Correcting Muscle Injuries

You don't have to be a star athlete to get injured.

It can happen to anyone. But there are steps you can take to avoid those aches and pains that come from doing even the simplest of activities.

On The Saturday Early Show, Dr. Mallika Marshall from CBS station WBZ-TV in Boston provided tips on preventing and treating muscle injuries.

Marshall says people generally sustain more injuries during the summer because they are more active. As the weather gets warmer, many people who sit docile during the winter decide to go outside and be more active.

If your body is not used to being active on a consistent basis, Marshall says, you will begin to hurt. Your body is not used to exerting itself as much, and your muscles don't have the same flexibility as those of a person who works out all the time. But she says there are steps you can take to minimize pain or even avoid it altogether.

Soreness

Soreness happens when you exert yourself beyond your limit. It's not something you will feel immediately after exercising — sometimes it takes a day or two to develop. Marshall says you may get a dull, burning feeling caused by tiny tears in the muscles. When these muscles tear, they swell up. The good news is the soreness doesn't usually last that long and the more exercise you get, the less likely you are to feel sore.

To treat soreness, Marshall says to take ibuprofen, which is an anti-inflammatory. If you are still feeling pain after 3 to 4 days, Marshall suggests contacting your physician because it could be a sign of something more serious.

Strain

Unlike the dull pain of soreness, a strain or pulled muscle has a sharp pain. Also, unlike soreness, you'll begin to hurt usually within a few hours of sustaining the injury. Marshall says a strain typically happens when lifting a very heavy object, or perhaps running very quickly in a short amount of time. The parts of the body that you are most likely to strain include your lower back, shoulders and hamstrings.

To treat a strain, Marshall suggets you remember the following acronym: RICE

R - Rest
I - Ice
C - Compression
E - Elevation

She says the first thing is to stop doing whatever caused the injury in the first place and rest. Then apply an ice pack for about 20 to 30 minutes at a time, several times a day. Marshall suggests using an over-the-counter ice pack, because sometimes plain ice can get too cold. Next, get an ACE bandage and wrap it over the area injured, but be sure not to wrap it too tightly. Finally, elevate the injured area as high as possible.

Many people treat sore muscles with heat, but Marshall warns that using heat too early will increase blood flow to the area, and lead to more swelling and pain.

Sprain

A sprain happens when the ligaments, which tie bones together, move. You will probably feel a pop followed by a very sharp pain. With a sprain, the affected area will begin to swell up right away.

To treat a sprain, Marshall suggests following the same procedures as a strain. However, if the swelling doesn't go down within 48 hours and you have a hard time supporting any weight on the affected area, you'll need to see a doctor.

Overuse Injury

An overuse injury happens when you repeat a specific action too frequently. For instance, you can get "tennis elbow" from playing too much tennis or "runner's knee" from too much running.

The most important thing to do to treat an overuse injury is to rest. If the pain persists, Marshall says, you'll want to take some ibuprofen and consider using an electric heating pad, available at drug stores. If you still feel the pain after a few days or the pain starts to get worse, Marshall recommends calling your doctor, who can prescribe medications such as corticosteriods, or sometimes surgery for extreme and chronic cases.