Sportslife_Girl in Action

Talking about exercise, crossfit, diet and life in general.

To prevent muscle strain or damage, stretch before sports or exercise. Here are a few different stretches to check out.

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I can’t see my feet. Mainly, I can’t look down after straining a muscle in my back from picking up luggage during a trip out west. Since the beginning of the year, I had joined a crossfit gym, and now, I feel behind in my training. My goal for the year was to increase my strength and stamina. Now, I’m back at square one. The truth is this was the worse pain that I had ever encountered, and the doctors that evaluated my situation decided it was a severe muscle strain. A muscle tear, pull or strain is due to damage to the muscle tissue or tendons connected to the muscle, and this is due to overstretching. This can lead to bruising by involving small blood vessels and pain by irritating nerves.

Treatment starts with RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. Rest means don’t use the involved muscle as much as possible, so protect that muscle from getting any worse. Ice helps reduce swelling and pain. Compression with a wrap is helpful to stabilize the muscle as long as it’s not too tight. Elevation helps decrease swelling. Treatment may also involve ibuprofen or muscle relaxers to help with the pain and inflammation. Always take ibuprofen with food, so it doesn’t irritate the stomach.