How to Heal a Pulled Muscle

Pulled muscles can occur during a period of exercise, overexertion, during the course of physical activity or by absorbing a blow from an outside source. There are three degrees of ruptured muscles and a pulled muscle is the least serious of this trio. In most cases a pulled muscle involves as little as 5 percent of the entire muscle and results in a minimum loss of range of motion with the affected area along with a degree of pain. The acronym RICER can remind anyone of the proper treatment for a pulled or strained muscle.

Instructions

How to Heal a Pulled Muscle

• 1

  Rest the injured muscle. Once you realize that you have pulled or strained a muscle, stop engaging in the activity that caused it before doing more serious damage. Keep the injured region as still as you can, finding support from a sling or a brace if necessary. Resting the muscle slows down the flow of blood to the area.

• 2

  Ice the muscle. Ice will bring the swelling down, help with the pain and reduce bleeding within the muscle. Apply the ice as quickly as you can after injuring the muscle. Use crushed ice that has been placed in a plastic bag. Avoid putting the ice directly on your skin; wrap it in a dampened towel first. Leave the ice on your pulled muscle for 20 minutes. Do this every 2 hours while you are awake for the first 2 days.

• 3

  Compress the muscle. Apply a compression bandage that is both wide and elastic to the injured area. This will support the muscle and aid in the reduction of bleeding near the muscle and inflammation. Use a large enough compression bandage so the area below the injury and the one above it is covered as well.

• 4

  Elevate the injured muscle. By keeping the area that has been injured above the level of your heart, you can decrease swelling and diminish the amount of bleeding.

• 5

  Get a referral to a specialist if your pulled muscle fails to heal or if it is healing slowly and is very painful. It may be that you need specific types of physical therapy to get better.

• 6

  Steer clear of putting heat of any kind on a pulled muscle for the first 2 to 3 days. Avoid using such things as heat lamps, creams, saunas and massages. Heat will only bring more swelling and pain to the pulled muscle.