Strains and sprains ..............................................................................
First, we should clear up some terminology. One of your coworkers may
hobble into the office announcing he has “strained” a muscle — or maybe he
says he has “pulled” a muscle. These terms are interchangeable, but they’re
not synonymous with “sprain.”
When you straina muscle (commonly called a pulled muscle), you over-stretch
or tear the tendon(the tough, cord-like end of the muscle that attaches to the
bone). Strains happen when you push yourself harder than normal, like when
you challenge your kid brother to a 100-yard dash. A sprainrefers to a torn or
overstretched ligament(the connective tissue that joins two bones together).
You can sprain a joint — like when you turn your ankle while stepping off a
curb — but you can’t sprain a muscle.
Two of the most commonly strained muscles are the hamstrings (rear thigh
muscles) and groin (inner-thigh) muscles. (See Chapter 12 for pictures of and
more information about these muscles.) These muscles often pull because
they’re tight and because most people don’t take five minutes to warm up
(that is, to ease into a workout by starting slowly and gradually increasing
the tempo — see Chapter 8) before working out. You know you’ve strained
your hamstring if a sharp pain shoots up the back of your thigh when you
straighten your leg. You have a groin pull if a stabbing pain prevents you from
lifting your leg in toward your other leg or out to the side. In both cases, you
may feel a lump or a knot where the muscle has tightened up. Stop the
offending activity for a few days until the muscle repairs itself. Otherwise,
you may be headed for a full-blown tear, in which case you could be sidelined
for several months instead of being laid up for a few days. Light stretching
may be beneficial (see Chapter 6).
To speed up the healing process for a strain, apply ice to the injured area for
the first 24 to 48 hours. (See the “RICE, RICE Baby” section in this chapter
for icing tips.) Gentle — emphasis on gentle— massage may help work out
muscle kinks. To prevent future pulls, carefully stretch your muscles every
day, always aftera thorough warm-up, and increase your exercise program
on a gradual basis. Check your shoes, too. Athletic shoes with flared heels—
heels that are wider on the bottom than on the top — may restrain your foot
and ankle from normal movement. That, in turn, may cause your thigh mus-
cles to tighten up. Shoes that are too big cause the same type of problem.
Sprains occur most commonly at the ankle. If you sprain your ankle badly,
you may hear a loud pop or tearing sound when the injury happens. Usually
you’re left with a bruise and swelling, and you can’t place any of your weight
on the injured foot without pain. The treatment for a sprain is to keep your
shoe on for as long as possible (this keeps the ankle from swelling), and then
following the RICE formula (see the “RICE, RICE, Baby” section later in this
chapter).
Eating Well and Staying Injury-Free ........................... Part II: Enjoying Total-Body Health:
