muscle strain and its treatment

People call any muscle or tendon injury a strain, and it can occur due to sudden unaccustomed or abrupt action or movement, direct trauma, or overstretching of muscles due to indirect trauma, especially in sportspersons.

Types

1. acute strain: this is due to sudden violent force or direct trauma
2. chronic strain: this is due to injury existing since a long period leading to muscle ischemia and fibrosis

Pathophysiology

injury to the muscles leads to pain. as a results, the muscle goes into spasm to limit the movements and reduce pain. nevertheless, paradoxically, this protective muscle spasm causes pain due to stimutation of pain fibers and thus a vicious cycle sets in. the painful stimuli causes muscle spasm through the peripheral nociceptive stimuli

treatment goals

For First 24 Hours

1. immediate application of ice
2. compression bandage
3. limb elevation
4. limb immobilization in splints
5. Isometrics to the muscles, which are immobilized, are made.
6. active exercises to the unaffected joints
7. pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF)
8. no active movements to the affected muscles

During the Next 24 to 48 Hours

1. Remove the pressure bandage and begin active muscle exercises.
2. Commence stretching within the limits of pain.
3. thermotherapy: ultrasound, short wave diathermy and TENS helps to relieve pain
4. slow rhythmic massaging helps relieve the muscle spasm
5. Slowly start non-weight bearing on crutches.

Between 48 and 72 Hours

apart from the measures mentioned above, the additional measures during this phase include:

1. Encourage more vigorous active movements
2. add deep transverse friction massage
3. permit partial weight bearing

After 72 Hours

1. remove pressure bandage
2. progressive resisted exercises using the fowler technique by taking out 10 to 12 repetition maximum, is practice
3. permit full weight bearing exercises in injuries of the lower limb
4. After regaining full movement, allow the individual to walk and jog
5. Regain full functional activity within 4 to 6 weeks.

the various drugs which can be while the treatment of muscle stain are

1. analgesic anti-inflammatory drugs
2. muscle relaxants
3. psychotropic drugs
4. beta-blockers
5. ointments