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This refers to injury to a muscle. Minor injuries will mildly over-stretch a muscle or a tendon, whereas severe injuries may cause partial or complete tears to these tissues. Tears most commonly occur in the lower back or the hamstrings. It is important to know how badly the muscle is damaged in order to determine the best course of treatment.
Acute muscle tears can be caused by one event, whereas a chronic strain is usually caused by repetitive injuries. This refers to damage to the muscle or its attaching tendons. Pressure can be put on muscles during everyday activities, unaccustomed exercise, heavy lifting or playing sports.
A clinical examination will usually find the point of tenderness, and depending on the level of muscle function, the level of damage to the tissue can be determined. An ultrasound scan can also help identify between different types of soft tissue muscle injuries. Muscle tears can be graded according to severity with Grade three being the most severe.
In the first instance we would recommend you book in with a physio for treatment for a muscle tear. They treat with manual therapies and stretching and will give you a graduated exercise programme to guide you to full fitness. You can see any of our practitioners for most conditions but check out their profiles for more information and specific interests.
Check out our services pages to find out more about these therapies. Practitioners are trained to treat most conditions but do this in slightly different ways. They work together to find the best treatment most suited to your condition.
Protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation is the general rule for treating the acute phase of muscle tears. Physical therapy can help to return the affected muscle back to normal function with a graduated programme of exercise and stretches. Sports massage can be very beneficial to stimulate healing.
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