Skip to content
Muscle strain - what is it, how does it appear, how many types are there and what remedies can you approach?
Health must always be at the forefront, whether it's about the physical or the spiritual. Many specialists recommend reducing sedentary behavior and emphasizing daily physical activity, even minimal. Depending on your age or health problems you have acquired over time, you must always pay attention to the movements you make. Why? The answer could be a simple one. Because, after a physical activity, you could face a muscle strain.
Muscle strains could give you a headache and make it difficult for you to carry out your daily activities. Whether you go to the office, whether you want to go shopping or to the park with your little one, a muscle strain could make it harder for you to carry out the activity in question. Also, if you are a sporty person, then a muscle strain could keep you on the "bar" for a while or prevent you from doing the whole set of physical exercises. In this sense, find out below what a muscle strain is, how it occurs, how many types of muscle strains there are, but also what remedies can be addressed for your health.
Contents:
1.2 Muscle stretch in the calf
1.4 Muscle stretch in the thigh
1.5 Muscle stretching in the abdomen
1.6 Muscle stretching in the leg
1. What is a muscle strain and how does it occur?
There is no person who has not faced, at least once in their life, a muscle strain. This can also be called muscle spasm or cramp and can appear in any part of the body. Whether it appears in the calf, or in the abdomen or groin area, muscle cramp can become bothersome and hold you back in the daily activities you want to undertake. Most of the time, muscle strain occurs when you overload a muscle during an activity. Then, the muscle can remain contracted or even semi-contracted, thus causing muscle spasms. In addition, they also appear when you make a wrong move. Most of the time, athletes can face muscle strains acquired after training.
There are a multitude of reasons behind which muscle strains appear, both in the case of people who do performance sports, and in the case of those who do physical exercises occasionally. First of all, you must consider the warm-up, before making an intense physical effort. In conditions where the warm-up is superficial or completely absent, before doing, for example, intense physical exercises with weights, you risk facing a muscle strain. At the same time, this can also occur if your flexibility is reduced or you have an unbalanced physical condition. In addition, especially in performance athletes, muscle cramps can occur as a result of overuse or muscle fatigue. Therefore, the specialists recommend that, before making a major physical effort, it would be advisable to start by doing some light physical exercises that help you warm up your muscles. Also, don't forget the fact that, following an injury, you can experience an acute muscle strain or even a muscle tear, which will make recovery difficult.
In addition to physical exercises at the gym, training or at home, performed even in the absence of a specialized person to help you perform them correctly and efficiently, there is a possibility that a muscle strain may also occur during other activities. For example, when you walk, when you have an alert step, when you lift certain very heavy objects or even when you sit very tense, in a certain position.
1.1 Inguinal muscle stretch
Most of the time, sports people can suffer a groin muscle strain (adductors strain). This occurs after very demanding physical exercises. According to the specialists, this represents a partial rupture, in the upper area of the thigh, of some muscle fibers. This type of muscle stretching occurs especially in the case of people who run a lot or make an intense physical effort in certain sports (for example, in the case of football players). Also, inguinal muscle strain can occur when a person takes up an intense sport, after a long break or an injury. And in the case of those who feel tired or do not have a good physical condition, it can appear, because the muscles can lose their ability to assimilate energy.
1.2 Muscle stretch in the leg
Another type of muscle stretch is the calf stretch, also called gastrocnemius stretch. Muscle fibers are cracked or broken after an intense physical activity. Muscle strain in the leg can occur frequently in the case of people who practice performance sports. In football, tennis or certain types of dances, there is a possibility that a person may experience a muscle strain in the lower part of the knee. Also, the stretch can be on three degrees.
1.3 Biceps muscle stretch
If you practice a contact sport or do a lot of physical exercises with weights in the gym, then there is a possibility of facing a muscle strain in the biceps. At the same time, it is often found in the case of those who embrace bodybuilding. People who overload the respective area for a long time may suffer a tendon rupture. Muscle strains in the hands can also appear after lifting weights, even in the case of people who are not practicing. For example, if you are not a person who does sports constantly, you can do a muscle stretch in your hands even if you are moving the furniture.
1.4 Muscle stretch in the thigh
Muscle strain in the thigh, also known as hamstring spasms, can become very bothersome. It can also be acquired after an intense physical activity and can appear in people from different sports fields, such as swimming, football, tennis, contact sports or even in the case of athletes who go to the marathon. Specialists recommend rest, in this case, especially because the pain can be quite great.
1.5 Muscle stretching in the abdomen
A stretch of muscles in the abdomen can be very annoying and can occur for several reasons. Physical activities that require muscle groups in the body can cause muscle strains which, in turn, can be mild or acute. In the case of those in the abdomen area, they appear even when lifting heavy objects or during simple exercises for the abdomen done at the gym. In addition, the sudden twisting of the body can also cause it. Even sitting in the squat position can trigger a muscle strain in the abdomen area.
1.6 Muscle stretching in the leg
Whether you are a performance athlete or practice a certain activity out of passion, you can get a muscle stretch in your leg. In addition, leg muscle spasms can appear even when you have an alert step on the street or on the treadmill at the gym. Cramps can also appear in case of making some wrong movements. Muscle strains on the calf of the leg can be painful and, depending on the case, bruises can also appear.
