Stretching and muscle strain occur when the muscle stretches too much, due to excessive exertion to perform a certain activity, which can lead to rupture of muscle fibers, muscle or tendon involved.
The only difference between stretching and stretching is where the injury occurs:
- Muscle stretching: The injury occurs in the red muscle fibers, which are located in the middle of the muscle.
- Muscle distension: the injury occurs in the tendon or involves the muscle-tendon junction, which is exactly where the tendon-muscle junction is located near the joint.
Although they have the same cause, symptoms, classification and treatment, they should not be used as synonyms, since they have different meanings, since the lesion site is not the same.
Classification of injury
Stretching and stretching can be classified according to the severity of the injury in:
- Grade 1, where there is stretching of muscle or tendinous fibers, but there is no rupture. Thus, the pain is lighter and for after about a week;
- Grade 2, in which there is a slight rupture in the muscle or tendon, which causes stronger pain;
- Grade 3, which is characterized by total muscle or tendon rupture, causing symptoms such as severe pain, swelling and heat in the injured region.
These two types of injuries occur most often in the internal muscles, the back and anterior thigh and the calves, but can also occur in the back and arms. Understand more about muscle strain.
Main causes
The main cause of stretching and distention is excessive exertion to perform a muscle contraction, such as in racing, football, volleyball or basketball, for example. In addition, it can be caused by sudden movements, prolonged exertion, muscle fatigue or inadequate training equipment.
To confirm the occurrence of a stretch or a distension can be done an MRI or ultrasound, in addition to the evaluation of the symptoms by the doctor.
How is the treatment done?
Treatment is done with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Cataflam ointment or Ibuprofen, in addition to physiotherapy sessions to speed recovery. It is also important to stay at rest when the pain starts to appear and to perform compress with cold or ice water 3 to 4 times a day. Learn how the treatment for muscle strain is done and a home remedy to treat muscle stretching.
