preview

Muscle Strain Case Study

Decent Essays

Muscle Strains

A strain is an acute or chronic soft tissue injury that occurs to a muscle, tendon, or both . The equivalent injury to a ligament is a sprain. A strain can occur as a result of improper body mechanics with any activity that can induce mechanical trauma or injury. The most common body location for strains to occur is in the foot, leg, or back.
• First degree – little tissue tearing; mild tenderness; pain with full range of motion.
• Second degree – torn muscle or tendon tissues; painful, limited motion; possibly some swelling or depression at the spot of the injury.
• Third degree – limited or no movement; pain will be severe at first, but may be painless after the initial injury. Although strains are not restricted to …show more content…

Immediate treatment is usually an adjunctive therapy of NSAID's and Cold compression therapy. Controlling the inflammation is critical to the healing process. Cold compression therapy acts to reduce swelling and pain by reducing leukocyte extravasation into the injured area. NSAID's such as Ibuprofen/paracetamol work to reduce the immediate inflammation by inhibiting Cox-1 & Cox-2 enzymes, which are the enzymes responsible for converting arachidonic acid into prostaglandin. However, NSAIDs, including aspirin and ibuprofen, affect platelet function and should not be taken during the period when tissue is bleeding because they will tend to increase blood flow, inhibit clotting, and thereby increase bleeding and swelling. After the bleeding has stopped, NSAIDs can be used with some effectiveness to reduce inflammation and pain. A new treatment for acute strains is the use of platelet rich plasma injections which have been shown to accelerate recovery from non surgical muscular injuries. It is recommended that the person injured should consult a medical provider if the injury is accompanied by severe pain, if the limb cannot be used, or if there is noticeable tenderness over an isolated spot. These can be signs of a broken or fractured bone, a sprain, or a complete muscle

Get Access