The negativities of everyday life can cause us to be sedentary from time to time. In addition, sitting deformities cause muscle tears in many people. These tears are not taken very seriously because they do not pose a significant risk to a person's life. But they all have a meaning. For example, muscle tears in athletes indicate improper sports movements, while muscle tears in a working person mean that they do not move too much. Regardless of the degree, muscle tears should be taken seriously. It is important to know the symptoms and the cause of this muscle problem.
What is a Muscle Tear?
In some cases, the tissue of the muscle from muscle tears can sometimes break away from the bone tissue and sometimes within the structure of the muscle itself. Since the muscles that allow the bone to move are damaged, the inability to move occurs.
For some reasons, overstraining the muscular system causes the fibers to tear. As a result of these tears, bleeding occurs in the tissue. It is usually not possible to have a movement limit in the part where the tear occurs. However, there is swelling in this part and it brings unbearable pains. The muscles are damaged due to the tearing of the tissues and this damage heals quickly because the muscles have a high blood supply.
As a person's body develops, every muscle in the body has reached the ability to stretch enough for the movement. Straining the muscles more than they should at this time can cause the fibers to tear.
Muscle tearing is colloquially known as muscle pulling . It is generally observed in athletes. It is also likely to occur after lifting weights, falling, straining muscles, or accidents. In individuals who are constantly practicing exercise movements, keeping the exercise application times long can cause the muscles to tear. To prevent this from happening, the muscles can be warmed up by applying stretching and stretching exercises. In this case, the stretching rate of the warmed muscles increases and fiber breaks will not occur as the stretch margin will increase.
What are the symptoms of a muscle tear?
Muscle tear symptoms last at the same rate in many people. Depending only on the severity of the tear, some symptoms may be more painful. We can list the common symptoms as follows;
- Severe pain in the torn muscle
- Hypersensitivity of the injured muscle
- Pain caused by strain in the muscle that breaks due to intense movements
- Swelling in the area of muscle tear
- Muscle cramps even with a simple exercise movement
- Observation of loss of function in muscle strength
- Bruising of the muscle where the tear occurred
All these symptoms indicate that the fibers have ruptured and should be taken into account. This is because, in general, muscle tears do not pose a great danger and people therefore do not pay much attention to them. However, advanced muscle tears can cause loss of function. Thus, the torn muscle cannot be used again. This can reduce people's standard of living. In order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to care about muscle tears.
What are the Types of Muscle Tear Disease?
Three different categories are evaluated in the detection and treatment of muscle tears. According to the size of the tear, it is divided into three as first level, second level and third level muscle ruptures.
Tears that occur due to overstretching of the muscles are first level muscle tears. This type of muscle rupture occurs due to very little stretching and pain occurs. However, there is no mention of the injured muscle not being well or not being able to function again. In second level tears, more tissue is torn than in first level tears.
There is more pain as a result of the tear, as well as swelling and bruising. Third level muscle tears occur at the end of stretches that cause the muscle to be completely damaged. The muscle splits in two and a small popping sound can be heard as the rupture occurs. After this type of tear, the muscle completely loses its function. Severe pain, swelling and discoloration occur.
How is a muscle tear diagnosed?
When going to a specialist for muscle tear treatment, the person is asked what kind of movement caused this condition. The severity of the symptoms, the extent to which the muscle strength is damaged or the limit of movement are among the questions asked to the patient.
The person is asked about fever, weight loss, numbness in the legs or any other significant problems. If there is insufficient medical information about the symptoms and past experiences, a physical examination is performed. During the physical examination, necessary interventions are performed to determine the sensitive state of the muscle, pain, weakness and numb muscle movements. If the symptoms after the examination are mild or moderate, no further action may be necessary.
However, if the specialist has doubts about the level of discomfort after the control, methods such as MRI or X-ray can be applied. After these methods, the structure of the muscle is examined and the level of rupture is determined. If the person has back pain, urinary tract infection or problems with the spinal cord are suspected, additional tests are ordered. Depending on the results of the test, the person is referred to a specialist for appropriate and effective treatment.
How is a muscle tear treated?
Muscle tear treatment is common for many people. In first or second level muscle injuries, sports or exercise movements are not continued for a certain period of time. It is necessary to stay away from all activities that will put the muscle in a difficult situation. It is necessary to apply ice to the place where the muscle rupture occurs in a timely manner and ice application should be repeated at intervals of 2-3 hours. The ice compress allows that part to swell and the muscle to be treated quickly.
Duringa muscle tear, wrapping and compressing the muscle with a suitable elastic bandage is also applied as an additional method of treatment.
However, blood flow may be impeded in this case, so the area should not be squeezed too tightly. However, if the intensity of the pain increases despite wrapping and the pain persists, the bandage should be removed. Because this wrapping process does not provide any relief if it is not applied correctly.
Usually at night before going to sleep, the area where the muscle tear occurs should be elevated above the level of the heart. For example, for muscle tears in the legs, you can place a pillow under your feet while lying down. When the pain is severe, the specialist will recommend appropriate painkillers. In the case of third level tears, the support of a physiotherapist should be sought on a regular basis. The part where the muscle tear occurs should remain immobilized for a certain period of time. Depending on the severity of the condition, surgery may also be performed.