A pulled muscle, also known as a muscle strain, occurs when you stretch a muscle to the point of tearing. Torn muscle fibers can cause pain, swelling and bruising. If the tear is sudden and severe, you may feel the sensation of snapping or popping in the affected muscle. You might also experience stiffness or weakness in the area of the strain. Hiking with a pulled muscle can involve your calves, quadriceps, hamstrings or groin muscles. Seek medical attention if you cannot move the injured muscle or if the area is bleeding.
Background
Pulled muscles are ranked based on the severity of the muscle fiber tear. Grade 1 injuries involve microtears in your muscle and take two to three weeks to repair. Grade 2 strains occur when your muscle fibers become partially torn, requiring a month or two for full recovery. The most severe muscle strains are grade 3, in which the muscle fibers completely rupture. These tears can take three months or more to heal. Because the recovery process requires resting the injured muscle, hiking with a pulled muscle is contraindicated. If you pull a muscle during a hike, however, you might have to continue using the injured muscle until you are able to make your way back from the hike.
Causes
Any physical condition that causes you to overstretch or overexert a muscle can cause a strain. When hiking, you might pull a muscle climbing up a steep grade or switchback, catching yourself as you trip over a rock or root blocking the path or twisting your knee as you head downhill. Your risk of muscle strain can increase if you are fatigued or if you are hiking in cold weather. In addition, tight muscles and a lack of flexibility in your joints can predispose you to pulling a muscle while hiking. If you experience a muscle strain partway through a hike, you may have little choice but to continue hiking until you can return to your starting point. However, you risk damaging your injured muscle even more.
Dangers
Torn muscle fibers require rest for proper healing. Hiking with a pulled muscle can delay the beginning of the healing process and can worsen the tear. Hiking with a partially healed muscle strain can re-injure the damaged muscle and make the injury worse than the original tear. In severe cases and with repeated re-injury, you might eventually and permanently lose muscle strength in the affected area. However, if circumstances force you to hike with a pulled muscle, you can take steps to minimize the risk of making your injury worse.
Considerations
In addition to rest, pulled muscles benefit from elevation, compression and the application of cold. You might be unable to elevate a pulled muscle when hiking, but you can snugly wrap a cold pack around the strained muscle with a compression bandage. This action can help prevent swelling. However, do not apply cold to the injury for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time and do not wrap the bandage too tightly. Exercise caution as you return to the trailhead to avoid further injury.
