What are Muscle Strains?
Muscles and tendons are attached to our bones to facilitate movement. When movement exceeds that which the body will comfortably allow, a strain can result. By pulling too far on a muscle or by pulling a muscle in one direction while it is contracting in the other direction can cause injuries within the muscle or tendon. A sprain, on the otherhand, is an injury to a ligament. Many sports place participants at risk for muscle strains but these injuries also often occur in normal everyday activities such as a slip on ice, a fall on your wrist, or jamming a finger. Repetitive activities may also cause a strain. If you suffer with a strain, you may experience pain, muscle spasm and muscle weakness. You may also have swelling to the area, muscle spasms, or inflammation. Two common areas of muscle strain are back muscle strains and hamstring muscle strains. Tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon) is another common type of muscle strain. Muscle Strains can also occur in the forearm and elbow. R
