Duration of a torn muscle fiber on the upper arm
Depending on the extent and severity of the ruptured muscle fiber, the time until complete healing occurs and full loading of the affected muscle is possible again varies considerably. But also the early treatment including cooling and protection is of crucial importance for the regeneration period. If the ruptured muscle fiber is not too large, the upper arm can often be put under light load again a few days after the accident.
In the course of the next few weeks, the intensity of the load can then be increased further and further, provided there is no pain. Starting training before the rupture has completely healed usually prolongs the time needed for complete resilience considerably. The probability of further, larger tears is also significantly increased.
The overall healing process takes about 3-6 weeks on average. After complete healing, no speed sports (e.g. tennis or squash) should be practiced with the affected arm, nor should it be trained with a lot of weight. Sports with slow and flowing movements such as swimming, running and cycling are better suited for starting training.
Prophylaxis of a torn muscle fiber on the upper arm
An important preventive measure to prevent a rupture of the muscle fibers of the upper arm is a good warming up (at least 15 min) of the upper arm muscles in the form of flowing, slow movements. This should be done before heavy load and intensive training. In addition, after the warm-up phase, the upper arm muscles should experience their maximum load at the beginning of training, since most muscle fiber tears occur at the beginning of muscle fatigue (30-60 min after the start of training). Overall, overstrained and untrained upper arm muscles tend to tear more often, so training should always be done at the individual level and the training intensity should only be increased slowly.
Prognosis for torn muscle fibers in the upper arm
The prognosis can vary greatly depending on the extent of the tear and its localization on the upper arm, but it is generally good. It usually takes three to six weeks for complete healing to occur.
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