Accidents and Injuries

When individuals experience a neuromusculoskeletal injury strain, can following basic pulled muscle treatment protocols help in healing and a full recovery?

Pulled Muscle Treatment

A pulled muscle or muscle strain occurs when a muscle is stretched beyond its ability resulting in discomfort symptoms and mobility issues. Microscopic tears can occur within the muscle fibers potentially worsening the injury. This type of injury usually causes mild to severe pain, bruising, and immobility, and nerve injuries can develop as well. Common muscle strains include:

• Pulled hamstrings
• Groin strains
• Pulled abdominal muscles
• Calf strains

Pulled muscle treatment requires patience to promote proper healing and restoration of optimal function.

• Individuals need to focus on the different stages of healing.
• Gradually increase activity levels as the body allows to prevent stiffness and atrophy which can cause complications.

Symptoms

The usual symptoms of this type of injury include:

• Pain
• Limited mobility
• Muscle spasms 
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Often individuals will feel a sudden grabbing or tearing sensation and are then unable to continue the activity.

Grading

Muscle strain injuries are graded by severity: (Hospital for Special Surgery. 2019)

Grade I

• Mild discomfort.
• Often there is no disability.
• Usually does not limit activity.

Grade II

• Moderate discomfort
• Can limit the ability to perform certain activities.
• May have moderate swelling and bruising.

Grade III

• Severe injury that can cause significant pain.
• Muscle spasms.
• Swelling.
• Significant bruising.

Basic Treatment Protocols

Most pulled muscle strain injuries heal with simple treatment. Following the right steps can ensure an expedited recovery. In the early stages after the injury, there is a balance between doing too much or not enough. The amount of activity an individual will be able to do, and the time required for recovery depends on the severity of the injury. Here are some guidelines in the right direction.

Rest

• Rest is recommended for the early recovery stage.
• Depending on the severity of the injury this could last from one to five days.
• Immobilization is usually not necessary, and not moving at all can lead to muscle and joint stiffness.
• This can be harmful and interfere with mobility. (Joel M. Kary. 2010)
• If immobilization is necessary, like using a splint or cast, careful supervision should be monitored by a healthcare provider.

Cold Therapy

• Cold therapy should begin as soon as possible after sustaining a pulled muscle.
• The therapy/ice helps reduce swelling, bleeding, and pain. (Gerard A Malanga, Ning Yan, Jill Stark. 2015)
• Cold therapy applications can be done frequently, but should not exceed 15 minutes at a time.

Stretching

• Stretching is important to relax the muscles and for pre-mobilization.
• Muscles that maintain flexibility help prevent further injury.

Strengthening

• The injury and the rest period can decrease the strength of the muscle.
• It is important to rebuild strength before returning to physical activities.
• Strengthened muscles help prevent re-injury.

Increased Activity to Prevent Muscle Fatigue

• Fatigued muscles are more likely to sustain injuries. (S. D. Mair, A. V. Seaber, R. R. Glisson, W. E. Garrett Jr. 1996)
• To avoid injuries make sure the muscles are not over-exerted.
• Gradually increase activity levels when starting an exercise program to build endurance.

Properly Warming Up

• Warming up before taking on physical activities will help loosen the muscles and prevent injuries.
• Beginning work or exercise with stiff muscles can lead to an increased chance of strain.
• Studies have shown that temperature can influence the stiffness of a muscle. (K. W. Ranatunga. 2018)
• Maintaining body and muscle warmth helps prevent injury and re-injury.

Injuries and Chiropractic: The Road To Recovery

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please contact Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Hospital for Special Surgery, Muscle Strain: What You Need to Know About Pulled Muscles.

Kary J. M. (2010). Diagnosis and management of quadriceps strains and contusions. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 3(1-4), 26–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-010-9064-5

Malanga, G. A., Yan, N., & Stark, J. (2015). Mechanisms and efficacy of heat and cold therapies for musculoskeletal injury. Postgraduate medicine, 127(1), 57–65. https://doi.org/10.1080/00325481.2015.992719

Mair, S. D., Seaber, A. V., Glisson, R. R., & Garrett, W. E., Jr (1996). The role of fatigue in susceptibility to acute muscle strain injury. The American journal of sports medicine, 24(2), 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1177/036354659602400203

Ranatunga K. W. (2018). Temperature Effects on Force and Actin⁻Myosin Interaction in Muscle: A Look Back on Some Experimental Findings. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(5), 1538. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19051538

Individuals drive to jobs, to school, run errands, take road trips, spending a lot of time on the road. Accidents and crashes happen more frequently with all kinds of injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Commission has found that 37% of car accidents and crashes involve leg injuries and damage. Chiropractic physical rehabilitation and functional medicine can help heal injuries getting the individual back to everyday life.

