Pulled Back Muscles or Muscle Strain
Pulled Back Muscles or Muscle Strain
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Experiencing a pulled muscle or muscle strain is probably one of the causes of back pain that almost everyone has heard of. Whether you’ve experienced it yourself or know someone who has experienced it a muscle strain is probably one of the most well-known causes of back pain. What are the symptoms of a pulled muscle? What are the risk factors for pulling or straining the muscles in the back? And lastly what can you do to help reduce the painful symptoms? Let’s get into it, shall we?
To start off, what types of symptoms can you experience with a strained muscle? The first signs of a pulled muscle or mild muscle strain are usually pain or tenderness as well as limited motion. You may notice getting in and out of bed or even shifting into a seated position triggers pain. In addition to the pain there may also be muscle weakness. On the surface the skin may appear red and, in some cases, even swollen. In some case’s bruising may occur. (1) Muscle strains are usually classified as either acute or chronic. In an acute strain the symptoms usually occur at once as compared to a chronic strain where the symptoms develop slowly over time. (2)
Before I get into the risk factors for pulled or strained muscles, I want to talk about what exactly a pulled or strained muscle is. Basically, a muscle strain is an injury to a muscle/tendon. Typically, strains are most common in the lower back and in the hamstrings (in the legs). They can range from minor (simply an overstretched with only a few muscle cells torn) up to severe which can involve partial or even completely torn muscles. Muscle strains are usually assigned a rating on a scale from grade 1-3. In this blog we are focusing on grade 1. (1) Please see the following pictures for a strained or pulled muscle. (2)
I would like to point out that minor strains may be treated at home however if the symptoms worsen despite treatment or if there is numbness/ tingling or intolerable pain it is important to see a doctor. (1)
Risk factors for a muscle strain can include taking part in contact sports such as soccer, football and boxing. Acute strains can be caused by lifting something heavy. (1) Poor flexibility or sudden movements can also trigger a muscle strain. (2) In my clinical experience awkward motions can trigger a muscle strain and pain. For example, recently one of my Invite customers reported a muscle strain after he dropped a fork and “stood up funny” after reaching to pick it up. A strain may also be caused by not warming up properly or by just too much overall physical activity/ effort. Over training may overwork and even weaken the muscles. (2) Repetitive motion may also trigger chronic muscle strain. (1) Lastly, earlier injuries may increase the risk of a muscle strain. (2) So, what can you do?
- Ice is helpful for the first 3 days. After that you can alternate ice and heat.
- Rest! Rest the muscles that hurt so that they have time to heal. (3)
- Gentle stretching can also help improve symptoms. (4)
- Magnesium has been found to help reduce muscle soreness and inflammation! (5) For a pill form Invite Health has Magnesium Citrate and Glycinate. Invite also has a powdered Magnesium called Bio Avail Magnesium that can be mixed into menthol rub and used topically. You can also mix a few scoops into a warm bath.
- Turmeric has been found in studies to help reduce muscle inflammation and pain. (6) Please see Invite’s Biocurcumin 5 Loxin and Osteo-Lube! Osteo-Lube can easily be added to a menthol rub for topical use.
- Green lipped muscle has been found to help pain and inflammation. (7) Please see Invite’s InflamMune.
- Ginger has been studied and shown to work as an effective pain reliever! (8) Please see Invite’s Turmeric with Ginger.
- Bromelain is an amazing supplement! Please see my blog on this fantastic nutrient.
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