Speed up the rehab and recovery of a muscle injury in your arm or leg to return to your daily tasks as quickly as possible. Do this by immediately treating an injury, even if it is a minor muscle strain, instead of putting your treatment off. If you delay treatment, the muscle will not heal properly and you may not regain your normal strength and range of motion of your arm, hand, leg or foot. Arm and leg muscle injuries follow the same recovery and rehab treatment procedures.
Step 1
Apply an ice pack to an injured muscle immediately after it is injured for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce pain and inflammation. Place a thin cloth between the ice pack and your skin. Elevate the injured limb slightly above your heart. Continue to ice the muscle once an hour for the first day. Take an anti-inflammatory medicine to reduce pain and swelling.
Step 2
Ice the muscle three to four times a day for the next two days, according to MedlinePlus.com. (see Reference 2) Refrain from using your injured limb. Apply a heat pack beginning on the fourth day after your muscle injury. Use the heat pack for 10 to 15 minutes, three to four times a day for two days, to increase circulation to your injury.
Step 3
Seek advanced medical care if you still have pain and are unable to regain normal use of your limb by the fifth day after your injury; your physician will likely use an electrical stimulation machine, which exerts low-voltage currents, increasing tissue building or protein synthesis, according to Peggy Houglum, author of "Therapeutic Exercise for Musculoskeletal Injuries." Accept the inclusion of ultrasound on your injury; it generates heat deep within your muscles, speeding up healing by enhancing the delivery of nutrients to and hastening the removal of waste products from your injury, according to Houglum.
Step 4
Apply a heat pack to your injured muscle for 20 minutes just prior to beginning your therapeutic stretching and strengthening exercises; this increases the temperature of your injured muscle, making it more flexible, according to Houglum. Complete the prescribed stretching and strengthening exercises as these exercises hasten your recovery, returning your strength and flexibility to near-normal measures.
Step 5
Eat a balanced diet, consuming the recommended daily allowance of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and water; a proper diet speeds recovery and reduces muscle spasms of your injured muscle, according to Houglum.
Tips and Warnings
- Take the time to do all your treatment procedures, speeding your recovery and rehab. Do not skip any step.
- If a stretch or exercise exacerbates your pain, stop doing it and tell your therapist, preventing further injury.
Things You'll Need
- Ice
- Plastic bag
- Hot pack
- Anti-inflammatory medicine
References
- MedlinePlus: Muscle Strain Treatment
- MedlinePlus: Strains
- "Therapeutic Exercise for Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Peggy Houglum, Ph.D.; 2005
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