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Should You Stretch a Pulled Muscle?

Pulled muscles are actually tears in the muscle tissue that result from an injury or extreme overuse. There are many treatments for a pulled muscle, including compression, ice and rest. But is stretching a pulled muscle helpful or will it hurt it even more?

  1. When to Stop

    • You should never stretch a pulled muscle to the point of pain or you risk re-injuring it.

    Avoid Overstretching

    • Do not overstretch the pulled muscles. Too much stretching can retear injured muscle fibers.

    Relaxing Pulled Muscles

    • Gently stretching a pulled muscle may relax the surrounding muscle fibers, which may be tight in response to the injury.

    Other Therapies

    • Combine stretching of the pulled muscle with other therapies to help the healing process.

    When not to Strech

    • If the muscle pull is severe, you could do more damage stretching it so it is best to rest and stretch the muscle only after it begins to heal.

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