Treating a Pulled Muscle

Injuries come in many shapes and sizes. Sports force your body to make quick, sudden movements. While your mind may allow you to do so, your body sometimes fails to follow through accordingly. Even with proper preparation and stretching, exhaustion and overuse may cause a glitch in the perfect machine that is your body.

A pulled muscle might be the most annoying and irritating glitch to occur. This type of injury can happen anytime and anywhere. It may be on the field, in the gym, on the court, or even at home. However, once it does, every little movement is made 5 times more difficult and 10 times more painful. While proper warm ups and stretching can help prevent pulling a muscle, like any other injury, it can never be completely avoided. Therefore, proper knowledge of this kind of treatment is necessary.

Last week, one of my entries focused on the use of cold therapy and in particular, Game Ready. I came across the Game Ready Blog discussing various injuries as well as the benefits of cold therapy during rehabilitation. One particular blog entry, What the Pros Recommend for Pulled Muscle Treatment, accurately lists recommendations for this specific type of injury.

People tend to pull the hamstring and groin more than other muscles. However, the treatment of any type of pulled muscle remains the same.

Compression, ice, and rest.

As much as we would like to shrug off a simple pulled muscle, the annoying pain will not go away without those treatments. By taking a few days off to elevate, ice, and compress the injured area, your body can recover back to its normal functioning state in no time.  

Getting "Game Ready"

Walk into any physical therapy office, training room, or sports rehabilitation center and you will find patients and athletes lined up on the table attached to a Game Ready. Get comfortable because post-injury this little machine will be attached to you possibly on a daily basis for at least 15 minutes at a time. Game Ready perfectly combines cold and compression therapy to reduce swelling, enhance natural healing, and reduce pain.

Game Ready was made for athletes with their individual concerns in mind.

 Whether you are a surgery patient in post-op rehab or an elite athlete with a sports injury, you want to get back into action as quickly as possible. For you, passively treating symptoms isn’t enough. You want to proactively accelerate your recovery.  

Whether its an ankle, elbow, shoulder, back, head, or wrist injury, Game Ready can supply a quick and easy solution. The device pumps cold water through a long, black tube into a removable wrap around the injured area. With different levels on compression and the ability to adjust the time, this miracle-working machine allows for aided, personalized care.

The Game Ready machine

However, the company supplies much more than just therapeutic benefits. In addition, on its website you’ll find another injury-prone athlete inspired blog. The Game Ready Blog offers tips on getting back in the game faster as well as specific injury guidelines. It may be a pulled groin, sprained ankle, or shoulder surgery. This blog has all the answers to your questions.

The next time you're hooked up to this machine waiting around trying to kill time, check out this blog. It is guaranteed to have details on not only your injury, but your concerns and questions as well.

Ice Baths: A Love/Hate Relationship

Upon immediate contact with the water, a shock is sent through your body. The next three minutes consist of piercing shivers as your body fights to stay warm. Then, it all goes numb. 

Ice baths may not be the most pleasant form of recovery after an even less pleasant work out. However, they definitely work some type of miracle, especially during those endless preseason days.

Trainers, coaches, and doctor have debated the significance of this cold therapy practice. Yet, if you ask the players, they all agree it works.

LeBron James

Members of 2015 U.S. Women's Soccer Team

Members of the Fordham Women's Soccer Team

From basketball to soccer and college athletics to professional, players are definitely not afraid of a little cold. After all, why not give it a shot if it makes tomorrow’s practice a little less painful.

How does this all work? In technical terms, ice baths constrict the blood vessels after entering the water. This helps to reduce swelling and tissue breakdown and it even aids in the movement of wastes like lactic acid. As your body starts to warm up after the bath, the increased blood flow causes heightened circulation in the body. In turn, it speeds up the healing process.

However, ice baths are not limited to only those with a pulled or strained muscle. Intense sprints and extended running alone can cause micro-tears in muscles. So, after the torturous fitness test or second round of practice, don't be afraid to turn on the water and pour in the ice. Just remember to keep it around 55 degrees and call it quits after about 10 minutes. As cold as you may be after, try not to take a hot shower until at least 30 minutes after. It allows for the natural healing process to take place.

When your legs feels heavy as bricks and stairs seem almost impossible, ice baths are your best friend. As much as you hate them, this type of cold therapy can always help and definitely never hurt.