Runners Pain Dictionary – Part 8

MUSCLE STRAIN – aka Muscle Pull, is an injury to a muscle or its attaching tendons resulting from fatigue, overuse or improper use of muscles and strenuous activity, be it sports or normal daily chores. Poor flexibility, lack of adequate warm up before activity and poor conditioning contribute. Actions involving quick or heavy lifting, picking speed quickly (acceleration) and slowing down (deceleration), jumping, running, throwing, sudden hard coughing etc are among some that can cause muscle strains. A severe muscle strain can lead to a muscle tear which in turn can damage smaller blood vessels leading to local bruising/bleeding and pain. (In contrast SPRAINS are injuries relating to ligaments).
Some common sites for muscle strains include lumbar (lower back) muscles, hamstrings (back of thigh), quadriceps (front of thigh), calf muscles, adductors (inner thigh muscles) and muscles of the upper body like triceps, biceps, neck, chest, upper back (trapezius, rhomboids) and abdomen.

Symptoms include pain in muscle at rest, pain (sometimes sudden) when the specific muscle or joint is used, feeling of weakness in the affected muscle(s), limited range of motion, bruising or discoloration, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness and in severe cases complete inability to use the muscle.
Minor strains can be addressed by following the R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol. Severe cases may warrant a visit to a doctor and physical therapy. As with all injuries, persisting with movement (especially strenuous ones) is not recommended. It might be best to lay off for a bit if the doctor advises. A stitch in time saves nine – it’s true and often accepted ruefully in hindsight.
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