A pulled abdominal muscle is often characterized as a muscle strain. It develops when a muscle within the abdominal wall is stretched beyond its normal capacity. Strains located in the area of the body are usually the result of forceful activities, such as lifting or pulling a significant amount of weight. People involved in rowing, wrestling, weightlifting and even gymnastics most commonly suffer from this type of injury, but you can strain an abdominal muscle with any activity that requires whole body movements or sudden directional changes.
Symptoms
Most people with a pulled abdominal muscle experience some level of pain near the lower abdomen. According to Sports Injury Clinic, this is largely due to the likelihood that the strain is isolated to the rectus abdominis muscle that runs down the middle of your abdomen. Movement typically worsens your discomfort, limiting your ability to bend, twist and stretch. You may also experience some swelling or muscle spasms.
Self-Care
Like any muscle strain, a pulled abdominal muscle responds favorably to rest. This doesn’t necessarily mean giving up all exercise, just those activities that trigger your discomfort. As pain subsides, you can start getting back to your regular activities. While resting, you can wrap the abdominal region to keep the swelling at bay.
You can also ice and heat the abdomen. The strain of an abdominal muscle causes blood to rush to the area to aid healing. This causes the muscle to inflame, contributing to your pain. Icing the area for 15 minutes at a time forces the blood away from the area, thereby reducing the inflammation and lessening the pain. After the first 48 hours, you may then alternate icing with heat. Heat loosens the muscles, further alleviating your discomfort.
Rehabilitation
As pain lessens, your doctor may recommend rehabilitation of the abdomen. This usually entails exercises that stretch and strengthen the abs. Lying on the floor in the prone position and then arching the back stretches almost all of the abdominal muscles. Strengthening revolves around various crunches, such as stomach, oblique and reverse. If you’ve ruptured a stomach muscle, however, you'll need surgery.
Warning
The abdominal pain you experience after exercise may not be the result of a pulled muscle. Instead, it could be an indication of a hernia, in which a tear in the abdominal wall allows a portion of the intestine to protrude. The pain from a hernia is often accompanied by a dragging sensation in the groin, weakness or pressure in this same area of the body and a bulge along the abdomen. The pain may also radiate into the groin or feel more like a burning or aching sensation. When treatment is needed, a surgeon must repair the protrusion and abdominal tear.
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