What Is a Pulled Muscle?
A pulled muscle is an injury to your muscle fibers. Muscle fibers are the large cells that make up your muscles. Your muscles allow you to move when they contract and relax.
Many people use the terms 鈥減ulled muscle,鈥 鈥渕uscle strain,鈥 or 鈥渕uscle tear鈥 interchangeably. The term 鈥渟train鈥 may refer to a muscle or tendon injury. Tendons connect your muscles to bones.
Sprain vs. Strain Injury
Sprains and strains can cause similar symptoms. However, a sprain is a ligament injury. Your ligaments are the bands of tissue that connect bones to each other. A strain affects your muscles or tendons.
Pinched Nerve vs. Pulled Muscle
A pinched nerve is when something compresses one of your nerves. A pinched nerve and a pulled muscle can both cause pain. But a pinched nerve usually causes other symptoms, such as numbness or tingling.
Types of Strains
Specialists classify strain injuries as mild, moderate, or severe. Mild injuries may heal with rest, time, and/or physical therapy. Severe strains or tendon tears may require surgery.
Find a Strain Specialist
Muscle Strain Symptoms
Muscle strains can cause a range of symptoms:
- Bruising
- Inability to put weight on the injured area
- Pain
- Swelling
- Tenderness to the touch
- Soft tissue deformity
Your symptoms usually become more intense if your injury is worse.
What Causes a Pulled Muscle?
You can have a pulled muscle when you overload or overstretch your muscle fibers. Sometimes even simple movements, like stepping off a stair too quickly, can cause a pulled muscle. You can also get a pulled muscle from athletics, such as sprinting, jumping, or changing directions quickly.
When to Seek Medical Care for a Muscle Strain
You should see a healthcare provider if you have a muscle strain that interferes with your usual activities. Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or visit an urgent care clinic if you鈥檝e had symptoms for a week or longer. They may refer you to an orthopedic specialist for evaluation.
You should see a provider right away if you experienced certain symptoms at the time of the injury:
- You had immediate, severe pain.
- You have a visible change or deformity in the injured area.
- You heard or felt a 鈥減op.鈥
At 麻豆学生精品版, you have access to orthopedic experts through the Injury Clinic at University Orthopaedic Center. The clinic lets you see an orthopedic specialist within 24鈥48 hours.
Muscle Strain Treatment
We treat most muscle strains with noninvasive therapies:
-
Rest: Avoid putting weight on the injured area, especially in the first week of healing. You may need to adjust your usual routine to allow for rest.
-
Anti-inflammatory medications: You can take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen. These medications help reduce swelling and manage pain.
-
Immobilization: Your orthopedic provider may recommend that you wear a brace, walking boot, shoulder sling, or soft collar, depending on the injury. You may also need crutches or a knee scooter to keep weight off your injury.
-
Physical therapy: You may start physical therapy 1鈥6 weeks after injury. A physical therapist helps you regain strength, mobility, and function after a muscle injury.
Surgery is the best way to treat a strain injury in rare cases. For example, a full Achilles tendon tear may require surgery.
How Long Does a Pulled Muscle Take to Heal?
Pulled muscles tend to heal slowly. Expect it to be a few months before you feel back to usual.
How to Prevent Strains
Strong, flexible muscles are less likely to get injured than weak, stiff muscles. Because of this, regular physical activity lowers your risk of muscle strains.
Find a form of exercise that you enjoy and will stick with consistently. Speak with your primary care or orthopedic provider if you need help starting an exercise program. It鈥檚 important to introduce new and more challenging activities gradually to avoid injury.
Why Choose 麻豆学生精品版?
You receive comprehensive, leading-edge care with our University Orthopaedic Services team. We provide all the resources you may need, including imaging, physical therapy, and surgery, in one convenient location. Our Injury Clinic allows you easy, timely access to orthopedic specialists for injury treatment.
Orthopedic surgeons, advanced practice providers, physical therapists, and athletic trainers collaborate to bring you effective care. We research best practices and stay up to date on the latest therapies. We continually improve our skills to bring you the highest quality treatment.
Make an Appointment
Call 801-587-7109 to request an appointment with an orthopedic specialist. We don鈥檛 require referrals, but some insurance plans do. We recommend you check with your insurance provider before you schedule your appointment.
