You're running at full pace then all of a sudden it feels like you've been shot in the leg. You look around and no one is there. Suddenly you can barely walk. Straining a muscle can be extremely debilitating when it first happens. It's a pretty scary thing, particularly the first couple of days, because you literally can't walk.

Your management in the first week makes a huge difference to how quickly you're back on the field or training. Most people are back running within 4-9 days post muscle tear with the right management. 

So I just wanted to go through that initial phase of management so that you can get back to what you love doing asap.

OK so you've just pulled a muscle, but you need to go to work that day. In that scenario, I would work from home or have a sick day and literally sit on the couch for the first day or two. The muscle has been strained, there is no healing taking place for the first 48 hours and walking around excessively increases the damge.

So don’t rush around, use this time to minimize the damage. They've done research where the less you do for that first couple of days the better your outcome is.

I like the acronym POLICE for management over the first 48 hours.

Step one, PROTECT. For that first 48 hours you're not going to do much walking at all. Put some Tubigrip or COMPRESSION bandage over the top of it. Wear this during the day and take it off at night. ELEVATE your leg on a couple of pillows on the couch to help drain any swelling out of your leg.

Next up is OPTIMAL LOADING. After the first 48 hours you actually need load in order for that muscle to heal. Optimal load doesn't mean go for a 20K walk but it does mean start gently walking on it. This is when you need to come in for Physiotherapy. By day 3 new scar tissue is beginning to be laid down and that actually needs the exercises to do a great job. We will also give you exercises to stop any muscle wasting in other areas. You may also be on an exercsie bike at this stage to maintain your fitness.

We actually see more problems from people that just do nothing for a couple of weeks than we do with those that started to get moving after that first two days. You will also get back on the sports field signifcantly faster that if you do nothing for 2-3 weeks.

Should I take voltaren or neurofen?

Most people are taught that racing for the Neurophin or Voltaren helps reduce pain and inflammation. But that actually is a bad idea, because what it's doing is it's delaying your scar tissue. And in this scenario we actually want scar tissue, because that's what our body lays down to repair muscle. So don't use Voltaren or Neurofen if you have strained a ligament or muscle. If it is really bad, use ice or Panadol to help kill the pain.

So to summarise

Step one: take some time at home to chill for a day or two to reduce more bleeding.

Step two: use compression bandage to reduce the swelling

Step three: elevate your leg on a couple of pillows on the couch

Step four: optimally load your injury after the first 48 hours to start to help strengthen the new scar tissue

Step five: Book in to see your Physiotherapist to begin rehab of the muscle strain

Once we have set up the muscle strain to recover well most muscle strains return to sport 6 days either side of 31 days with the right Physio rehab program. We will normally get you jogging within 5 days for hamstring injuries, 7 days for calf strains and quadricep strains at day 7.

So if you have injured yourself. Come in at day 3 and let’s get you back to training asap!

You can book an appointment at either our CBD clinic or Bondi clinic HERE