7 Symptoms Of Acute Muscle Injury

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.Next