Health and Fitness Vault: What is a Muscle Strain or Pulled Muscle: The Facts

Muscle strain (which is commonly referred to as a ‘pulled’ muscle), occurs when a muscle is over-stretched during rigorous exercise or if physical activity is began without warming up first. Your muscles consist of bands of closely-knit fibres which in turn, relax and tauten in order to allow movement of the body. Muscle strain usually occurs when the muscle is forced to contract against a force which is too great for it to cope with. There are numerous ways in which a muscle can be strained;

If you don’t allow sufficient recovery time between exercising sessions
If your muscles are tight or stiff and you begin exercise
If your muscles have previously been strained
If your muscles are already tired or overused and not given time to recover properly
If your muscles are weak in nature

You can pull a muscle while playing a sport or even during accidents, but even the lifting of heavy objects can also cause muscle strain. The leg muscles are amongst the muscle groups which are strained the most frequently, the others regularly affected are listed below;

The calf muscles, which are located at the back of the lower leg which assist your heel in movement
The quadriceps muscles situated at the front of the thigh which support the straightening of the knee
The hamstring muscles found at the back of the thigh which contribute to the bending movement of the knee and,
The muscles of the lower back (lumbar spine)

The primary symptoms of muscle strain include tenderness and pain when the affected area is touched or that particular group of muscles are put under pressure to tighten while moving a part of the body.
In terms of severity, there are three grades of muscle strain. A muscle strain of grade one is classified as a minor injury with little damage to muscle fibres and mild pain or swelling. Grade two strains consist of partial tears of the muscle with moderate pain or swelling. Finally, grade three muscle strains mean a complete tear of the muscle, resulting in intense pain and considerable swelling. The grading of such injuries helps your consultant decide the best course of action for treatment and recovery.

A booklet from a private hospital in Oxfordshire recommends that for home treatment, the local bleeding into the muscle and also swelling can be effectively controlled by the application of ice packs while holding the muscle in a stretched position. This is most effective when actioned as soon as possible. Heat can then be applied after all swelling has decreased.

Sam is a Junior Digital Marketing Consultant at FDC Marketing Agencies in Leicester writing about physiotherapy in Oxfordshire. You can reach Sam on Twitter @Sam___Hurley