Acute muscle injury occurs when a muscle is torn or overstretched. It can occur as a result of overuse, fatigue or improper use of muscles. Strenuous activities that can increase the risk of a muscle injury include sports like tennis, soccer, rugby, rowing or baseball. Holding the neck in awkward position for long a time, heavy lifting, and poor posture can also cause a macro-trauma to your muscles. Acute muscle injury can also happen when performing irregular work tasks. However, most cases of acute injuries are caused by a single traumatic event. So, there is always a clear link between the symptoms and the cause of the injury. These injuries are common on muscles on the neck, hamstring, shoulder, and lower back.
When a person has an acute muscle injury he or she may experience extreme pain that may limit movement, especially within the affected muscles. In most cases, acute strains can be successfully treated using heat, ice, rest, elevation, compression, and anti-inflammatory medication. Unfortunately, some injuries may require advanced medical treatment and may take several months to heal.
Imaging tests such as MRI scans and X-rays, as well as physical examinations, can help a physician to determine the severity of the injury. The doctor may recommend a physical therapy or surgery to repair the injured muscles. The treatment could also include pain relievers to suppress pain and anti-inflammation medical to reduce swelling.
If you have tried home treatments and the pain has not subsided or if the injured area is still numb after a week, you should seek medical attention. As a matter of fact, some situations need immediate medical attention, for instance, if you can’t walk or move the affected arm or leg. The condition may also be serious if the injured part is bleeding. The following are the main symptoms of acute muscle injury.
1. Sudden Severe Pain
Sudden severe pain is the hallmark symptom of acute injury. You will experience a sharp pain even when the affected muscle is at rest. You can also feel the pain when you move joints or muscles linked to the affected muscle. The activities that can trigger pain depend on the type of muscle affected and the severity of the injury. Here are common pain scenarios.
In case of intercostal muscles, you will experience pain on the ribs if you try to make a throw. A chopping movement can trigger pain between the ribs. Injury to abdominal muscles will prevent you from making crunch motions of the belly or sit-ups, while injuries on calf muscles will cause pain on the lower side of your leg when you try to walk or run.
If you have had an acute injury to the lumbar back muscle, you will experience sudden severe pain when you try to bend over or return to an erect position. You will also experience the same feeling if you have injuries on rhomboid muscles. Quadriceps muscle injuries will trigger pain if you try to extend your knee from a flexed position. This is almost the case with hip flexor muscle injuries.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]2. Swelling
One of the most noticeable symptoms of an acute muscle injury is swelling. Depending on the muscle injured, you may have lumps on both ends of the muscle. The swelling occurs as a result of inflammation. In most cases, the swelling is localized and increases with time. It will only reduce when the injuries are treated. Widespread swelling is also possible for certain injuries, especially if they involve multiple muscle groups. If the muscle fiber tears, your muscle may thin thus causing a depression. As a result, the adjacent muscle may punch up. Due to swelling, some injuries may be difficult to diagnose through physical observation.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]3. Can’t Place Full Weight
When you have an acute muscle injury you can lose physical strength. The worst thing is that the loss could be dramatic. This means that you will be prevented from carrying out most of your routine activities. It also means you can’t place full weight, especially on the joints. In some cases, it might prevent you from using the affected limb because the joints might be unstable. This scenario will limit movement of the affected individual. Even if the injury did not damage your bones, you may still need to walk with crutches or a cast to help you with your movements.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]4. Extreme Tenderness
Apart from swelling, you will also feel tenderness on the affected areas. This feeling of extreme tenderness can be accompanied by pain, especially when you try to touch or squeeze the affected parts. The tenderness will most likely continue as long as the injured parts remained swollen. In most cases, acute muscle injuries cause a change in normal outline of the muscles, so there may be a dent under the skin, which may remain unfilled. In some instances, these gaps are filled with fluid like substance. This creates a feeling of tenderness in the areas surrounding the affected muscles. Doctors will most likely try to establish tenderness when treating muscle injuries.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]5. Inability to Stretch Limb
In normal circumstances, flexibility involves free movement within the physiological limits of various joints. However, this normalcy is affected by chronic injuries. One of the frequent symptoms of an acute muscle injury is the inability to stretch limb. This is caused by muscle contraction in the affected areas. Sharp pain can be triggered by movement of joints attached to the affected muscles, so this may force you to limit the range of motions you can make. In short, you are prevented from movements or performing most of your daily activities. The muscles that typically retract on the upper limb include finger, shoulder abductors, wrist, thumb flexors and elbow flexors.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]6. Visible Dislocation or Break
Bones exist to provide structure to your body, protect your organs and hold you up. While they support flexibility, they are still rigid. They can break or dislocate when subjected to a force that is beyond their flexibility. That is why visible dislocation or break is a common symptom associated with acute muscle injuries. While dislocation can only happen muscle on the joints that are disturbed, breaks can happen on the joints, at the end of the bone, or somewhere in between. This symptom is normally accompanied by strong pain. Bone break or dislocation can only be treated by a competent professional.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]7. Inflammation
Generally, inflammation is an indication of damages to living tissues. It is body’s self-protection response to fight external stimuli and start the healing process. The injury will trigger inflammation in the tissues surrounding the affected muscles. The response consists of increase permeability of the blood cells, boosted blood flow, and increased supply of protein, fluid, and white blood cells to the affected tissues. The inflammation is usually felt at rest and is severe during the first few days but will reduce towards recovery. The inflammation may last for only for a few days depending on the extent of the injury.
Muscle injuries are not usually life threatening but they can be extremely painful. Extreme muscle injuries might even lead to complete loss of function. If you suspect that a muscle injury is severe, you must seek medical attention.
