Musculature
In the muscular area, the possible occurrences can be divided into two groups:
Overloads/discomfort
Muscle overstretching
This is a preliminary stage of pulled muscles. The limit of the muscle's elasticity is reached, but not exceeded, so that an actual injury does not occur. The pain occurs with strain and pressure, but there will be no swelling, skin discolouration or bruising (unlike muscle injuries). Immobilisation and abstinence from sport combined with cooling help to alleviate the symptoms. Sport should only be resumed once the pain is gone (approx. 4-6 days), before that there is a risk of muscle strain.Muscle hardening
The hardening mainly occurs in the area of the origin or insertion of the muscle. There is a feeling of tension and possibly also pain. A special form of hardening is the trigger point. This is a tense muscle cord that has hardened due to muscular overload and a simultaneous undersupply of oxygen. The hardened muscle cord is sensitive to pressure pain and radiates this pain. Massage, heat (sauna, ultrasound, warm baths), an adapted training load and stretching help to relieve all forms of muscle hardening. When doing sports again, it is only necessary to adjust the training load.Sore muscles
These are minor injuries to the muscle fibres caused by heavy physical exertion (especially eccentric muscle work). Pain in the overstressed muscle group, slight swelling and muscle stiffness are typical symptoms that usually occur 12-24 hours after the strain.
The repair of minor injuries takes some time, but can be accelerated and made more comfortable by improving blood circulation (heat, massage, light muscle activity) in the affected muscles. Stretching as a treatment for sore muscles is not recommended. Light activity is beneficial, but sore muscles should not be trained hard. The minor injuries to the muscles must first be repaired before heavy exertion is possible again.Muscle cramp
A cramp is a sudden, involuntary contraction (tensing) of the muscle that remains in this state. This problem arises due to electrolyte imbalances, severe fatigue or a lack of blood supply to the muscle. The maximally tensed muscles during a cramp cause pain and massive hardening. The cramp can be relieved acutely by stretching the affected muscle, after which heat and light massage are beneficial. Once the cramp has been relieved, sport can be resumed immediately, but it may be advisable to take a short break.
Injuries
Muscle strain
Sudden overstretching of the muscle causes individual muscle fibres to tear. The pain is sharp (as if from a knife thrust) and continues even after the incident (pain at rest, pressure, pain on movement). Sport is prohibited immediately and the affected muscle should be treated with a cool bandage for 48 hours. No heat for the first 2-3 days. An ointment to treat the swelling locally and gentle, careful passive stretching are the first therapeutic measures. As soon as the swelling subsides after 3-4 days, massage and physiotherapy can be started. If there is no significant improvement, a doctor should be consulted after 3 days. Sport can only be resumed once stretching exercises can be carried out completely pain-free (after approx. 14 days). There is a risk of aggravating the muscle injury if sport is started too early.Muscle fibre tear/muscle rupture
This is a transverse tear of a few muscle fibres, entire muscle fibre bundles or, in the worst case, an entire muscle. The pain is similar to that of a pulled muscle, often accompanied by severe bruising, reduced mobility and occasionally muscle dents. Sport is prohibited immediately and the affected area must be relieved immediately. The immediate measures are the same as for a pulled muscle (compression bandage with cooling), but the injury must be assessed and treated by a doctor. The extent of the tear will largely determine when you can return to sport. However, it will take longer than with a muscle strain (> 14 days) before sport can be resumed.Muscle contusion/muscle bruise
The subcutaneous and muscle tissue is injured as a result of force. The associated tearing of blood vessels leads to haematoma and increased pressure. This leads to severe pain, swelling, haematoma and possibly skin discolouration. For treatment, the affected area of the body should be protected and elevated (works against swelling). A compression bandage with cooling also helps. In the first 48 hours, no heat should be applied and no massage or stretching should be used to treat the injury for the first three days. An injured muscle can be considered healed when it can be strained and stretched without pain. Training must be built up carefully and gradually.