Muscle injuries

What is it about ?

Muscle injuries can be from a blow, strain or sharp object. All of these injuries are similar. There are several grades of muscle damage:

• Grade 1: Some muscle fibers are torn, and the connective tissue around the muscle is intact. There is pain, there may be muscle spasms, but muscle strength is retained.
• Grade 2: There is a moderate amount of torn muscle fibers, and the connective tissue around the muscle is intact. There is bleeding in the muscle, and the muscle strength is reduced.
• Grade 3: The tear affects 25-50% of the muscle and connective tissue around the muscle. There is bleeding in the muscle, and the muscle strength is reduced.
• Grade 4: The tear involves most of the muscle and the connective tissue around the muscle. The muscle no longer works.

How to recognize it?

the muscle hurts, and sometimes it is also swollen. There may be a bruise (bruise or bruise). Depending on the severity of the injury, there may be a (significant) decrease in muscle strength.

How is the diagnosis made?

The doctor will ask you about the origin of the muscle damage and ask you where it hurts. He will ask you if you heard or felt a snap at the injury site at the time of the trauma.
He will examine the muscle and test muscle function, for example by having you perform a certain movement, both against resistance and without resistance. These tests allow the doctor to assess the severity of the muscle injury.
In the event of a serious injury, a ultrasound allows a better assessment of the severity.

What can you do ?

Put ice on the injured muscle. Elevate the limb, and try to use the muscle as little as possible. Use a compression bandage.

What can the doctor do?

The doctor will advise you not to move the injured muscle momentarily (depending on the severity of the injury, usually 1 to 6 days after the trauma). The doctor may refer you to a physiotherapist. The physiotherapist can teach you how to reuse the muscle gradually.
Carefully try to get back into motion soon enough after the trauma, but not too intensively as this may cause another tear. Avoid activities requiring intense muscle effort until muscle strength and elasticity of muscle fibers have normalized. It takes about 3 to 6 weeks.
Surgery is rarely necessary and is only done if the muscle damage is very extensive or complicated.

Want to know more?

www.mongeneraliste.be/maladies/sport-quand-le-muscle-dit-stop

Source

Foreign clinical practice guide ‘Muscle lesions’ (2000), updated on 12.05.2016 and adapted to the Belgian context on 18.03.2018 – ebpracticenet