What to do with a pulled muscle?

Hi I pulled my muscle in the front of my arm that connects to my wrist and hand and had my joint twisted and put back in place. Now my muscle on my upper arm ( not under my forearm ) is sore. I am giving my arm a rest. I am surprised as to how out of shape I am. What can I do to help heal a muscled muscle as I do not have the money to go to a doctor unless it is a serious emergency. I use " Ice Hot " lotion on my arm to help heal my muscle. What else can I do? Are there any another foods that may help in healing a pulled muscle. The only one I know of is bananas. I suspect that as time goes by and I get stronger that my muscles will wrap around the bone then I will not have so much problems with being out of shape with loose muscles and bones that never really have been firm in the first place when I was a kid and not overweight all my muscles were tight and my bones worked right. Now I see another reason why it is good to keep physically fit and keep my muscles going so that the muscles keep the bones in place.

You are doing alright so far. After the swlling dies down, continue to apply heat to the affected muscles to increase blood flow to assist it's healing. You are on the right track of what to eat, bananas help with muscle movement, and another great remedy is Apples. Apples contain Malic Acid which helps ease muscle pain. Get your Calcium, it helps with muscle contraction and plenty more things that make your your body go round.

Besides that keep up your diet and don't use your arm until you have given it adequate time to heal. When your arm feels less and less pain over time, you can start with light exercises concentrating on getting the full range of movement back into your muscles. When you don't feel sore you can increase gradually. Everything else is as you can guess, get enough sleep, eat right, and warm-up and stretch your muscle to prevent future injuries. Work hard, and train smart, keep fit and take care of your body.


Regards, Rocky

I'm a nurse and can help...Sorry to dissagree with you Rocky but to reduce swelling you need ice on that arm. If it bruises it's normal, that's the swelling going down..Eat lot's protein to help re-build the dammaged muscle. And do some stretching...light and slow..A pulled muscle will heal but will be shorter...Take motrin or advil for the pain..

Hope this helps..

Sin..

I don't know what I was think'n, I guess I should've read what I wrote before hand, but it's all good now. And you're right Sinity, to reduce the swelling you have to apply ice ASAP.

After the swelling dies down, and the soreness persists, heat treatment will help the muscles heal faster. Take medication to reduce swelling, and to ease pain.

If ya go to a Doc' he'll most likely give you a like-wise pescription to reduce swelling and relieve pain, and tell ya to take it easy until your muscles heal.

After the pain goes away you should slowly start to excersize the muscle, stretching mainly to get the range of motion back, and gradually get back on track.


-Rocky

Seems alots has changed since high school .... I remember this just starting to come around when I graduated from high school but forgot about the RICE first aid. I remember it used to be alittle different than what was recommended ... heating electrical pads and rest ... icewas used only in special situations at that time. I guess the world of medicine has changed alots since high school here is the article I cut and pasted below ... Thank you to Rocky and Sinity for your feedback and help. God Bless, Deafman


R. I. C. E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)
The acronym RICE, is an easy way to remember the four basic methods used to speed minor injury recovery (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).

REST
Less severe injuries as well as some over use injuries, may be rested by merely avoiding any activities which use the affected body part. In order for a musculoskeletal injury to heal, it needs to be immobilized for 2-3 days following the injury. Using the injured "part" too early can increase hemorrhage, cause further damage to the area, and prolong recovery. Wraps, tape, splints, casts, canes and crutches can all help keep an injury immobilized.
ICE
The best line of defense in most acute, soft tissue injuries is the application of ICE. Ice decreases swelling, bleeding, spasm, pain and inflammation and should be applied within the first 24-72 hours after injury. Here's a brief review of the how, why and when of ICE therapy:
WHY ICE? Swelling causes a lack of oxygen to local tissues which creates cellular damage. Ice decreases swelling and bleeding by causing a constriction of blood vessels; thereby, minimizing the damage. Pain is relieved directly by its effect on pain receptors and indirectly by a decrease in swelling.

HOW LONG TO ICE? The amount of fat between the skin and the injured area and the depth of the injury determines how long you apply ice. Little fat? A minimum of 10 minutes will do. More fat? 20-30 minutes max. Brief applications until numbness is achieved are effective for conditions such as tendinitis, bursitis or ligament sprains. Longer durations are necessary for muscle strains. But be careful. Icing an area for too long can cause tissue damage.

HOW OFTEN? Two to three daily treatments for tendinitis-type conditions or superficial muscle-strains; however, the greater the amount of pain and/or muscle spasm, the more frequent the applications. Depending on the severity of the injury, ice can be applied every 1-1 1/2 hrs.

WHEN TO USE? Immediately after an injury, up to 72 hours, and for relief of pain and swelling associated with exercise.
Once the bleeding and swelling has subsided (usually within 72 hours), "heat", in the form of hot packs, hot towels, whirlpool baths, and ultrasound, can play an important part in injury rehabilitation. Heat increases blood flow and the "stretch ability" of tissues, decreases pain, muscle spasm, and joint stiffness, as well as promotes soft tissue repair.

COMPRESSION
For an acute injury, immediate compression is important. Direct external pressure applied to the injured area will help decrease hemorrhage and bleeding.
Compression can be applied during icing as well. An elastic wrap can be wrapped around the affected limb, securing the ice pack. Alternately, the wrap can be soaked in water and frozen.

Compression should be continued throughout the day. For difficult areas, such as around the bony areas of the ankle, pads can be cut and held in place with athletic tape and/or an elastic wrap. Compression should be removed at night and the affected area elevated above the heart.

ELEVATION
Elevation also helps reduce internal bleeding and swelling. The injured area should be elevated above the level of the heart. Thiswilldecrease the bleeding, facilitate venous return, and prevent the pooling of fluids in the injured area. This is especially important at night when the body processes slow down.

Sometimes I forget about checking something on the internet. It still does not seem like I live in the information age.... maybe because I grew up with better values and going outside more than stay on computer like some people do these days even on sunny days.