Pulled muscle - speeding up healing?

[Dave in MPLS]

I figure folks interested in fitness might have some input on this I could use ...

3 weeks or so ago I pulled a muscle in my leg. It is healing, but if you've ever pulled a muscle you know healing is not a quick process. I have anyplace from a few more weeks to over a month before normalacy returns ...

In the meantime I'm interested if anyone has hit upon any tricks or hints for treating this thing? I'm doing the heat/rest/gentle exercise routine when I can, but I'm wondering if there is more I can do, other than medicating my leg numb.

Of course this is compounded by the fact that I have MS and start fairly impaired even pre-injury :( I have an appointment with my neurologist next week, but ...

[Licence]

I figure folks interested in fitness might have some input on this I could use ...

3 weeks or so ago I pulled a muscle in my leg. It is healing, but if you've ever pulled a muscle you know healing is not a quick process. I have anyplace from a few more weeks to over a month before normalacy returns ...

In the meantime I'm interested if anyone has hit upon any tricks or hints for treating this thing? I'm doing the heat/rest/gentle exercise routine when I can, but I'm wondering if there is more I can do, other than medicating my leg numb.

Of course this is compounded by the fact that I have MS and start fairly impaired even pre-injury :( I have an appointment with my neurologist next week, but ...


Maybe creatine could help. What did your neurologist advise?

[Isabella]

I'm in a perpetual fight with my left leg. I figure a leg transplant might be my only option. :lol:

[LovelyPerv]

As am omni, I noticed that WHEN (it happens all the time) I pull a muscle at work, it would heal faster if I ate a HUGE variety of proteins. If I ate chips and tv dinners, it would take forever to heal. I stayed away from beans, because I thought it was a weak source of protein (something vegetarians ate out of protein desperation...and that they had to eat a lot of them...ha-ha!), but the shakes and meats really helped.

I thought I would lose that quick-healing forever once I went vegan...but I was surprised. Now, my muscles heal twice as fast because I'm getting all easy-to-digest plant proteins!!! Again, if I eat crap, they won't heal as fast...but if I get a true variety of foods (beans, lentils, grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, and so on) I'll have an easier time healing.

Lastly, the quality of my sleep affects it the most. Your muscles can only heal when you're asleep...so if you've got a hectic schedule, and you're running off of 4-5 hours of sleep while you juggle two jobs and two kids...then it'll take forver to heal.

...but, you'll heal a lot faster if you take a few days off, and lay on your butt for a while.

[LadyFaile]

i don't know about healing damaged muscle but i know potassium helps keep them from cramping so i imagine it would do some good. eat lots of bananas :) and yeah proteins for sure. so make that peanut butter and banana sandwiches lol

[FitChick99]

Try using a foam roller to loosen up the muscle tissue. At first it is going to hurt, but hopefully you will start to feel it get looser and it will hurt less the more you do it. I would reccommend 3 times a day if you can, for about 5 minutes or so each. If you can handle more, then great, the more you loosen it up, the better.

Here is a link:

http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_4278_A_CategoryID_E_235

That is the basic, standard one, which is probably fine. If it is something you were going to use all the time though, I would reccommend the black ones.

There is also a link within that of an "exercise sheet." Basically you just roll over the area that hurts :)

Hope it helps!

[drveghead]

Hello,
If I was you, I would just rest and relax during the time and let it fully heal before you get back into any normal routine.

I'd even give it a week longer than what the doctor recommends, unless it's a doctor that knows exactly how to handle it, such as a Sport's Doctor.

If you push your muscle too much, you could face some serious injuries, you don't want to rip or tear it anymore than it may be, or anything else in that matter. Or else you'll be out for even longer.

I recently damaged my left wrist, and even tho my work involves heavy lifting so physical health is very important. I have to take a step back and let it fully heal before I can do anything else, or it could put me out for instead of the 2 weeks (unless needing physical therapy and/or surgery), I'd be out for even longer.

It doesn't just affect your personal health. In my case, with 2 young girls, it affects me doing normal activity with them, or picking them up and holding them. It also affects my physical ability to drive (I'm a left-hand driver), work, and do routine work around the household.

But, I'd rather let it heal and get on with life instead of always having a issue with it.

Hope this helps.

[LuckyCharms]

Gentle exercise should include stretching and massage. Remember when you stretch to do so slowly, and not stretch any further if you feel pain or too much tension. Also, don't "bob": rather, sink slowly into the stretch. Hold for at least 10 seconds and then repeat.

Massage, with heat, is also great!

[drveghead]

That's something that I forgot to mention is that before you do any excersizes you will want to stretch out all the muscles you will be using, even some of those that you don't think you'd be using.

The leg's, back, and arm's are the most important as they are the one's that you will be using the most but other muscles are important as well.

Use the advise that you get on this board wisely, try to mix them altogether stressing the most important idea's that are being repeated to you. We've probably all been there and done that.

[LovelyPerv]

That's something that I forgot to mention is that before you do any exercises you will want to stretch out all the muscles you will be using, even some of those that you don't think you'd be using.

The leg's, back, and arm's are the most important as they are the one's that you will be using the most but other muscles are important as well.

Use the advise that you get on this board wisely, try to mix them altogether stressing the most important idea's that are being repeated to you. We've probably all been there and done that.

Stretching does help reduce the pain of a pulled muscle, so you can go on about your life, but I don't know how it affects healing time.

Many people underestimate the importance of stretching before working out. Not only does it greatly help reduce chance of injury, but you get a better work out, too.

If you have the time, it's also a good idea to do some stretching before certain 'bed exercises' - You'd be surprised how much of a difference it makes!!!

[drveghead]

What do you mean by 'bed' exercises? Am I missing something?

[LovelyPerv]

What do you mean by 'bed' exercises? Am I missing something?

Keeping it clean for sake of underage VBers...

What sort of physical activity might one be doing in bed...

Think about it...

Think a bit more...

You'll get it! :up:

[drveghead]

Ha.. I get it, alright.. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that when you said it, that's genius! I'll have to try it.

[LovelyPerv]

Ha.. I get it, alright.. I'm not sure why I didn't think of that when you said it, that's genius! I'll have to try it.

It's alright...sometimes I miss the obvious innuendo, too.

"Yeeeaaahhh????? What ABOUT my cat? She's asleep at the moment.... what?????"

[dirkduck]

I pulled a muscle a couple of weeks ago on at some point on a long bike ride. After about 5 days it was feeling fine again when walking, and never having pulled a muscle (at least not seriously at all) I decided it was all fixed up. I proceeded to go on another ride up a mountain around here and then that evening played ultimate frisbee with some friends: horrible idea! The next couple days consisted of very painful walking, having to lift my leg up with my arms in order to stand up/move, and waking up to excruciating pain in the mornings. Now, over 2 weeks after the second incident, I can still feel the strain/tear/whatever.

Moral of the story I guess is take much longer than expected before resuming activity!