If you lead a very physically active life, you like or practice a sport or you are simply disciplined with your training routine. Then the content of this article will be of great interest to you, since we will attend to a very common type of injury. But don’t worry! This is not serious, but it is important to be clear about how muscle elongation is caused. Throughout this article we write a series of points related to the subject in question. As an introduction you should only know that there is a wide variety of muscle injuries that have different levels of importance. In the case of a muscle elongation these are not usually very acute and usually heal within a few days of their appearance. Before going into detail with these types of injuries. We recommend you read the following articles on “How to treat cervical contracture” at the end of this post. We are sure that its content will be of interest to you.
Muscle elongation.
We will start with the main thing, knowing what a muscle elongation is. This is a muscle injury that starts from micro tears in the fibers that make up the muscle by demanding more than their possible limit of stretching. As is suspected, these types of injuries originate after a bad stretch or the performance of an abnormal stretch of the muscle. Every injury has different degrees of severity, in the case of this type of injuries are the mildest as mentioned above. However, if you perform a strong workout even when you suffer a muscle elongation. The individual may suffer a partial strain or tear of the muscle. Muscle elongation is closely linked to muscle elasticity, which means that. The greater the elasticity, the lower the resistance to movement, so the chances of suffering an injury are very low. Maintaining a diet rich in fiber helps strengthen muscle elasticity and prevents this type of micro muscle tears. Muscle elongation does not have to be compared with muscle contractures, since although both present a similar pain, contractures are of a lower degree compared to elongations. Remember that in this type of injury if there is some breakage of the fibers while in muscle contractures there is no type of tear or breakage. In fact, muscle contractures cannot be considered an injury as such. Muscle stretching injuries only show pain when the muscle is functioning or performing some activity. While the person is at rest, you will not feel any pain in the area. It is worth mentioning that this type of injury usually lasts between 4 to 7 days approximately. The time will depend largely on the severity of the injury.
Causes of a Muscle Elongation.
The truth is that there are many causes to this type of muscle injury, all related to when the muscle stretches beyond its capacity. It can be from improperly stretching or while training is being done. A bad movement or poor execution of the exercise can lead to muscle elongation. Even imbalance or sudden movements cause this type of injury. Fatigue in the muscle can be a factor that promotes the emergence of an injury, which is why it is always advisable to provide the necessary rest to the body, especially if you are undergoing heavy training. Lack of warm-up or dehydration itself are also causes of muscle elongation. In summary, any poorly performed physical activity or the same lack of warm-up before training, can cause injuries to the person. It’s all a matter of training properly, especially if the body is subjected to prolonged effort. Athletes are more likely to suffer from muscle stretching.
The Symptoms That Occur in the Injury.
The signs that indicate that you are suffering from muscle elongation are manifested when making any effort on the muscle, before, during or after training (although in the latter case, it is not very common). This pain is not only perceived when performing some physical activity but also when palpating or pressing on the muscle. It is also normal for this pain to be accompanied by stiffness or functional disability in the affected area. There is no visual sign when suffering from muscle elongation, ie. No swelling or bruising is felt in or around the affected muscle. Pain is the determining factor of the severity of the injury, since the greater the pain and immobility of the muscle, the greater the wound. Which muscles are affected by muscle elongation? This is a question that may be being asked in their minds. The truth is that any muscle in the body can suffer from muscle elongation, but the most common are usually the groin, abdominals, hamstrings, back, calves (or calves) and arms, especially the forearm.
Preventive Methods Against Muscle Elongation.
We can interpret muscle elongation as a warning that an exercise is being performed inadequately. That is why it is recommended to review the routine and execution of the exercise well to prevent this type of injury. In case of training with the machines of a gym, they usually have a series of instructions that indicate the correct use of them. To avoid any type of muscle injury, the ideal is to warm up before starting the exercise routine. Stretching will help the muscles prepare for the future training session, no need to exaggerate just warm up. While training it is important to stay very well hydrated, a few glasses of water when doing physical activity will help more than you think. Not only in order to avoid an injury but also to catch your breath. Taking advantage of the fact that we mentioned recovery, if the body is already in a state of fatigue it is better to refrain from training. Since muscle fatigue can facilitate the emergence of injuries or worse. A muscle tear, training is not only based on how much weight or how many repetitions you can do in a day, but also on technique and rest.
Treatment.
If none of the precautionary measures mentioned above were taken into account and the elongation is already present in the muscle. It is recommended to stop training or physical activity and place ice on the affected area. Keep it that way for about 20 minutes. The elongation will disappear after a few days, however if for that period of time the pain is unbearable. You can try taking some over-the-counter pain relievers to relieve the pain. This type of analgesics are inexpensive and can be found in any pharmacy. Really the treatment process for this type of wound consists only of that, apply cold in the area and compress the muscle during the days you feel pain. After healing if you take the aforementioned precautionary measures, the chances of having a muscle elongation again are slim.
If the information provided by this article has been useful for you, we invite you to read “8 summer sports”. To continue nourishing itself with knowledge about the world of fitness and health.