2. How long does a muscle strain last, depending on its type?
Muscle strains can appear in any muscle groups of the body, depending on the intensity of the physical activity you are carrying out. The greater the physical activity, the greater the possibility of experiencing muscle pain. And, in certain cases, they can even turn into muscle tears that require time to heal.
Depending on the severity of the muscle strain you have, the doctor will decide what you need to do, for a smooth recovery. Mild muscle strains last a few days, but acute ones can appear even in the case of an injury or prolonged overuse of some muscle groups in the body. In the case of performance athletes, because they exert a lot of effort during training, they can also face muscle tears or dislocations. In this case, a visit to the doctor is necessary to receive appropriate treatment.
If you practice football and stretch your groin muscles, then the pain can last between a few days and a few weeks, depending on the degree of injury you suffered.
In case of cramps in the calf or legs, the recovery can be similar as in the previous case. In this case, a few cold compresses and a break from physical activity can also be recommended. If the muscle tension is minor, then physical activities can be performed, but not at the same intensity.
Whenever you start practicing a sport, it is recommended that, before an intense activity, there should be a warm-up period. Even when stretching the biceps muscle, you must do some exercises to warm up the muscles and prepare them for lifting weights, in order not to expose yourself to danger. Muscle spasms in the hand area can be difficult, if the muscle groups give way due to overuse.
In the case of a stretch of the abdominal muscle, recovery can last between two or three weeks (Grade I), if the muscle fibers are damaged, but also between three and six weeks, if more fibers are affected (Grade II). In the case of a muscle tear in the abdomen area (Grade III), the recovery is three months and there is a possibility that the person in question may need a surgical intervention. At the same time, if it is a minor stretch, the recovery is quick, in a few days.
However, only the doctor will decide, in any of the cases, if the operation is necessary.
3. What remedy is there for muscle strains?
If you are faced with muscle strains, you should know that there are remedies for them. Obviously, depending on their severity. A muscle strain, regardless of the area of the body, can become annoying and make your daily activities difficult. Going to work, school, shopping or simply a walk in the park could be difficult because of the pain. Remedies for a muscle strain can either be easy, or they can include the need for a visit to a specialist doctor.
One of the ways to recover from such a situation is to continue doing physical exercises, just to keep the blood circulation active. Or, in other words, to keep the "blood moving". It is basically a recovery through sports that will bring you benefits. However, do not forget that this is not recommended, if the condition of the muscles is serious.
On the other hand, there is another remedy for a muscle strain, namely rest for a period, but also the application of cold compresses or ice on the affected areas. Moreover, both during rest and during physical exertion, you can also take supplements for muscle recovery . The same category includes the supplements dedicated to training, but also those before and after the workout. Essential amino acids, glutamine, taurine or arginine are some of the elements that can help you maintain muscle mass and recover it.
In addition, do not forget the fact that if you are a sports person and follow a certain food program, you can integrate certain supplements for bones and joints that contain vitamins, minerals, glucosamine, collagen, turmeric or chondroitin.
Also, if the muscle spasms are very painful, you have swelling in the respective areas, bruises, a general local discomfort and a difficulty in moving the respective muscle, it is advisable to visit a specialist doctor. Depending on the severity of the situation, the doctor will be able to direct you to do additional analyses. In addition, they could administer a drug treatment. It could consist of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, creams to apply to the affected area, or even oral analgesics. These decisions will be made by specialists and you will have to respect them.
At the same time, in certain situations, there is a probability that the specialist will direct you to do certain physical exercises for recovery (medical recovery) or even to a few physiotherapy sessions. It is advisable not to overlook the muscle stretches, in order not to face other complications later on. Following muscle spasms, the area can become very sensitive to touch and hematomas can form and muscle stiffness can even appear.
Physical exercises play an essential role in maintaining good health, and the balance between mind and body will always help you to successfully complete all your activities.
When you take up a sport, you have to take into account both the physical effort you will put in following the physical exercises, as well as the risks you could expose yourself to. In this sense, it is very important to keep in mind that a good performance of physical activity must be based, above all, on the care you take during the effort. In other words, you have to warm up all your muscle groups, hydrate and not force yourself. An overuse of muscles or tendons can create complications, health problems or simply "hold you back" for a while. Thus, regardless of the sports status you have, whether you do performance or practice a certain sport out of pure passion in your free time, you must prevent certain situations. A muscle strain, regardless of their area in the body, could make your daily tasks difficult. At the same time, muscle cramps could also appear after some mundane activities that you undertake, from walking briskly down the street, to lifting weights, such as luggage or furniture. In addition, if you are not a very active person or do not belong to the category of those who perform sports, but you decide to introduce a physical activity that requires more of the body, such as in the case of practicing a sport, then you must consider the way in which the respective sport will be practiced, what it entails, how much it will require and what risks you could expose yourself to. Knowing these details will help you not to risk your health.
Practicing a sport will help you develop and, more than that, it could also give you a balance in your life. Remember that the motto "Mens sana in corpore sano" applies to any person who approaches such a lifestyle.
Photo source: Pexels.com.
