Pulled muscles and overstretched or torn muscles are all considered muscles strains. Fatigue, overuse, or improper use of a muscle causes the strain. These can happen in any muscle. The lower back, neck, shoulders, and hamstrings are the most common places where you can experience a this form of a strain. The hamstring is the muscle located just behind your thigh. As a result of these strains, one can experience pain and movement limitations within the affected muscle area. You can treat a strained muscle with ice, heat, and anti-inflammatory medications. Medical treatment will likely be required depending upon the severity of the strains or tears. If you have experienced a sprain or tendon injury, visit one of our urgent care locations, or you can call us to schedule your appointment: 858-554-1212

The many symptoms of muscle strains include the following: sudden onset of pain, soreness, limited range of movement, bruising or discoloration, swelling, a feeling of the muscle being “knotted-up”, muscle spasms, stiffness, and weakness. Mild strains feel slightly less pain however, and with these types of strains you will experience slight stiffness. The muscle will be flexible enough to use, however. Severe muscle strains are when the muscles are torn significantly. With severe strains, you will feel a greater amount of pain and very limited movement. Mild-to-moderate strains’ symptoms typically subside within a few weeks. Severe strains may take months to heal.

Acute muscle strains occur when your muscle tears unexpectedly. These tears can occur due to effects from previous injuries. This can be due to a few possibilities including the following: not warming up enough before physical activity, poor flexibility, poor conditioning, and overexertion and fatigue. Acute strains are possible when: slip or lose your footing, jumping, running, and lifting an object while in an awkward stance. These types of strains are even more common in cold weather. Muscles become more stiff in lower temperatures. Warming up in when in cold weather conditions is helpful as it will help to prevent strains.

Chronic muscle strains can occur due to consistent, bothersome movement. This can happen when one of the following occurs:
participating in the sports of golf or baseball, holding your back or neck in awkward positions for a long while. and also having poor posture.

It is important to get a lot of rest with these types of injuries. You will also feel relief from icing the injured area. If you feel your sprain is more severe, you should consult with your doctor.