Leg Injuries

Common leg injuries include:

Bruising and Cuts

Bruising and cuts are typical from the impact and the body getting slammed around. Lacerations can be noticed right away, but bruising comes from blood pooling underneath the skin and can take time to present, possibly 24 to 48 hours. Most bruises and cuts heal independently from home first aid care. A standard recovery used to take care of bruising is R.I.C.E or rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This helps the healing process; however, if the injury/s are more severe, chiropractic can help with therapeutic massage to relieve pain and strengthen the injured muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

ACL Injuries

The femur or thigh bone has several bands of tissue connecting it to the patella or kneecap and tibia or shin bone. One of the bands is the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL. Injuries to this band of tissue are common in sports. Car accidents and crashes are another common cause, specifically tearing the ligament. Individuals experiencing a tear may notice some or all of the following symptoms:

• A cracking or popping sound when the accident or crash took place.
• Swelling in and around the knee.
• Severe pain in and around the knee.
• Unstable and unsteady when walking or standing.
• Reduced range of motion that makes walking or moving difficult.

A chiropractor can help treat the injury and help correct any muscular imbalances.

Meniscus Tears

Tears to the meniscus are also common in car accidents and crashes. The meniscus is a part of the knee. Two wedge-shaped pieces of cartilage provide a cushion where the femur and tibia meet to absorb shock. The wedges are called menisci.

• When the meniscus tears, individuals might feel or hear a pop and could feel the leg suddenly give out.
• Swelling in the knee.
• Some pain but still be able to walk.
• The knee will be stiff for the next few days.
• More difficulty bearing weight or walking.

The RICE method is a recommended method of self-care. Many meniscus tears do not require surgery to improve knee function. Mild to moderate meniscus tears can be successfully treated with chiropractic techniques like soft tissue work, corrective stretches, and exercises. Surgery could eventually be necessary for severe cases to repair the meniscus to prevent long-term complications.

Broken Crushed Bones

From the hips to the toes, the bottom half of the body bones are vulnerable to fractures. Physical trauma from prolonged pressure on the body can cause bones to get shattered from a crush injury. Crush injuries affect the bones, soft tissues, and other leg areas. Different forms of fractures range in severity. There are partial fractures that do not cause the bone to separate and complete fractures that break apart and open fractures that pierce the skin. Some fractures are hard to detect for up to several days. 

Chiropractic care can help the body heal and recover from a bone fracture. A patient’s bone density is evaluated and tested with an individualized treatment plan to help regain and maintain optimal bone strength. The treatments strengthen the muscles, reduce stiffness, improve nutrition, and relieve pain. Manipulation adjustments, rehabilitation, relaxation techniques, and dietary health coaching help individuals heal faster and strengthen their bones. The objective is to help regain increased mobility and range of motion.

Sciatica

Car accidents and crashes are one instance where the spine can be damaged enough to bring on sciatic pain where no back problems were present before. The impact from a car accident can cause the discs to be knocked out of place, damaged, and/or rupture around the surrounding tissue. Any of these results can pinch the sciatic nerve, leading to pain and other sciatica symptoms. Chiropractic can realign the spine and relieve pressure from the nerve/s.

DOC Spinal Decompression Table

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, or licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Atkinson, T, and P Atkinson. “Knee injuries in motor vehicle collisions: a study of the National Accident Sampling System database for the years 1979-1995.” Accident; analysis and prevention vol. 32,6 (2000): 779-86. doi:10.1016/s0001-4575(99)00131-1

Foulk, David M, and Brian H Mullis. “Hip dislocation: evaluation and management.” The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons vol. 18,4 (2010): 199-209. doi:10.5435/00124635-201004000-00003

Reynolds, April. “The fractured femur.” Radiologic technology vol. 84,3 (2013): 273-91; quiz p.292-4.

Wilson, L S Jr et al. “Foot and ankle injuries in motor vehicle accidents.” Foot & ankle international vol. 22,8 (2001): 649-52. doi:10.1177/107110070102200806