Muscle lesions

index:

1. What are muscle injuries?
2. What is the prognosis?
3. What are the symptoms?
4. How is a muscle injury diagnosed?
5. What are the causes?
6. Can they be prevented?
7. What does the treatment of muscle injuries consist of?
8. What specialist treats muscle injuries?

What are muscle injuries?

Muscle injuries are injuries to the muscular structure of our body. They are usually painful and are caused by overexertion during sports practice, but they can occur in other areas of daily life. The structure of the muscle is made up of the fleshy part and the tendon part, and is comparable to that of a rope and its fibers. Muscle injuries can occur in all or part of the fibers and are divided into:

• Contracture: muscle stiffening due to involuntary muscle contraction;
• Stretching: excessive lengthening of muscle fibers;
• Tearing: rupture of muscle fibers.

Muscle tears can be classified by degrees according to the number of fibers affected:

First degree: this refers to muscle injuries of a few fibers and is characterized by the presence of pain only during the contraction phase of the muscle. It lasts approximately one week and does not require any treatment.

Second degree: also in this case the injury affects only some fibers and is characterized by the appearance of a hematoma and the presence of pain that increases progressively every day. A detailed diagnosis is needed to locate the injury and define recovery times.

Third degree: this is the most serious condition as it presents the rupture of all muscle fibers. This stage is characterized by symptoms of impotence, acute pain and hematoma. Medical follow-up and specific therapies are advisable.

Muscle injuries usually occur during sports practice.

Prognosis

The prognosis of muscle injuries depends on the extent of the injuries. Diagnostic tests will help establish the prognosis and healing times.

Symptoms of muscle injuries

Depending on their severity, muscle injuries may have the following symptoms:

• Swelling and burning
• Bruising, edema and redness
• Pain at rest of the affected muscle
• Soreness of the muscle during use
• Weakness
• Motor impairment (partial or total loss of function of the affected muscle)
• Depression of the injured muscle
• Fever

Diagnosis of muscle injuries

To diagnose the degree of a muscle injury, the following tests should be performed:

• Anamnesis: clinical history of the patient;
• Objective examination: the presence of swelling, bruising, pain and depressions are checked;
• Ultrasound: shows a complete picture of the muscle condition;
• MRI: allows for more objective images of the injury.

What are the causes of muscle injuries?

Muscle injuries may have direct or indirect causes:

• We speak of direct causes when muscle injuries are caused by external forces (heavy loads, repetitive movements, blows, unhealed injuries, incorrect postures, climatic conditions, inappropriate playing field);
• Indirect causes are when the injury is due to internal factors such as poor nutrition, lack of warm-up or stretching, or muscle fatigue.

Can they be prevented?

The prevention of muscle injuries consists of following these precautions:

• Adequate warm-up
• Healthy and correct nutrition
• Hydration
• Use of appropriate equipment
• Proper clothing and footwear

Treatments for muscle injuries

The therapy to be used for the treatment of a muscle injury depends on the type of muscle affected, the degree of the injury and its location.

In order to avoid worsening the muscle trauma, it would be appropriate to interrupt any activity and apply ice to the injured area, although very often, driven by the excitement of competition, this is not done, which can make the damage even greater. Furthermore, in order to limit blood damage, it is advisable to keep the affected part at rest and unloaded for at least 24-36 hours after the injury. The next step would be to place a compression bandage and perform an ultrasound to determine the severity of the injury and the recovery and healing times.

Which specialist should be contacted?

The specialists to visit for the process of diagnosing muscle injuries are specialists in sports medicine, physiatry, orthopedics and traumatology, physiotherapy, radiology and general surgery who will proceed to perform all the necessary tests to confirm or not the pathology, evaluate the degree of the injury and prescribe the best possible treatment.