Muscle Strain

A muscle strain is a very frustrating injury as it can completely immobilize the injured muscle and put an end to any sport season. The important thing to note before reading the rest of this article is that a muscle strain can happen anywhere along a muscle, but will usually occur were the muscle meets the tendon and the two join. The reason that muscle strains normally occur at the junction between muscle and tendon is because it is usually the weakest point along that muscle.

Most muscle strains are overuse injuries that result when the muscle is stretched without being properly warmed up. Kind of like pulling a rubber band too far. Muscles are very flexible and can stretch a fair amount but it is when they are overstretched that tearing occurs and develops into this injury.

There are 3 different levels of muscle strains and they are graded as mild (first degree), moderate (second degree), or severe (third degree).

1. A first degree or mild strain involves mostly stretching and very minor tearing of the muscle fibers if any at all
2. The second degree or moderate strain involves moderate over stretching of the muscle resulting in tearing of the muscle fibers, and the tearing seen in a moderate strain is considerable.
3. The last level of a strain is 3rd degree also know as a severe strai, this level of strain is very severe as the name suggests and is normally a complete rupture or tearing of the muscle. Normally with a 3rd degree strain you will actually see deformities under the skin were the muscle has actually rolled up because it is no longer attached to the tendon holding it taught.