Pulled muscle

What is a pulled muscle?

A pulled muscle or muscle strain occurs when a muscle is stretched too far causing small tears within the muscle, leading to inflammation and pain.

What causes a pulled muscle?

A pulled muscle is caused by a sudden, uncoordinated movement during sporting activities such as sprinting, jumping or kicking. During these activities the muscle is forcibly stretched beyond its limits and the muscle tissue tears.

What are the symptoms effects of a pulled muscle?

A pulled muscle will initially cause pain which will affect physical function such as standing, walking and climbing the stairs. People may also experience swelling, redness and bruising depending on the extent of the injury.

Diagnosis of a pulled muscle

A thorough physical assessment with a physiotherapist or doctor will confirm a diagnosis of a pulled muscle.

Physiotherapy for a pulled muscle

A person with a pulled muscle will benefit from physiotherapy treatment. Your physiotherapist at Manchester Physio will conduct a thorough physical examination to assess your current functional ability and develop a treatment programme which will be centred on:

Reducing pain
Reducing swelling
Improving range of movement
Improving muscle strength
Improving balance
Facilitating recovery

Physiotherapy treatment at Manchester Physio will be suited to you, to enhance your recovery and return to sport. A personalised treatment program will be developed which may include:

Pain management including anti-inflammatories and ICE
Ultrasound to accelerate healing
Gradual muscle stretching to regain pain free range of movement as soon as possible
Soft tissue massage to relieve pain and stiffness
Muscle strengthening exercises
Aerobic exercises
Functional retraining tailored to everyday activities and sport
Advice on graded return to activity
Preventing re-injury

Your physiotherapist at Manchester Physio will also provide support and advice on how to return to normal physical activity as soon as possible and reduce the likelihood of re-injury. Your physiotherapist at Manchester Physio will also set short and long term goals to ensure that you get the most out of your treatment and continue to make long term improvements.

For more information about how physiotherapy can help a pulled muscle, or to book an appointment please call 0161 883 0077.

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