Sprains and Strains and Tears – Oh, My!

While the initial pain of a muscle spasm may be similar to that of a muscle tear, the treatment for each injury is vastly different.

A muscle spasm or cramp is the body’s protective response to overuse. For instance, a spasm may alert a runner that they are overworking their back muscles and prevent more serious injury to the spine by forcing rest.

Muscle spasms don’t result in any lasting damage to muscle tissues – unless they go untreated. On the other hand, a muscle tear can be a much more dramatic injury. While muscle strains come in various degrees, ranging from a “micro-tear” muscle soreness from strenuous training to the complete tendon rupture, in which a muscle or tendon is completely separated and must be surgically repaired.

After a muscle tear, an athlete’s best course of action is rest. Many times orthopaedic specialists and sports performance specialists see athletes push themselves to overcome a torn muscle or tendon. By rushing back into action, a healing player does not just risk aggravating their old injury – they risk suffering a more dramatic and painful tear.

For example, many athletes in recovery are allowed to start training after a certain period of healing. However, a partially healed torn muscle is even more vulnerable to overuse and tearing. Scar tissue, which develops during recovery, is inflexible and slows the healing process. Many athletes who find that training is uneventful during a recovery, may suffer a disappointing and painful realization during competition when their previously minor condition becomes a much more serious situation.

To hasten recovery from a muscle sprain, strain, or tear, physical therapy can be a valuable tool. Manual therapy and aquatic therapy can both help patients regain mobility and flexibility – especially following a surgical procedure. But the most important factor in treating these conditions is prevention. In order to ensure that you are protecting your muscles against injury you should replace old shoes or invest in custom-fit orthotics, work on conditioning your muscles for injury prevention, or work with a sports performance specialist to correct inefficient or damaging movements, which may put you at risk for an injury.

Source: “Sprains, Strains, Tears & Spasms” The Health Journal