Muscle tears and strains.

These happen when the muscle fibres don’t cope with the demands placed on them.

Muscles that cross two joints are more prone to injury e.g. calf, quads and hamstrings.

A muscle is most likely to tear with sudden acceleration or deceleration.

The strains are graded:

1 just a few muscle fibres with local pain but no loss of strength.

2. A grade 2 tear has more muscle fibres damaged and pain with reduced strength.

3 complete tear.

The following factors predispose to muscle strains:

- inadequate warm up

- inflexibility of joints

- fatigue or overuse

- muscle imbalance

- previous injury

- spinal dysfunction

Physiotherapeutic management:

1 minimise damage with RICE i.e. rest, ice, compression and elevation.

2 reduce pain and inflammation with ice for 72 hours and ant inflammatories after 72 hours.

3 promote healing with massage, exercise and good nutrition.

4 maintain flexibility, strength and balance and overall fitness with cross training.

Muscle Contusion

Results from a direct blow or contact with some equipment. This causes bleeding and is commonly known as a cork. Treatment is to reduce bleeding and swelling and then encouraging absorption of the blood clot using electrotherapy