Pulled Muscles

[Young OG]

Around 2.5 weeks ago, I was working out too hard and over working my muscles. I pulled a muscle in my back that seems to go into my side. I also must have pulled my upper abdominal muscle on the same side. I'm thinking they are someway connected. I originally felt some back pain at the gym but it went away after a few mins. It was after using the lat pull down machine.

The next day my back and ab hurt so bad that I could barely walk. I went to the doctor the same day. They put me on a steroid pack, muscle relaxer, and pain killer. I'm still in pain when I'm on my feet for too long or I sit a certain way. It's gotten better but the healing has seemed to stall now.

I'm not sure if the muscles can still be inflamed anymore, so I'm afraid to use heat. Should I be using heat yet? I also read that stretching is good but then some articles say the opposite. Do massages help?

Does anyone have any recovery tips to speed up the healing process?

 

[CAPSLOCK BANDIT]

As a guy who regularly pulls muscles and had probably pulled or overworked every muscle in his body at some point, I would say this sounds quite a bit worse than a pulled muscle, I have never taken pain killers for a pulled muscle and I used to lift 250 lbs over my head using my back like an idiot, 4 days tops I'm good, I'm also a bit of a maniac in the gym and will workout injured so take with a grain.

If you do think it's just a pulled muscle, I mean, it's your back, you don't play with that at all, time before anything else

 

[Young OG]

As a guy who regularly pulls muscles and had probably pulled or overworked every muscle in his body at some point, I would say this sounds quite a bit worse than a pulled muscle, I have never taken pain killers for a pulled muscle and I used to lift 250 lbs over my head using my back like an idiot, 4 days tops I'm good, I'm also a bit of a maniac in the gym and will workout injured so take with a grain.

If you do think it's just a pulled muscle, I mean, it's your back, you don't play with that at all, time before anything else

I only took a couple of the pain killers. The muscle relaxers are all gone. I been taking IB Profen here and there now. Maybe I made it sound worse then it is

 

[CAPSLOCK BANDIT]

I only took a couple of the pain killers. The muscle relaxers are all gone. I been taking IB Profen here and there now. Maybe I made it sound worse then it is

What were you doing? To have both of those muscles engaged to pulling you must of been going hard

 

[Young OG]

What were you doing? To have both of those muscles engaged to pulling you must of been going hard

Lat pull down machine. I was going hard on everything

 

[CAPSLOCK BANDIT]

Lat pull down machine. I was going hard on everything

Ok this makes a bit more sense now lol, I can see that happening.

People go really hard into the paint on the pulldown specifically but all you need to do is change the long bar you'd be using, instead change your grip to either a sideways variation which will help to engage your lower back muscles more than an overhand grip or you can focus on your lower back specifically by using an underhand grip.

I go hard on everything but my back, it's just too fragile back there to really dig in for me, careful and try the different grips over using high weight

 

[speed dawg]

I would quit doing all exercises that cause pain there. Do some walking/running/cardio/etc. to get blood flow going, then try to stretch it out, stopping before pain. Once you can isolate the pain to an area, start massaging it across the grain of the muscle.

I've had muscle/ligament/tendon strains like this that went on for months, and when I started the massaging, they healed within 3 days. You have to get blood flow to it.

 

[Epicwinguy]

I pulled a muscle a little while ago doing squats. It’s a lower back muscle and I haven’t been going to the gym. It’s driving me nuts at this point and was wondering if anyone has any experience and if cardio will make it worse.

 

[Alvafe]

age also matter when younger I would take max 2 days to recover now I can take a week lol

also from what I gather, that is hardly a pulled muscle, try doing some light exercise to keep the body moving, I had a muscle pulled once who could go away till I more or less puled i back working out, but it was nothing as taking meds for then

 

[CAPSLOCK BANDIT]

I pulled 2 muscles myself yesterday first day back at the gym after being sick, using this machine called a TANK, this freakin thing is like Legs-B-Gone, I put it on max setting and do maybe a minute of solid activation and am freakin soaked in sweat, pulled the muscle behind my knee pulling it backwards while crouching that was tough, then pulled muscle between my hip and lower back, not bad can still walk fine, tomorrow I'll be back on it probably, this is easily the best leg work out I've ever done.

