Muscle Injury -Procedures, Side effects, Recovery time, Costs and alternatives

When there is muscle pain, muscle strain, or a muscle tear occurs, then it is called a muscle injury. It may directly affect the muscle or its attached tendons. The muscle damage can also tear small blood vessels that cause bleeding, bruising and pain caused by irritation of the nerve in the ending areas. There are many treatments available for muscle pain, muscle tear and muscle strain. This is usually caused as a result of fatigue, overuse, or improper use of a muscle. These strains in the muscles can cause pain and may thus limit movement within the affected muscle group. A person may feel the symptoms like sudden onset of the pain in an particular area,soreness, a limited range of the movement of the muscle, bruising or discoloration of any area due to injury, swelling etc. The treatment generally requires the person to first take rest.

The person can get relief through ice massage, compression, elevation etc. Generally, these can be cured by medication as a first line treatment. If still, the problem persists, then the second grade of treatment will be provided by the physician. A physical examination and imaging tests, such as X-rays and MRI scans, can help your doctor determine the extent of your injury. Treatment may include anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers to reduce pain and swelling.

The Muscle injury may be a strain or a tear in a muscle. A physical examination and imaging tests, such as X-rays and MRI scans, can help the doctor to determine the extent of your injury. The treatment may include:

• Muscle strain: When your muscle is overstretched or torn muscle strain develops. It usually occurs by fatigue, improper or over usage of muscles. Though strain can happen in any muscle, the most common areas are lower back, neck, shoulder, and hamstring muscle. Such strains cause pain and limit muscle movement. Normally, muscle strains can be treated at home. Minor muscle strain can be treated with RICE i.e. Rest, Ice, Compression and elevation. Ingesting over-the- counter anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce pain. After some days, applying hot bags on the strained muscle helps in improving blood circulation. Too much of rest causes stiffness and slowly increasing activity helps in healing the strained area. If your muscle strain is severe and unbearable, physiotherapy can be considered.
• Muscle tear: When there is a rupture in the muscles or tendons to which the muscle is attached in the body caused due to a rigorous working or injury of the muscles along with acute muscle fatigue. Muscle tear can happen at any area of the body and it can partial or complete. Muscle tear treatment depends on the severity. Grade I tear can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs. Grade II muscle tear treatment is as such as Grade I but the time duration may be longer. Grade III muscle tear may be recommended for surgery where there will be a complete detachment of the muscle from tendons and they need to be reattached.

Anyone can have muscle strain treatment and it does not carry any special restrictions.

People who are below 65 years can be considered for shoulder surgery.

Persons who have any artificial implants or prosthesis in the strained muscle area should not do self-medication. People who have a prior history of kidney problems,gastrointestinal problems cannot take NSAIDs.

People with severe tendon damage, diabetes, Parkinson’s, obesity, infection and arthritic shoulder should not go for shoulder muscle torn surgery.

Muscle strain treatment does not have any side effects. The tablets may induce gastritis and physiotherapy may make you feel tired along with the persisting pain. Nerve injury, infection, frozen shoulder, chondrolysis are some of the side effects of muscle torn surgery.In case any of these side effects persists or there any other health issues arising during or after treatment, it is advised to kindly consult the health specialist immediately.

Resting for a few days is very essential to recover after the injury and physiotherapy. You should not resume regular and particularly strenuous activities on the same day of injury. Grade I muscle tear can be treated with ice patting in the injured area at least 15- 20 two to three times daily. Simultaneously ice and heat should not be applied as it may cause blisters. Especially for rotator cuff surgery, at least for 3-5 weeks do not use your arm for regular activities. You should not stretch your elbow across the front of the body which might happen during the night when you are lying down on the un- operated side. After removing sling, place arm on a pillow. Avoid lifting even small weight up to 8 weeks after the surgery.

Recovery time for muscle strain depends on the injury level. Within 3-6 weeks you can resume to normal activities if your muscle strain is mild whereas severe cases need some months for recovery. Grade I and II muscle tear patients can resume their normal activities within three to five weeks whereas since Grade III is a surgical approach it will take at least 6 months for recovery along withphysiotherapy.

Muscle strain treatment needs only medicines and physiotherapy that would cost approximately Rs. 400/- for each physiotherapy sitting. If you consider severe muscle torn in the shoulder, an approximate of 80,000/- will be charged for the surgery

Unless your muscle gets strained in the same place, the treatment results will be permanent. The results of Grade III muscle tear will be permanent until you do not give more activities to the surgery site.

Massage, Cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen exposure are currently in trending as muscle strain alternative treatment. For muscle tear, say in the shoulders rotator cuff, the alternative non-invasive treatment is only pain medication, and physiotherapy, steroid injection and the least all arthroscopic procedures. If the muscle is severely torn, surgery is only the best option.