If you are experiencing muscle pain with a strong contraction, swelling or stiffness in the muscle, or weakness in that area, you might be suffering from a torn muscle. https://evolveny.com/blogposts/2022/4/18/torn-muscle-call-our-physical-therapists-in-brooklyn

1. PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR MUSCLE TEARS
REH ABBIN G YOU R TORN MU S CLE.
Are you suffering from a torn muscle or
think you may be? If you are experiencing
muscle pain with a strong contraction,
swelling or stiffness in the muscle, or
weakness in that area, you might be
right. A torn muscle, also called a
“muscle strain”, occurs when muscle
fibers are overstretched, overused, or
contracted against a sudden load. At the
moment of injury the stretch or stress on
the muscle fibers is too great for the
muscle to handle causing the fibers to
tear and be injured. This article will help
explain the anatomy and physiology of a
muscle tear and how physical therapy
can help it heal.
LET’S TAKE A CLOS ER LOOK AT YOU R MU S CLES
Muscles are the movers and stabilizers of the body. There are more than 600 muscles
in the human body from the large muscles that straighten the knee to kick a soccer ball
to the small muscles in your throat that help you produce sound when you talk.
Muscles are made up of bundles of muscle fibers aligned in specific patterns. When
these fibers contract they shorten the muscle and pull on the bones they attach to
creating movement and strength.
At either end of these fibers is a strong band of tissue called the tendon which
connects the muscle fibers to the bone. The tendon itself does not contract but is an
essential component to muscle function as it creates stable attachment points on the
bone to allow the muscles to do their work on the skeleton.
If you’ve ever participated in sports or a regular workout routine, you know that one can
increase the size and strength of muscles by regularly overloading them. This stress
stimulus, when large enough, signals to the body that it needs to increase the size and
efficiency of the muscles in order to meet the new demands you are placing on them.
For example, when you first start lifting weights you may find squatting with a 25lb
kettlebell to be challenging. After weeks to months of consistent training, however,
you are now able to squat holding a 40lb kettlebell while the 25lb one feels “light”.
H OW DO MU S CLE TEARS OCCU R?
The key to building strong and resilient muscles is through overload. This means asking
the muscle to move a load or resist a force that feels difficult to you. When applied
correctly, overload results in stronger muscles. Injury can occur, however, when
muscles are asked to resist a stretch, force or load for which it is unprepared. This
could happen when you select a weight that is too heavy while working out at the gym
or when you pivot quickly and start to sprint off toward a ball during a soccer game
causing your hamstring or calf muscle to suddenly contract very forcefully.
Muscle tears are categorized based on their severity:
APRIL 18, 2022
TORN MUSCLE? CALL OUR PHYSICAL
THERAPISTS IN BROOKLYN
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2. Grade I strain (mild): very few muscle fibers are injured. Pain typically occurs the next
day but no swelling or bruising is observed. Pain may be felt when the affected muscle
is strongly contracted or stretched at its end range.
Grade II strain (moderate): many (but not all) fibers are injured resulting in stiffness, loss
of flexibility and loss of strength. Pain is felt both during contraction of the muscle and
during stretching. Swelling and bruising over the injured area is common.
Grade III strain (severe): all fibers of the muscle are completely torn or the muscle belly
has detached from its tendon. Severe pain is often felt upon injury and heavy swelling
and bruising will develop. Range of motion may be either significantly reduced due to
pain or excessive because the muscle is no longer limiting it. This muscle will generally
be unable to produce any force due to the severe disruption in the fibers.
S O YOU ’VE TORN YOU R MU S CLE, WH AT N OW?
How you care for a torn muscle and how long it will take to heal depends on the
severity and location of the muscle tear. In any case, a physical therapist can guide you
on the initial steps for recovery and how to prepare the injured muscle for return to
normal activity. When you first visit a physical therapist they will ask you a series of
questions about your symptoms and examine the area of injury. The examination may
involve palpating (gently pressing or feeling) the injured muscle for tenderness,
swelling, or abnormalities, gently stretching the affected muscle to look for stiffness,
pain, excessive or restricted range of motion, testing the muscle strength and
observing your movement.
Physical therapy treatment for a muscle tear depends in part on how long after the
injury you seek care. If you visit your PT right after injury, and before seeing your
doctor, and your physical therapist determines that your muscle tear is moderate or
severe (grade II or III) they may refer you to a physician to further examine the injury
and determine if any medications are necessary to facilitate healing and manage
symptoms. Your doctor may recommend imaging such as an X-ray to examine the
surrounding bones, or an MRI or ultrasound to examine the injured fibers. If the muscle
tear is severe a surgical repair may be recommended.
During the acute phase of healing which typically refers to the 5-7 days immediately
post-injury, the goal of physical therapy will be to protect the site of injury. In the acute
phase of healing the body will begin to repair the injured tissue but at this point those
repairs are very delicate. Any stretching or strong contraction of the injured muscle
could re-tear the healing tissue causing the healing process to regress or begin again.
If you tore a muscle in your leg and are limping, your PT may recommend crutches to
allow the muscle time to heal until you can walk without limping. Splinting or bracing
may be recommended to limit excessive movement or stretching of the muscle and
help reduce pain. Application of ice, compression or taping techniques may also be
prescribed to help reduce excessive inflammation and reduce pain.
As the muscle tear begins to heal your PT may begin to apply very gentle stretching to
help maintain tissue flexibility and later on more intensely to restore muscle length. You
will begin to perform exercises to restore the motor control and coordination of the
muscle initially and the strength and power of the muscle later on. Your physical
therapist will help educate you on signs that your muscle is ready to progress to the
next stage of rehab and signs that you have overstressed the tissues, such as
increased swelling or prolonged pain, and advise you on how to care for it.
If you had surgery to repair a severely torn muscle, your physical therapist will help to
progress you through your post-surgical protocol with the same goals of managing
pain, decreasing swelling, improving flexibility and restoring strength and coordination.
Whether you are an athlete wanting to get back out onto the field or an injured worker
trying to get back to your job, physical therapy is a great tool to heal your muscle tear.
The physical therapists at Evolve are here to educate you on the process of healing, get
you back to your favorite activities and teach you how to prevent re-injury in the future.
Click here to find out more information about physical therapy for muscle tears
ABOU T EVOLVEN Y-
Brooklyn's Premier Holistic Physical
Therapy Clinics- There’s physical therapy,
there’s training, and then there’s
EVOLVE. We use the science of
biomechanics merged with fitness to
help our patients get better and stay
better! First we evaluate, then we heal,
then we strengthen our clients so they can reach their goals, feel better, and live
happier lives. We do so by utilizing a range of core techniques and specialized
treatments to reduce pain, improve mobility, enhance physical strength and deal with
the underlying issues, not just the pain itself.
Multiple Locations!
1-718-395-6551
https://EvolveNY.com

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