Strain
Strain is an injury to a muscle or
tendon in which the muscle fibers tear as a result of overstretching.
Strains are also colloquially known as pulled muscles. The equivalent injury to a
ligament is a
sprain .
Symptoms
Typical symptoms of a
Strain include:
- localized pain
- stiffness
- discoloration
- strange odours
- bruising around the
strained muscle .
Causes
Strains are a result of muscular-fibre tears due to overstretching. They can happen while doing everyday tasks and are not restricted to athletes. Nevertheless, people who play sports are more at risk of developing a
strain due to increased muscle use.
Treatment
The first-line treatment for a muscular
strain in the acute phase include four steps commonly known as R.I.C.E.
- Rest: Stop all unnecessary activities, especially those that cause pain, to prevent the
strain from progressing.
- Ice: Apply ice to reduce swelling by restricting blood flow to the injury site. Never ice for more than 10–15 minutes at a time. Place a layer of fabric or paper between the ice and the injury to avoid freezing the skin.
- Compression: Wrap the
strained area to reduce swelling.
- Elevation: Keep the
strained area as close to the level of the heart as is conveniently possible to keep blood from pooling in the injured area.
The ice and compression (cold compression therapy) will stop the pain and swelling while the injury starts to heal itself. Controlling the inflammation is critical to the healing process and the icing further restricts fluid leaking into the injured area as well as controlling pain.
Cold compression therapy wraps are a useful way to combine icing and compression to stop swelling and pain.
This immediate treatment is usually accompanied by the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(e.g., ibuprofen), which both reduce the immediate inflammation, and serve an analgesic.
It is recommended that the person injured should consult a medical provider if the injury is accompanied by severe pain, if the limb cannot be used, or if there is noticeable tenderness over an isolated spot. These can be signs of a broken or
fractured
bone, a
sprain , or a complete muscle tear.
Therapeutic ultrasound can be used to break down poorly healed muscle
strains and permit them to heal properly.
Call your doctor or
Dr. Harounian’s Clinic at 213-484-0040 if the pain does not go away after several weeks.
Dr. Harounian’s Clinic is a fully equipped
podiatry facility, with all the necessary medical tools and services, required to treat and cure all
Foot &
Ankle related
disorders, problems and
infection, including
Athlete Foot ,
Yeast Infection and
Toenail Fungus
infections.
Dr. Harounian is one of few certified
podiatrist in southern California, licensed to perform
Toenail Fungus Laser Treatment known as
Pin Pointe Foot Laser procedures.
For more information about
Pin Pointe Foot Laser and
Toenail Fungus Laser Treatment procedure, visit our
Cutting Edge Toenail Fungus Treatment page.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from
Toenail Fungus or other
foot related problems,
disorders or
infections call us today and set an appointment.
| Metropolitan Los Angeles Clinic: | 213-484-0040 |
| West Los Angeles Clinic: | 310-477-9210 |
Prevention
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