Muscle Strain Rehabilitation and Healing

All information is sourced from Dr. Vizniak's Orthopedic Assessment Textbook. Always visit your local health care professional for a detailed assessment of your injury or pain to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment strategy.

Muscles are composed of many fibres oriented in a specific pattern or direction and act to stabilize, create force or motion across a joint. Muscular injury (or muscular strain) is when the fibres in the muscle get "stretched" or tear as a result of too much force placed upon the muscle. When this happens the muscle can experience pain, tightness, bruising and decreased strength and range of motion. Muscle strain healing and rehabilitation occurs in stages.

Key Principles for Muscle Strain Healing:

Phase 1: ACUTE PHASE (~1-5 days)
-PRICE (Pressure, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
-Avoid activities that make the pain worse and practice pain control
-Increase consumption of protein, zinc, magnesium, manganese, calcium and water

Phase 2: POST-ACUTE PHASE (~2 days to 6 weeks)
-Begin pain-free range of motion as soon as possible but also within tolerance
-Switch to heat to improve blood flow to the muscle
-Begin hands on treatment with a trusted health care provider (soft tissue therapy, mobilization, manipulation) to decrease pain, improve range of motion and reduce the risk of contracture
-Practice regular stretching of the muscle

Phase 3: REMODELLING PHASE (1 week to 12+ months)
-Work toward function recovery and proprioception improvement (an understanding of where your body is in space to decrease risk of re-injury)
-Warm up properly before physical activity
-Address technique issues or biomechanical imbalances that may have contributed to the injury in the first place
-Work on strengthening exercises and activity specific actions 
-Proper cool down after activity

Have a muscular injury that's holding you back from doing what you love? Visit us at Nurture Family Chiropractic to help get you back on track.