There are several options you have to relieve the pain, swelling and inflammation of a torn muscle, so that it doesn’t prevent you from engaging in normal activities. It’s best not to assume you have a torn muscle and if the pain is severe; you should visit your physician to make sure it’s not a more severe problem. To reduce the pain and inflammation of a torn muscle, there are some easy, safe things you can do to help.

Pain and inflammation are caused by torn muscles and you can get some relief from these by taking Tylenol or ibuprofen. If the pain is so severe that it restricts your activity, it may be better to see your physician as he can give you a prescription for anti-inflammatory or pain medicines that work better than over-the-counter ones do. You can forgo a doctor’s visit by taking the generic, anti-inflammatory medication called Naproxen, as this will help reduce the swelling and inflammation. It may also help to take aspirin or Tylenol from the pharmacy before seeing the doctor, but see your doctor if it doesn’t.

Visit your physician if your muscle is torn so that he can give you a muscle relaxant that will help. The muscle relaxer medicine won’t usually make the inflammation cease, but it might assist in relaxing the torn muscle, resulting in faster healing. You can help the healing process by taking a muscle relaxer, as this will increase blood flow and oxygen to the area and decrease the swelling and stiffness. If you cannot sleep or engage in limited activity because of the pain, a muscle relaxant can help but you will need to get it by prescription from your doctor. The effects of many prescriptions is a relaxation of the muscles so it is wise to forgo driving or operating any machinery as you may get dizzy or tired while doing so.

If your muscles are torn, try using alternating ice and heat applied to the area, as this may give some relief. As soon as you know that you have torn your muscle, it is wise to alternate ice and heat therapies and continue with this for several consecutive days. Recommendations for using ice are to apply it several times daily for 20 minutes each time. The rule for using ice therapy is 20 minutes on the affected area, then 20 minutes removed from the area, for as many times as you feel necessary.

The first and best remedy for healing a torn muscle is to rest and relax. Many people forget this alternative but the problem started by over-exerting the muscles and simply relaxing prevents further harm. You want your torn muscle to heal as quickly and properly as it can, so it’s best to relax and reduce your normal activities, so that the muscle doesn’t sustain further injury.

If you do not gently exercise your torn muscle, it may not heal properly and it will become weak or lose mass. Your physician may prescribe physical therapy and it will help by reducing the healing time and ensuring your muscle heals properly, preventing permanent damage. In addition to taking it easy during the healing process, it is also wise to include some limited activity so that the muscle heals properly and doesn’t lose mass or reduce your bone density. If you are reluctant to take a prescription for your severely torn muscle, it may be a good idea to try water therapy, which will help the healing process by reducing the inflammation.

Tags: reducing an inflammation, swelling muscle, torn muscle

This entry was posted on Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 9:39 am and is filed under Muscle Relaxant, Pain Relief. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.