Muscles strains can happen in any muscle of the body but are mostly found in larger muscles such as your thigh or calf muscles.
In our clinic we see a large amount of muscles strains mostly in our athletic population. Muscles strains are frequent injuries in soccer, GAA, athletics and other high speed sports.
So what can you do if you think you have a muscle injury?
The first thing you can do is follow RICE.
- Rest the injured area
- Ice is important to manage swelling and bruising
- Compression is also useful in managing swelling and bruising
- Elevation is used to help reduce swelling
You should think about seeing a physio within the first 48hrs of a muscle injury. You should be given gentle exercises to encourage repair and recovery of the muscle.
Beginning rehab within the first 2 days of a muscle strain has been shown to decrease the time it takes until returning to your sport. This road can be a bumpy one however and getting started as soon as possible is key.
As your injury heals over days and weeks your physio will progress your rehab, ensuring it is challenging enough for you.
The amount of time it takes until you can return to your sport depends on the severity of your muscle strain and your physio can advise you of this. It also depends on your age and what types of activities you wish to get back to after the injury.