A muscle pull (or strain) occurs when you twist, pull, or tear your muscle or tendon, the strong elastic cord that connects your muscle to the bone. 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, sore, you may 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 ten ways to help speed the healing and soothe the pain and inflammation…
1. Ice
Icing a muscle strain as quickly as possible will do its part to reduce swelling and soothe pain. Ice applications can be administered in ice pack form or you can wrap ice cubes in a towel and cover the area frequently throughout the day for no more than 15-minutes each time.
