Muscle Strains

It’s not something you ever plan for, but if you ever strain your muscle, it’s important to know what steps to take. Muscle strains come on suddenly and are often quite painful. To help manage your symptoms, remember this word—RICE.

A simple word for a simple protocol. Stick to these actions to prevent further injury and reduce pain.

Rest

This doesn’t mean stop moving or being active, but it does mean that you stop the offending actions that further exacerbate the strain. If there is pain, swelling, or discomfort, refrain from the movements causing these symptoms.

Ice

To reduce inflammation and decrease pain, apply ice or a cold pack to the affected area. Leave on until the area feels numb. Repeat every few waking hours for a day or two. Please note that ice may delay healing, so only use as needed.

Compress

With a bandage, compress the affected muscle. This will help to reduce swelling. Be careful not to compress it too tightly as this could decrease circulation. If there is increased pain or numbness, or if the area below the bandage becomes swollen, it is too tight and must be loosened. To wrap your bandage, begin wrapping at the end furthest away from your heart.

Elevation

To further reduce swelling, elevate the affected area above the level of your heart. This is especially useful at nighttime.

While it may be tempting to find relief in over-the-counter pain medication such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, this can increase your risk of bleeding, so it is best to avoid these for the first 48 hours after straining your muscle.

Once you are no longer in the acute stage of healing (after about 4 days), you may wish to book a massage treatment to further relieve pain and speed recovery time.

Maureen, RMT

To book a massage with Maureen click HERE