That Painful Pull

Continued...

These tears are called distraction ruptures and occur when the demand made upon a muscle exceeds its innate strength. Distraction ruptures occur in sports such as tennis, weight lifting, sprinting and aerobics.

Compression ruptures occur as a direct result of impact - such as when one woman's knee collides with another woman's thigh in a soccer game. The impact bruises and tears muscle tissue and can cause severe spasms commonly referred to as a charley horse.

Any time you have a bruise along the muscle mass resulting from an impact, you have some degree of muscle tear.

Both types of ruptures are very painful and can be serious because of the bleeding involved. How quickly you recover depends on the severity of your injury, the amount of bleeding and the amount of scar tissue formed.

It's important to recognize that a tear has occurred and to control the bleeding as quickly as possible.

The First 72 Hours

As soon as you injure a muscle, stop exercising. Begin treatment immediately and see your physician for an accurate diagnosis of the severity of your injury.

Continuing to exercise will increase bleeding and damage, making recovery more difficult. The sooner you stop exercising, the less pressure and bleeding will occur at the site of the injury.

Immediately apply ice to the injured area for 20 minutes. This will further decrease the blood flow to the damaged muscle.

Do not apply heat or massage the muscle. Heat will increase blood flow to the area, further damaging the muscle. Massage causes additional trauma and interferes with the healing process.

Wrap the injured area with an Ace bandage for support and compression. Keep it elevated at a level above your heart. Sleep with the injured limb elevated on a pillow.

Next | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Previous

Order Now!

Table of Contents

Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

General Health
Nutrition
Exercise
Common Medical Problems
Dental Health
Emergency!
Infectious Disease
Sexual Health
Emotional Well-Being
Eating Disorders
Alcohol & Other Drugs
Environmental Health
Prevention