Muscle injuries are one of the most common consequences of sports accidents, wrong movements or clumsy actions at work. Usually, they are not serious, but require a few days of rest. However, in a few exceptional situations, medical intervention is necessary. In principle, muscle injuries are thus curable – the chances of success are always very high.
What are muscle injuries?
Muscle injuries are tears or other damage to the muscles. Thus, these can be in a tear of entire bundles or individual fibers. Muscle injuries are therefore usually noticeable or even painful. They are usually accompanied by a slight pulling sensation. However, if they are tears of entire muscle bundles, the muscle injuries would be associated with considerable pain. In this case, usually only surgery can restore complete functionality of the musculoskeletal system. Smaller muscle injuries, on the other hand, can be remedied with soothing ointments, baths as well as massages and heat therapies. If the symptoms occur over several days, a doctor should be consulted as a precaution. He can determine whether it is really muscle injuries or even the bones as well as organs are possibly damaged.
Causes
Muscle injuries usually occur where the body has not yet warmed up sufficiently during sports activities. Likewise, when lifting heavy loads, so-called wrong movements can repeatedly lead to canting or overstretching and thus to muscle injuries. Not infrequently, slight damage to the muscles is not even noticed by the person affected – but when running in the woods or playing soccer, the damage intensifies and can be accompanied by painful consequences. Muscle injuries therefore usually occur where many movements are required. In a few situations, slipping on icy paths or a misstep on the stairs can also cause such muscle injuries. Thus, every person is hit by muscle injuries several times in his life.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
Muscle injuries are sometimes associated with varying degrees of pain. As a rule, a pulling sensation is also still noticeable. In addition, the musculoskeletal system is restricted. However, muscle injuries can also occur that are not noticed by the affected person. Muscle injuries often occur during sports activities. In the case of a muscle strain, a lighter type of muscle injury, unnatural muscle stretching occurs. This disturbs the muscle tension, the muscle hardens and pain sets in. This reflexive tightening is intended to prevent serious consequences. After a short recovery, the symptoms may disappear. In the case of a muscle fiber tear, sudden pain sets in as nerve-conducting muscle fibers tear. The pain character is stabbing, similar to an injury caused by a knife thrust. Strain or movement is hardly possible. The restriction of blood flow causes an inflammatory reaction in this area. A massive, prolonged hardening of the muscle occurs. The pain manifests itself as cramp-like. In the case of a muscle bundle tear, a visible bruise often forms because the vascular injuries are more intense. This is due to the damage, tearing of the muscle sheath consisting of connective tissue. A muscle fiber tear or muscle bundle tear can be localized precisely. They can be precisely palpated. In addition, the sensation of pain can only be felt at specific points on the muscle injury. In case of complications and in severe cases, rest pain over a longer period of time can lead to significant sleep disturbances.
Diagnosis and course
A large number of muscle injuries are not even felt by the affected person because they occur without pain. Only the minimal pulling in the thigh or restrictions in mobility are noticed. Such muscle injuries can actually occur every day and are usually forgotten after one or two days. In contrast, however, more severe muscle injuries can appear during sports, which are not only noticeable, but require an intervention. Mostly, the affected person will help himself here with warming ointments. If this is not sufficient, the specialist should be consulted. In particular, such muscle injuries, which are accompanied by whole or partial tears of the muscle bundles and damage to cartilage and tendons, often require therapy.In some cases, muscle injuries also require surgery.
Complications
Muscle injuries can lead to various complaints and complications. The further course of this condition depends very much on the injury itself and its severity. As a rule, those affected by muscle injuries suffer first and foremost from severe pain and thus also from restrictions in everyday life. It is not uncommon for this to result in restricted movement and also a reduced quality of life. Patients may also be dependent on the help of other people and suffer from reduced resilience. Complications with muscle injuries usually occur primarily when the muscles continue to be loaded after the injury. This can result in various secondary injuries such as swelling or painful cramps. Pain from the muscles can also spread to other regions of the body and cause discomfort there. Pain at rest often leads to sleep disturbances. Treatment of muscle injuries does not usually lead to further complications. However, the exact type of treatment depends greatly on the injury. In most cases, however, the course of the disease is always positive.
When should you go to the doctor?
Injuries to muscles should generally be clarified by a doctor as soon as they increase in intensity, occur suddenly or are persistent. If they occur after a serious fall or accident, a visit to the doctor is advisable so that the extent of the total damage can be determined. In the case of minor injuries, sufficient rest is often sufficient to regenerate the symptoms. After an intensive sport or physical strain, the muscles are overstrained, which does not have serious consequences. With the application of heat, relief and often recovery can be achieved. Medical care is not necessary in these cases. If there are limitations of the musculoskeletal system, incorrect posture or pain, a visit to the doctor should be made. If pain at rest or hypersensitivity to touch stimuli occurs, the body needs help to heal. If the general physical resilience decreases, there is an internal weakness or sporting as well as everyday activities can no longer be carried out as usual, a doctor is needed. If new bruises develop some time after the muscle injury, there are impairments that should be examined and treated. Rest pain, sleep disturbances as well as a stiffening of the joints are unusual. If cramps occur, twisting movements can no longer be performed, or gripping function fails, a visit to the doctor is advised.
Treatment and therapy
Accurate treatment of muscle injuries always requires knowledge of what stage the condition is in. If an athlete has pulled his or her muscles a bit due to insufficient warm-up before a soccer game or a jog, a few days of rest as well as a supportive cream will usually be enough to resolve the pulling in the affected body part. Muscle injuries that are accompanied by significant pain or are still not healed after a few days should be left for a medical evaluation. Often, a few sessions are enough here to achieve success with massages, electric as well as heat therapy. If muscle injuries with tears of the fibers or even the bundles are detected, it is necessary to weigh up: If the patient is prevented from performing his job for a long time without the affected body part, surgery is usually performed as soon as possible in order to better remedy the consequences of the muscle injuries. Such a measure is also accompanied by rehabilitative sports sessions, during which mobility is promoted and the muscle is helped to grow together. However, what to focus on in individual cases of muscle injury should be decided by the orthopedist.
Outlook and prognosis
In muscle injuries, the prognosis is based on the type and intensity of the injury. A muscle strain will heal within four to six days. Training can then be resumed. The prerequisite for a quick recovery is medical treatment and rest. If you continue to train despite a strain, you may tear a muscle fiber. There are usually no major complications with a torn muscle fiber, but the recovery time is significantly longer.The injury will heal without further discomfort within two to six weeks. If training is started too early, a new injury may occur. In the worst case, the muscle will be permanently damaged. Depending on the severity of the muscle injury, there may be permanent restrictions in the muscle’s ability to move. As a result, psychological complaints sometimes occur as well. Athletes in particular are severely stressed by a muscle injury, especially if the discomfort persists over a long period of time. Early treatment improves the outlook. Life expectancy is usually not limited by muscle injuries. However, severe injuries can lead to circulatory problems, nerve damage, and other complications that limit quality of life.
Prevention
In general, muscle injuries can be prevented by getting plenty of exercise as well as warming up sufficiently before playing sports. In addition, one should never start an activity at a high pace. Rather, the body needs to get used to the challenges slowly and be allowed to warm up in parallel. Nevertheless, muscle injuries can never be completely avoided.
Aftercare
The good healing prospects entail that after a muscle injury, the affected person is fully ready for action again. Thus, there is no reason for scheduled follow-up examinations after recovery. However, sporting activities should only be resumed slowly. The more extensive the therapy, the longer the initial training should last. The attending physician will provide appropriate advice as part of the initial therapy. Implementation is the patient’s responsibility. Aftercare also aims to prevent the recurrence of a disease. In the case of tumors and other conditions, this is achieved by close medical monitoring. However, this procedure is not possible in the case of muscle injuries. This is because the causes lie in overstraining and the use of force. They occur within a few seconds and defy medical predictability. Instead, patients can prevent new muscle injuries in their daily lives. The start of sporting activities should be increased only slowly after a long vacancy. In addition, a warm-up phase is elementary for sufficient muscle perfusion. Preventive measures also include wearing appropriate protective equipment when there is a risk of injury, as is the case with rugby and other physical sports. Sports medicine specialists provide appropriate knowledge in the context of initial treatment.
Here’s what you can do yourself
Muscle injuries always require medical treatment. In the case of acute discomfort, sporting activity should first be discontinued. Otherwise, a strain or even a muscle fiber tear may occur. Subsequently, the muscle must be cooled with ice and stored upwards. For closed injuries, a sports ointment can be applied. A pressure bandage regulates blood circulation and prevents the injury from getting worse. Suitable are especially herbal preparations that have analgesic and decongestant effects. After the medical examination and treatment of the injury, rest and relaxation apply. The affected muscle should not be subjected to heavy strain for at least two to three days so as not to jeopardize the healing process. Herbal remedies such as bromelain and papain also help during recovery. In consultation with the family doctor or a sports physician, sports can be slowly resumed after a few days. It is recommended to loosen the muscle well at the beginning. Massages should be avoided for the time being, however, as kneading and stretching can interfere with the healing process. In the case of major muscle injuries, a break from sports should be taken for three to six weeks. Accompanying this, the injury must be regularly checked by a doctor.
