Whether you are an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, you just enjoy an active lifestyle. Abdominal strains can make you unable to participate. Also known as the abdominal muscles, this injury involves excessive stretching of the muscle or tendon fibers, resulting in mild to severe tears. Abdominal muscle strain often occurs suddenly, but it gradually develops due to overuse. Knowing some of the facts about abdominal strain can help you identify this damage and point you in the right direction on the road to recovery if you are suffering from the disease.
How abdominal strain occurs
As many athletes and fitness enthusiasts know, there are three types of muscle contraction: isometric, concentric and eccentric. Eccentric contractions occur when muscles become longer than the load, such as when you put your torso on the floor while sitting up. With this in mind, you may have guessed that abdominal strain can occur when your abdominal muscles are eccentrically contracted and stretched to their maximum capacity. Although abdominal strains occur less frequently than the legs or back, they are a relatively common injury. Most abdominal strains involve microscopic or partial tearing. Complete abdominal muscle rupture is rare.
Activities related to abdominal strain
Abdominal strain usually occurs when participating in sports or physical activity, including frequent, vigorous stretching and twisting muscles in the abdomen. Common examples include: - Tennis, handball and squash. - Volleyball, basketball and hockey. - Lacrosse and baseball, especially hitting and pitching. - Golf, boating, swimming and diving. - Pole hops, hurdles and high jumps. - Weight lifting and exercise for the abdominal muscles.
A strong impact on the abdomen can also cause abdominal strain. This injury mechanism can occur in motor vehicles or cycling accidents, or in engaging in contact sports such as football, boxing or mixed martial arts.
Signs and symptoms
Abdominal injuries. Acute tears mean sudden occurrences and you may experience severe pain in the injured area. As the strain caused by continued overuse causes similar but mild pain, continued use of the injured muscle over time results in an increase in strength. In the pressure of an o if your oblique muscles, pain usually occurs on the side of the abdomen - usually along the lower edge of the chest, or less common, along the front of the hip bone. Abdominal rectus muscle strain usually causes pain in the lower abdomen, resulting from the lower part of the navel2 inches, usually extending into the groin. Less common is that abdominal pain occurs higher, near the midline of the pubis from the lower edge of the sternum.
The area where the abdominal muscles are torn is usually very soft and you may notice swelling. that area. Affected muscles may also cramp. Injury muscle movements and activities, including coughing, sneezing, deep breathing and lifting, aggravating abdominal strain pain.
Re-enter the game
If you continue to experience acute abdominal strain, stop the current activity. Using ice or cold for 15 to 20 minutes in the area several times a day for the first 24 to 48 hours can help limit pain and swelling. After the first few days, taking over-the-counter painkillers - such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or navel (Aleve) - may help control pain. If your overuse causes injury, your doctor may recommend injecting steroids at the torn site.
Regardless of whether your abdominal strain is acute or due to prolonged overuse, keeping your injured muscle is the key to your recovery. In other words, don't try to provide power through injury. Doing so can cause more severe tears and prolong your recovery. For mild strains, expect to rest for about 2 to 10 days. The recovery time for moderate strain is usually 2 to 6 weeks. Severe strain may require surgical repair and up to 10 weeks of recovery time. Once your pain has subsided, your doctor may recommend physical therapy to help you recover, resolve any core muscle imbalances and get you back to normal activity.