 

[Modern Man Advice]

Around 2.5 weeks ago, I was working out too hard and over working my muscles. I pulled a muscle in my back that seems to go into my side. I also must have pulled my upper abdominal muscle on the same side. I'm thinking they are someway connected. I originally felt some back pain at the gym but it went away after a few mins. It was after using the lat pull down machine.

The next day my back and ab hurt so bad that I could barely walk. I went to the doctor the same day. They put me on a steroid pack, muscle relaxer, and pain killer. I'm still in pain when I'm on my feet for too long or I sit a certain way. It's gotten better but the healing has seemed to stall now.

I'm not sure if the muscles can still be inflamed anymore, so I'm afraid to use heat. Should I be using heat yet? I also read that stretching is good but then some articles say the opposite. Do massages help?

Does anyone have any recovery tips to speed up the healing process?

As a footballer (aka soccer player), pulled muscles are quite common and there is no magic recovery. Simply rest, ice, and take anti-inflammatories for the first 7-10 days. Rest being key. Once you stop the anti-inflammatories you want to start working the muscle very easily, but do not stretch at this point yet. Simply get the muscle lightly to work. After 2 or 3 weeks (depending on the severity of the muscle tear) you will def want to focus on preventive work outs and gradually increasing weight/intensity.

For now, just rest and ice if it still hurts. It sounds like a 1st grade tear (if not worse) so your recovery might require more time of rest and ice. But yes, once it doesn't hurt as much or at all, you will want to switch from ice to heat.

Last but not least, doesn't sound like you work out because you are an athlete but rather just to keep in shape/bulk up, however, if you are an athlete nutrition is extremely important. Improper nutrition no matter how well you work out, your muscles and body will not be 100%. Nutrition makes up to 60% of an athletes shape and injuries become far less common.

Modern Man Advice

 

[Young OG]

As a footballer (aka soccer player), pulled muscles are quite common and there is no magic recovery. Simply rest, ice, and take anti-inflammatories for the first 7-10 days. Rest being key. Once you stop the anti-inflammatories you want to start working the muscle very easily, but do not stretch at this point yet. Simply get the muscle lightly to work. After 2 or 3 weeks (depending on the severity of the muscle tear) you will def want to focus on preventive work outs and gradually increasing weight/intensity.

For now, just rest and ice if it still hurts. It sounds like a 1st grade tear (if not worse) so your recovery might require more time of rest and ice. But yes, once it doesn't hurt as much or at all, you will want to switch from ice to heat.

Last but not least, doesn't sound like you work out because you are an athlete but rather just to keep in shape/bulk up, however, if you are an athlete nutrition is extremely important. Improper nutrition no matter how well you work out, your muscles and body will not be 100%. Nutrition makes up to 60% of an athletes shape and injuries become far less common.

Modern Man Advice

Thanks for the advice. It's been 4 weeks now since the injury. I started using heat last week and light stretching. I noticed when I don't do the stretching, I'm really sore in the morning. If I do stretch, it's less painful when I wake up. I'm thinking it could be a 2nd grade tear. It can really hurt when I sit or move a certain way. Also, I cannot stand for long periods of time. Are you saying I should lightly work the muscle with weights or a machine?

 

[Modern Man Advice]

Thanks for the advice. It's been 4 weeks now since the injury. I started using heat last week and light stretching. I noticed when I don't do the stretching, I'm really sore in the morning. If I do stretch, it's less painful when I wake up. I'm thinking it could be a 2nd grade tear. It can really hurt when I sit or move a certain way. Also, I cannot stand for long periods of time. Are you saying I should lightly work the muscle with weights or a machine?

If it still hurts, do not work the muscle with any weight or even worse machine. If it hurts with certain movements that means the tear is still there, the muscle fibers are still damaged and inflamed. I would continue complete rest, ibuprofen and ice 2 or 3 times a day. I know it sucks to sit around when you are pretty active but continuing to irritate the tear will only prolong how long you will be inactive of your preferred activity.

Also, stretching is never advisable. That is an old myth: You tear a muscle and you need to stretch. Wrong! You are only aggravating and elongating the tear. Give your body time to heal.

Last but not least, PT (physical therapy) although expensive is covered by most insurances with only a small amount of copay for every visit. If it is a serious injury, professional help/advice is always your go-to.

Modern Man Advice

 

[CAPSLOCK BANDIT]

I thought I tore the muscle behind my knee today but I stretched it out a bit, then pushed TANK more and it went away, I'm hoping I don't wake up immobile lol