A pulled muscle can happen suddenly or slowly. An instantaneous stress, such as stretching too far to volley a tennis ball, will be followed by quick-onset strain symptoms. A gradual but persistent stress, such as pitching a baseball over a summer season, may result in a buildup of symptoms that, at some point, peak in intensity. Both types of muscle strain can show many or all of the same symptoms.
Pain
Pain from an acute injury is usually noticeable for its swift onset and moderate or severe discomfort level. This type of pain hits quickly and fades fairly rapidly, as other strain symptoms such as inflammation die down.
NYU Langone Medical Center distinguishes this quality of pain from symptoms brought on by chronic muscle strain. A pulled muscle that gradually separates may generate damage and pain incrementally, until it finally becomes noticeable, especially when the affected muscle group is moved.
Muscle Cramps
Muscle cramping usually occurs as a reflex shortly after an acute injury, reports the Maryland Spine Center. This involuntary stiffening of the muscles is a strain symptom that can recur in chronic injuries that don't fully resolve.
Cramping spells typically last a few minutes and may be accompanied by a burning pain that indicates an overload of lactic acid in the bloodstream. This pain goes away as the muscles relax and reduce pressure on the blood vessels.
Inflammation
Along with muscle cramps, the body creates an inflammatory response following an acute injury. The Cleveland Clinic reports that blood flow to the pulled muscle area increases during inflammation, and chemicals in the white blood cells enter the affected tissue.
Strain symptoms that indicate inflammation include localized warmth and redness, often accompanied by swelling. This increases pressure on the blood vessels and surrounding tissue, elevating the pain level.
Loss of Function
It hurts to move the injured area after a muscle strain, and it may also become more difficult to do so. The National Institutes of Health report that weakness and restricted range of motion characterize pulled muscles in which the fibers have partially separated.
Muscle tissue that completely tears or ruptures may experience a total loss of function. If the injury is in the leg or back, damage to the muscles can be disabling.
Residual Stiffness
The white blood cells eventually succeed in mending the rift in tissue. During the period when inflammation subsides and health is restored, muscle pain will gradually fade. The Cleveland Clinic notes that late-stage symptoms may include residual aching, soreness and stiffness.
