Information About First Handling Minor Muscle Injury

The first treatment for minor muscle injuries is initial treatment for overstretched, strained, or sprained muscles. This therapy needs to be done immediately to prevent the worsening of muscle injury.

Muscle injuries usually occur as a result of improper movement. These injuries are common in the waist, neck, shoulders, back of the thighs, and calves.

Information About Minor Muscle Injury First Treatment - Alodokter

The first treatment for muscle injuries can actually be done on mild to severe muscle injuries. However, this article limits the discussion to minor muscle injuries.

Indications for First Treatment Minor Muscle Injury

The first treatment for minor muscle injuries aims to prevent worsening and expansion of the injury, relieve pain, and speed up recovery. This action can be done by a doctor or medical personnel, and can be given at home.

This treatment is intended for muscle injuries caused by the following:

Exercise without warming up first
Dropped or bumped
Traffic accidents or accidents at work
Excessive physical activity
Muscle movements that are repeated over a long period of time
Fatigue
Excessive muscle movement

Minor Muscle Injury First Treatment Warning

It is important to remember, avoid massaging and applying balsam, alcohol, leaves, or certain herbal remedies, on the injured muscle. This can actually worsen the condition of the muscle injury.

In addition, tell your doctor about the following:

History of allergy to pain medication
History of blood clotting disorders, as they can delay healing or worsen the condition

Before First Treatment Minor Muscle Injury

Before treating a minor muscle injury, there are several things that need to be done, namely:

Record or remember the process of the injury or the triggering activity.
Keep taking medication as directed by your doctor if you have a history of diabetes or blood clotting disorders.
Rest the injured body part and don’t move it too much.
Avoid compressing the injured body part with hot compresses for 48 hours after the injury.
Don’t lift heavy objects.

First Treatment Procedure for Minor Muscle Injury

Before the treatment is carried out, the doctor will ask questions related to the process of injury and the symptoms of pain experienced. Next, the doctor will perform an examination by looking at and feeling the area of the injury.

The doctor will also move or gently press the injured muscle area to determine the severity.

Handling of minor muscle injuries is by the following method: rest, ice, compressionand elevation (RICE). Here is the explanation:

The doctor will advise you to restrest) and avoiding activities that may worsen pain, swelling, or discomfort. Rest may be needed up to several days.
The doctor will compress the injured area with ice cubes (ice) wrapped in a towel or bag. Compression can be done for 15-20 minutes.
Depending on the location of the injury, the doctor will cover the area with an elastic bandage (compression), to relieve swelling and reduce movement. If needed, the doctor will put a brace (splint) on the dressing.
If the injury occurs in the leg or arm, the doctor will advise the patient to rest it in a position higher than the chest (elevation), using a pillow as a support.

The length of healing time depends on the part of the body and the type of muscle injured. Usually, with proper treatment, minor muscle injuries heal within 3–6 weeks.

After First Treatment Minor Muscle Injury

After providing treatment, the doctor will prescribe painkillers, such as paracetamol. Doctors can also refer the patient to the hospital, if a muscle injury requires further treatment or if it turns out to be a severe muscle injury. If needed, the doctor can also suggest physiotherapy.

In addition, you are advised to immediately consult a doctor if you experience the following: