Sports with high bounce and impact forces are particularly prone to injuries. If a sports injury has already occurred, the PECH rule (rest, ice, compression, high support) applies. This first includes a break for the athlete. Then the wound is compressed by ice application and the affected extremity is elevated. It is only important not to place the ice application directly on the skin, but to use a towel in between.
Frequent injuries
A pulled muscle is a slight form of torn muscle fibre. The muscle is overstretched and irritated. It does not necessarily result directly in an injury to several muscle fibers.
Therefore, muscle strains can also occur in the case of jerky movements in everyday life. So-called lumbago is an example of muscle strain. These usually disappear with or without treatment after days or a few weeks.
>> to the article Muscle strainThe muscles are composed of several muscle bundles, which in turn consist of several muscle fibers. If muscle fibers within the muscle bundle are injured, this is referred to as a torn muscle fiber. Jerky movements cause a strong pull on the muscle.
If the muscle cannot guarantee this mobility, the tear will occur. Since muscles have a very high vascular supply, there is a bleeding into the tissue and the formation of a hematoma. A group of several muscle fibers form a muscle bundle.
If a whole bundle tears, this is called a muscle bundle tear. Team sports such as soccer or tennis are particularly susceptible to muscle bundle tears. Susceptible areas are the thigh and calf area.
Since the damage is deeper in the case of a torn muscle bundle, recovery takes longer than in the case of a torn muscle fibre. The first signs and symptoms are, as in the case of a torn muscle fibre, swelling, loss of function, pain and bleeding. While the fibers are already torn in the case of a torn muscle fiber, a muscle contusion results in the crushing of muscle fibers against the bone.
Here too, bleeding is the consequence. Nevertheless, tears in the muscle tissue can also follow.
