasts. Triceps injuries are common among volleyball players, shot throwers, weightlifters, and water divers.

A tear in the quadriceps brachialis is a common problem in distance runners, weightlifters, divers, shot throwers, hurdlers, and volleyball players.

Treatment

What to do with muscle strain on the leg, arms, hip, back, shoulder and other places, how to properly treat injuries?

First aid for muscle strain stop intramuscular bleeding and relieve swelling. For this, the following measures must be taken:

• Apply ice (ice, wet cold cloth, any cold available) to the injury site as soon as possible for 20 minutes. To avoid hypothermia, the ice must first be wrapped in a towel or piece of cloth. The procedure is repeated every 4 hours for two days.
• Limit physical activity, and immobilize the damaged area for 2 days.
• The sore spot is not tightly bandaged with an elastic bandage, apply a splint.
• To ensure the outflow of blood from the affected area, the affected limb is kept elevated.

Ointments are recommended as a local anesthetic Efkamon, Diclofenac, Deep Relief, Apizartron, Venitan, Dolobene. In addition, these drugs help reduce inflammation and swelling.

You can take an anti-inflammatory non-steroidal agent, for example, ibuprofen, aspirin, by mouth. It will also alleviate the painful condition, reduce swelling.

After two days, cold compresses are replaced with warming ones.. Hot baths, moderate massage of the affected area, anti-inflammatory and analgesic ointments, gels, injections, and physiotherapy are recommended.

In mild and moderate cases, recovery occurs in a week, in more serious cases, treatment may take up to six months.

In severe cases (rupture of ligaments or tendons), surgical intervention is performed. You need to seek help at the nearest emergency room. Diagnosis in such cases is carried out by X-ray examination.

As you recover it is important to restore the elasticity of the damaged muscle. To do this, you need to regularly engage in therapeutic exercises, gradually developing and increasing the load on the muscles and joints.

Can I continue training?

In cases where the injuries are minor, the victim independently decides on further sports activities. But even in such cases, start with small loads, gradually “accustoming” the sore spot to loads.

If there is a rupture of muscle ligaments or fibers, you will need long-term rehabilitation after the end of treatment, which can last up to six months. Only after that the athlete can gradually return to classes.

Specialists in the field of sports medicine recommend not to delay exercise, arguing that both premature and late exercise are harmful.

Prevention

The same muscles (or tendons) can be repeatedly stretched. If this trend is noticed, the following exercises can be recommended:

• you need to choose an exercise or action during which injuries usually occur;
• select the load available for repetition 8 times;
• repeat 2-3 exercises 8 times, focusing on the critical phase of the exercise with a stop of up to 5 seconds;
• if the load does not seem large, you can increase it, while it is important to observe the exposure of the negative phase - 5 seconds;
• training for this muscle group should be carried out once a week, repeating the negative endurance exercise at the end, after 2 months the exercises are carried out once every two weeks.

What gymnastic exercises are useful for stretching muscles - see the video: