Stretching is important to muscle and joint health. Overstretching can cause pain and injury to your muscles and joints, however. Stretching with severe muscle soreness or a muscle strain can also cause pain and might lead to more damage. When suffering from muscle soreness and a muscle strain, avoid stretching until pain subsides. Consult your doctor, physical therapist or personal trainer for additional stretching guidelines.
Overstretching
Overstretching is when you stretch your muscles and joints beyond their normal range of motion. Overstretching can lead to pain, a muscle strain and joint instability. People who suffer from hypermobility — also called benign joint hypermobility syndrome, in which the joints stretch farther than normal — are more susceptible to overstretching, according to research published in 2006 in “The Journal of The American Osteopathic Association.” Having someone else stretch you, not warming up prior to stretching and pregnancy increase your risk of overstretching, too.
Muscle Soreness
After high-intensity exercise like heavy weightlifting, you may develop delayed-onset muscle soreness, commonly abbreviated DOMS. This muscle soreness normally occurs within 24 hours after exercising and lasts up to 10 days. Although many use stretching to help alleviate muscle soreness, research published in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” in 2003 found little evidence supporting stretching as an effective treatment for muscle soreness. Stretching, on the contrary, may further aggravate symptoms associated with DOMS.
Muscle Strain
A muscle strain is categorized as a grade one, grade two or grade three strain. Grade one is an overstretching of your muscle; grade two is a partial tear; grade three is a complete rupture. Overexertion and excessive stretching can lead to a muscle strain. Additional symptoms include muscle weakness, swelling and tenderness over the injured area. If you suffer from a muscle strain, stretching the injured muscle before it is healed can cause additional pain and further muscle damage.
Treatment
If you have delayed-onset muscle soreness or a muscle strain, stop stretching immediately and rest to reduce pain and prevent further damage. Apply ice to the injured muscle, wrap with an elastic bandage and take anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen. Your doctor may recommend additional treatments including massage therapy, physical therapy and surgery. For hypermobility, limit stretching and perform strength-training exercises.
Prevention
To avoid muscle pain while stretching, warm up beforehand, hold stretches for 30 seconds and avoid stretching while injured. When stretching, lengthen your muscle until you feel a slight pull, which may be slightly uncomfortable but should not be painful. Do not allow an inexperienced person to stretch you. Instead, consult a physical therapist or personal trainer for assistance. Consult your physician before engaging in a stretching regimen if you are pregnant or suffer from hypermobility.
References
- “Journal of Applied Physiology”; Early Events in Stretch-Induced Muscle Damage; D.L. Morgan and G. Allen; December 1999
- Sports Science Orthopaedic Clinic: Calf Strain
- “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research”; Treatment and Prevention of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness; Declan A. J. Connolly, et al.; 2003
- “The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association”; Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome: Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Management; Maj. Michael R. Simpson, D.O.; September 2006
- “BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders”; The Effect of Warm-Up, Static Stretching and Dynamic Stretching on Hamstring Flexibility; Kieran O'Sullivan, et al.; 2009
- “Physical Therapy”; The Effect of Time and Frequency of Static Stretching on Flexibility; William D. Bandy, et al.; 1997
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