What is Muscle Strain

Muscle strain is an injury that happens when a muscle is stretched longer than normal. This can happen during a fall, sports, or lifting.

This can tear some muscle fibers. Usually, recovery from muscle strain takes 1–2 weeks. Complete healing normally takes 5–6 weeks.

This condition is first treated with PRICE therapy. This involves:

• Protecting your muscle from being injured again.
• Resting your injured muscle.
• Icing your injured muscle.
• Applying pressure (compression) to your injured muscle. This may be done with a splint or elastic bandage.
• Raising (elevating) your injured muscle.

Your doctor may also recommend medicine for pain.

Follow these instructions at home:

If you have a splint:

• Wear the splint as told by your doctor. Take it off only as told by your doctor.
• Loosen the splint if your fingers or toes tingle, get numb, or turn cold and blue.
• Keep the splint clean.
• If the splint is not waterproof:
  • Do not let it get wet.
  • Cover it with a watertight covering when you take a bath or a shower.

Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling

• If directed, put ice on your injured area.
  • If you have a removable splint, take it off as told by your doctor.
  • Put ice in a plastic bag.
  • Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
  • Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times a day.
• Move your fingers or toes often. This helps to avoid stiffness and lessen swelling.
• Raise your injured area above the level of your heart while you are sitting or lying down.
• Wear an elastic bandage as told by your doctor. Make sure it is not too tight.

General instructions

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.
• Limit your activity. Rest your injured muscle as told by your doctor. Your doctor may say that gentle movements are okay.
• If physical therapy was prescribed, do exercises as told by your doctor.
• Do not put pressure on any part of the splint until it is fully hardened. This may take many hours.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. These can delay bone healing. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.
• Warm up before you exercise. This helps to prevent more muscle strains.
• Ask your doctor when it is safe to drive if you have a splint.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.

Contact a doctor if:

• You have more pain or swelling in your injured area.

Get help right away if:

• You have any of these problems in your injured area:
  • You have numbness.
  • You have tingling.
  • You lose a lot of strength.

Summary

• A muscle strain is an injury that happens when a muscle is stretched longer than normal.
• This condition is first treated with PRICE therapy. This includes protecting, resting, icing, adding pressure, and raising your injury.
• Limit your activity. Rest your injured muscle as told by your doctor. Your doctor may say that gentle movements are okay.
• Warm up before you exercise. This helps to prevent more muscle strains.