What Does Muscle Strain Mean?

Muscle strain is a very common injury treated effectively with massage therapy. What does muscle strain mean, and how does this type of injury happen?

Strain is a term used to describe an injury to the musculotendinous unit, or the muscle and the tendon which attaches it to bone.

Muscle and tendon is known as contractile tissue due to its ability to contract (shorten) and extend (lengthen). This contraction and extension of muscle causes movement, and because of this, muscle strain will be noticed when you attempt to use the muscle, either contracting or stretching it during movement.

There are basically 2 mechanisms of injury which cause muscle strain:  overloading the muscle (too much pressure or weight), or overstretching muscle (think of trying to catch a falling object that is really heavy – weight is suddenly applied to muscle that is stretched. It could also happen, for example, due to a sudden slip or fall.

Symptoms of Muscle Strain:

The symptoms of a muscle strain will depend on the severity of the condition. Muscle strains are classified as mild (1^st degree), moderate (2^nd degree) and severe (3^rd degree).

Mild muscle strains occur when there is some tearing of the muscle or tendon fibres.  While you may still be able to carry on activities at the time of the injury, there is obvious muscle stiffness the following day.  In spite of the discomfort (with or without palpation) and stiffness, there is no loss of function.

In addition to muscle stiffness and soreness, there may be some minor weakness, a decrease in normal range of motion, some minor swelling and spasm, and minor pain with either contraction or stretching of the affected muscle.

Moderate muscle strains may have considerably more (up to 75%) muscle tissue damaged.  At the time of injury, you will be unable to continue activity, and there will be considerable pain. Inflammation will be present at the injury site, with increased muscle spasm and possible bruising.

Severe muscle strains usually result in immediate and complete loss of function due to disruption of the tissue. There may be extreme pain, however, if there is a complete rupture of the muscle or tendon, there may be no pain due to the lack of muscle contraction.  There may be visible and palpable gapping of the muscle tissue.

You’ve just hurt yourself, what do you do now?

Whether you slipped and fell, or were being a hero rescuing Granny’s kitten from a tree, it doesn’t really matter at this point. Let’s just hope it’s a mild strain and nothing more serious.  If you are in a lot of pain, or the body part in question doesn’t look like it usually does, please see a physician or medical professional ASAP who can diagnose and treat the problem.

You should, however, do something about it quickly. “Quickly” is the key word here, as a muscle strain injury (or any other type of injury) that is addressed immediately often is less complicated and takes less time to heal.

For an acute injury, remember R.I.C.E:

R is for Rest – don’t aggravate an injury and cause more damage by continuing on. Stop what you’re doing. Now. Ok, if it’s a mild injury, you may be able to get back to mild activity in a day or two which is good for the body (“mild” is the key) If it’s more serious, then I probably didn’t have to tell you to stop, because you (hopefully) would have anyway.

I is for Ice – great for controlling the degree of inflammation, ice is also great for controlling pain, as we all know. And here is why:

When tissue is injured, inflammation begins immediately in response to the injury. Inflammation is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can stabilize an unstable joint, and will clean away cellular debris and dead cells, increase circulation and cellular metabolism by delivering oxygen and nutrients via blood flow.  Due to this increase in fluid build up in the area, pain is caused because tissue is stretched and the pain receptors (nociceptors) in the tissue are irritated.

I have been made aware by colleagues who are physiotherapists that the “newer” approach is to place heat on an acute injury. Why? you might ask. (I asked the same question). Apparently (in theory) to increase the blood flow will increase the rate of healing. However, I will take this opportunity to respectfully disagree;   based on my experience, my clients who have had this type of treatment have been in absolute agony, as if the injury wasn’t enough.  The use of cold and ice isn’t long term, but in the acute stage, it is a great tool to control pain.

C is for compression – once again, compression will control the degree of edema (swelling) which occurs. It is imperative that it be done correctly; bandages that are too tight will completely cut off circulation, and uneven bandage pressure can also damage tissue. My suggestion is that if you can’t find a medical professional trained in wrapping to do it, than it might be better to forgo it altogether. Remember, too, that the bandage will have to be removed and reapplied at least once a day.

E is for elevation – elevation will help the blood and lymph flow away from the injury site, reducing the edema and relieving pain.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only, and is not meant to replace the advice of your primary health care provider. When in doubt, please consult a qualified medical professional in your area.

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