Pull or Strain - It Ain’t The Same
How can you tell if that pain you are feeling is a pulled muscle or if you are simply tired and sore? Generally speaking, the pain associated with a pulled muscle is usually more localized and acute. If you are feeling fatigued and tired in addition to having pain, you more likely are suffering from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
DOMS occurs after the body has had adequate time to rest and recover which is why most people are generally tired and sore a day or two after a tough workout. A hot soak in a bath full of Epsom salts can help as well as Tylenol or advil. If the soreness isn’t too bad, you may continue to work out. In fact, if the soreness is in your legs, I suggest light cardio to get you moving and the blood flowing.
If, on the other hand, you think you’ve pulled a muscle, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WORK THROUGH THE PAIN. According to Paulina Ochoa, MPT at I.C.E. Physical Therapy Group (the best physical therapy practice ever... seriousy), "One should apply ice to an injury within the first 48 hours. This will help control the swelling that occurs from the body’s response to injury. The ice will constrict the blood vessels and limit internal bleeding.
It will also help minimize the pain. After the first 48 hours have passed, a valuable treatment is hot/cold therapy. The contrast between hot & cold helps to stimulate the body’s circulatory system to pump faster thus reducing pain and inflammation. You begin and end the treatment with ice. Each treatment has three ice therapies to 2 hot therapies. Each therapy should last 3-5 minutes. You can use cold packs, frozen peas, ice baths and hot compresses, whirlpools, or microwavable packs. If an injury is chronic, it is OK to use heat.
Heat will open the blood vessels and allow for more blood flow to the area. Heat should not be applied to an area with inflammation present, nor should it be applied after exercise. In those cases ice is better."
Know your body, know your limits. If you need a day or two off, take it! You’ll be better off in the long-run.
