- Dealing with a strained muscle is never fun. Luckily there are simple yet effective ways to help relieve and heal your pulled muscles.
- Cold and heat therapy along with rest are just a few ways to encourage healing.
- If your home remedies provide no relief within 24-hours you should see your doctor as you may have sustained a more significant injury.
A muscle pull (or strain) occurs when you twist, pull, or tear one of your muscles. As we age we are more susceptible to muscle pulls. However, you risk a pull if you don’t warm up properly before you exercise and stretch a muscle past its limit, train longer than what your body can handle, or if you push a past muscle injury too far before the muscle has had adequate time to heal.
You will know a muscle is pulled typically within 24 to 48-hours of the injury, as the area will become stiff and sore. You may also experience loss of movement and muscle spasms, and bruising or swelling will often develop around the injured muscle.
If you suffer a pulled muscle, here are effective ways to help speed the healing and soothe the pain and inflammation…
Ice
One of the first steps in treating a pulled muscle is ice therapy. Icing a muscle strain as quickly as possible will do its part to reduce swelling and to soothe the pain. Sports Medicine Oregon says “Some individuals may need just a single daily treatment while more severe sprains and strains may require multiple daily ice therapy applications.”
The source recommends applying ice for up to 20-minutes at a time. Do not exceed 20-minutes. Ice applications can be administered using an ice pack or placing ice cubes in a bag. Be sure to use a barrier such as a piece of cloth between the ice and skin to prevent skin burn.