Muscle tear: causes, symptoms and home treatment

The rupture of the fibers that make up a muscle is called a muscle tear, a traumatic injury frequently, also known as a pulled muscle. Said muscle fibers can be total or partial depending on the impact.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIH) ^[1] defines muscle tear as an injury to the muscle that occurs when the muscle or tendon is stretched or torn.

Muscle tears are usually divided into two types depending on the severity of the injury:

• The strain or tear occurs only in some microfibers of the muscle and this produces a definite whiplash sensation.
• The break is much more complex, since there are a greater number of torn fibers.

The most common causes of a muscle tear are:

1. Trauma: This represents the main cause for a muscle tear and is more common in people who practice high intensity sports.
2. Physical effort: it is the second reason why tears occur. This is due to the performance of excessive exercise causing an increase in muscle effort and greater muscle fatigue .
3. Sedentary lifestyle: muscle fibers weaken and, in turn, tend to be more exposed to injury.
4. Do not warm up: related to poor preparation of the muscle before exercising intensely.
5. Poor blood circulation: poor blood circulation is enough to injure the muscle. If the muscle does not receive the necessary blood flow when you are exercising vigorously, it results in what is called muscle poisoning.

The most common risk factors that can lead to a muscle tear are:

• Sedentary.
• Malnutrition.
• Poor arterial and venous circulation.
• Metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus.
• Trauma
• Muscular fatigue.

The most characteristic muscle tear symptoms are:

• Sudden stabbing pain that, once it occurs, generates functional limitation, that is, it limits movements.
• Swelling in the area and edema, that is, increase in volume and hardening.
• Cold sweating and dizziness can be another manifestation.

The severity of the symptoms will depend on the type of muscle tear. If it is mild, only pain usually appears and, in more severe cases, bruising and even internal bleeding may appear.

In relation to this, it can be said that tears are classified as:

1. Grade 1 take it.
2. Grade 2 or moderate.
3. Grade 3 or severe.

According to the Department of Radiology and Imaging at Hospital Ángeles de Lindavista and the Radiodiagnostic Unit of Mexico ^[2] , the characteristics of each degree of muscle tear depending on the ultrasound findings are:

• Grade 1 or mild muscle tear occurs when the muscle is stretched to its limit of elasticity.
• A moderate or grade 2 tear is an injury in which the muscle is strained beyond the limit of its elasticity.
• Grade 3 or total tear is much less common, but is characterized by total functional limitation.

Home treatment can be used to improve the symptoms of a muscle tear:

• Apply ice to the area where the bruise or intense pain is observed, it is recommended that you apply cold water compresses. This helps reduce inflammation. Ice should be kept on the area for 20 to 30 minutes in each session, repeating the process every 3 hours for three consecutive days or until the inflammation disappears.
• It is recommended to keep the affected area at rest to avoid using the damaged muscle. In the case, for example, that it has occurred in the thigh or another part of the leg, the use of crutches can be of help.
• On the other hand, it is advisable to do a lymphatic drainage type massage in the area or use other techniques to reduce the inflammatory and painful process. A good option to do this at home is using SIZEN’s professional pressotherapy machines , which, by means of light pressure on key points of your body, will stimulate the lymphatic circulation of your body, thus doing the function of a lymphatic massage.
• When resting, keep the affected area elevated above the level of the heart.
• To decrease inflammation, an elastic bandage compression may also be performed.

Other home remedies for muscle tear that may help include:

• Horsetail : it is capable of repairing muscles and bones. Its consumption in infusion is recommended to specifically treat trauma. Two cups a day, drinking one at breakfast and another at 5 in the afternoon, will be enough to improve the symptoms of muscle tears. It should be consumed for 5 consecutive days.
• The sauce is also great for improving symptoms. A pinch dissolved in a glass of water and a little honey is used to reduce pain and inflammation.
• Applying arnica cream to the affected area is very effective in healing a muscle tear. It is recommended to apply three times a day to the affected area until the symptoms disappear.

It is recommended to take into consideration that once the clinical manifestations of an injury appear in any part of the body, similar to those described as a muscle tear, a doctor should be consulted immediately for diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Although natural therapy is beneficial, we recommend that you always receive a specialized assessment.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Home treatment for muscle tears , we recommend that you enter our Bones, Joints and Muscles category .