A pulled muscle is an actual tear of muscle fibers and is characterized by sudden, localized and persistent pain in a muscle that is being stressed. Even though there are more than five hundred muscles, less than 5 percent are commonly injured. When a muscle starts to tear, it will really hurt. When you develop a sudden sharp pain in a muscle, stop exercising immediately. If you attempt to continue exercising, you will cause further damage to the muscle fibers and prolong the healing time.
Cause
Muscle pulls result when more tension is applied to a muscle than it can bear. As a general rule, the more severe the pain, the more extensive the injury.
Insufficient warm-up. Your muscles are stiff and tight and therefore susceptible to injury. Before playing a sport you should warm up for at least ten minutes.
Poor flexibility. Every time you exercise hard, your muscles are slightly damaged. With healing, they shorten and, like a tight violin string, are more susceptible to tearing unless you have restored the flexibility by stretching.
Overtraining. Every time you exercise intensely, your muscles are slightly damage. If you exercise intensely again before your muscles have had time to heal, you are much more likely to injure them.
Muscle imbalance. Every muscle that moves a limb in one direction has an opposing muscle that moves it in the other direction. If one muscle is much stronger that the other, it can overpower and damage the weaker one.
Mineral deficiency. Lack of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals can predispose the muscle injury.
Structural abnormality. Certain structural abnormalities, such as flat feet, unequal arm or leg length, or deep curve in the back, have the effect of putting excess stress on a particular muscle and make that muscle more likely to be injured.
Poor training methods. All training programs should include gradual increases in workload, speed, and resistance. Rapid increase in these factors often lead to more stress than a muscle can handle and result in an injury.
Trauma. Stepping into a hole or being hit by someone can cause excess muscle stress and consequent injury.
Lack of an adequate endurance program. Rhythmic endurance exercises thicken the muscles, tendons, and ligaments and make them more resistant to injury.
Treatment
There is no medication that will make your muscle heal faster. The immediate treatment for a muscle pull is
RICE.Discontinue the ice compression in twenty-four hours or less. If the ice causes the skin to hurt, stop the ice treatment at that time. As long as there is swelling, elevation should be continued.
Most physicians and trainers recommend the use of heat forty-eight hours after the pull has occurred. Head dilates the blood vessels and increases the blood supply, which brings increased amounts on nutrients to the injured area.