Joint & Muscle pain
Muscle Tears (Muscle Strain)
Calf muscle, hamstring, quadriceps, adductor muscle and hip flexor muscle tears are common in ballistic sports such as Football, Rugby, Hockey, Lacrosse, Squash, Badminton and Athletics.
It is important to use the "PRICE" protocol when you feel that you've pulled a muscle. Protect the muscle from further strain, Rest it, Ice it, Compress it (tubigrip or pressure bandage) and Elevate it. This immediate management will help to reduce the amount of bleeding and swelling in the muscle and will enable you to make a faster recovery.
Don't just rest for a few weeks before trying to return to your sport. The muscle heals by forming scar tissue at the site of the tear. This needs to be loaded gradually with stretching, and carefully progressed muscle strengthening. Once this has been achieved, the player can start sport specific tensile loading of the muscle. This process can take 6-8 weeks and is most effectively done under the supervision of an HPC registered, Chartered Physiotherapist.