Sports and injuries go hand in hand. It is nearly impossible for a sportsperson to stay away from injuries during his or her entire career in sports. Not only those who compete in sports as a career, but also people, who are learning, training or practicing, can acquire an injury too.
What Causes Muscle Strains?
A muscle strain is one of the most common problems that people face in sports. This occurs due to overstretched muscles or torn muscles. Most of the time, heavy workouts, long hours of practice, sudden acceleration, etc. are responsible for strains. The sports medicine doctors in OKC state that when your muscle fibers or tendons tear, you may damage small blood vessels. This can result in bleeding, bruising, and pain. The irritation at the end of the nerves causes this. Redness, weakness, spasms, and limited movement are the other symptoms of muscle strain.
Mild muscle strains make the muscle stiff, but it does not make it completely inflexible. Acute muscle strains occur mostly in cold weather. The prominent reason behind this is the lack of a warm-up before activities. The pain becomes chronic when you participate in repeated physical activities in poor physical condition and with improper posture. The pain clinic in OKC should be consulted if the pain lasts for long periods of time.
The RICE Method
Mild to moderate muscle strains generally go away within a couple of weeks, but the severe ones take months to heal completely. Following the RICE formula, mild strains and injuries can be treated.
Rest is needed to relax the strained muscles. When movement is causing more pain, it is better to give the muscles some rest.
Ice is essential and should be applied to the injuries to mitigate swelling and pain. You should keep the ice pack on your strained muscles for 20 minutes and repeat every hour. Once the pain subsides slightly, reduce application to four times a day, each for 20 minutes.
Compression is very effective in helping with pain. Wrap the muscle with an elastic bandage, and you will see the swelling reduce. Don’t wrap so tightly that blood clots occur.
Elevate when possible by keeping the strained muscles above your heart level.
How To Prevent Muscle Strains?
According to sports medicine doctors in OKC, you can prevent muscle strains by being slightly cautious.
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Stretch every day before exercise. Stretching accelerates the blood flow and decreases the chance of injury.
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Change positions. Staying in one position for too long can stress a strained muscle.
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Follow the guidance of your coach, and always make sure your postures are correct.
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Keep your back straight, bend your knees, and lift the weight with your leg.
If you are injured and suffering from muscle pain, come to us, Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management. Here you will get experienced sports medicine doctors in OKC to diagnose the problem and process the right treatment as per your physical condition.
* * Disclaimer: This content should not be considered medical advice and does not imply a doctor-patient relationship.
