Torn Muscle Symptoms
Everything You Need To Know About Torn Muscle Symptoms
If you are experiencing torn muscle symptoms then you know what a huge impact they can have on your daily activities. A strain or even a pull to the muscle can imply damage to the attaching tendons. Depending on where your torn muscle symptoms are occurring, you can inflict more damage to the injury simply by performing work tasks, doing heavy lifting or even a sudden start or stop of movement.
Torn muscle symptoms can be due to tearing either a part or all of the tendons that are attached to the fiber as well as the muscle fibers themselves. A tear to your muscle can do damage also to small blood vessels resulting in pain due to irritation to nerve endings and local bleeding which is characterized as bruising.
What To Look For
You will know that your pain is due to torn muscle symptoms if you have any type of bruising, redness or swelling around the wound. This may also include open cuts that have occurred because of the injury. The area may cause you pain while it is even being rested as well as a great deal of discomfort when a joint or a specific muscle that is directly related to that area is used. Additionally, torn muscle symptoms can include weakness of the tendons or muscles and the inability to even use the muscle at all.
When To Seek Medical Attention
If you have torn muscle symptoms and you have tried at home relief techniques for at least 24 hours and are still in a great deal of discomfort then you should seek out medical attention. Also, if there is any kind of popping noise from the area when you move, cannot walk or have a substantial amount of swelling, fever or an abundance of open cuts, then you should go to an emergency room.
Tests And Exams
The medical care provider will begin by asking a series of medical history questions and then give you a physical exam. They may or may not be able to conclude if the muscle has only a partial tear or a full one. If the muscle is fully torn, it could result in surgery and require a long recovery process. Your torn muscle symptoms may also result in laboratory test or x-rays. Although this is generally not common unless there is either evidence of infection or the area has had a history of trauma associated with it.
Treatment
Torn muscle symptoms can be painful as well as frustrating if they are keeping you from your daily activities. It is helpful to keep the muscle in a stretched position with ice packs applied. When the swelling goes down a bit you can switch off with heat packs but if you use heat too soon you can actually increase the pain and swelling. It is important to note that neither heat nor ice should ever be applied to bare skin. Always use something like a towel to protect yourself. An anti-inflammatory agent such as ibuprofen or aspirin can help to reduce your pain and increase movement.
Most people have heard of the PRICE formula and it is important to use when you have torn muscle symptoms. P is for protection and you need to protect the area from obtaining further injury. The R stands for rest and you must rest the area and avoid activity that could further aggravate it. I stands for ice and it is important to ice the area every hour for 20 minutes. C is for compression which can include a simple Ace bandage. Do not wrap the area tightly, just enough to give it support. E stands for elevation. The injured area, when possible, needs to be elevated to decrease swelling.
Prevention
Performing daily stretching exercises such as yoga can prevent you from having torn muscle symptoms in the future. Be sure the stretch thoroughly before you exercise and establish yourself a good solid warm up routine when you do exercise.
Torn muscle symptoms are never a welcome thing so when they do happen, follow the PRICE formula and if symptoms persist, seek medical attention.