Pulled Muscle Symptoms

Our bone structure or skeleton is held in its proper position by the muscles present in our body. These muscles are made up of tissues and fibers. In case of some sudden, uncoordinated action, these fibers and connective tissues can be overstretched, resulting in the breakage of tiny muscle cells. This in short, is called a muscle pull. Pulled muscle symptoms are usually seen when muscles are over strained due to sudden extra movement. This excess strain may be caused due to the absence of a proper warm-up prior to the exercising activity.

Symptoms of Pulled Muscles

When there is a muscle pull in any part of your body, the first symptom you feel is immediate pain in that area, which is followed by a swelling. The pulled muscle symptoms are distinguished by the severity of the muscle pull and are as follows:

• Swelling or inflammation
• Pain in the muscle area on applying pressure
• Limited or no use of the muscle
• Limited movement of the muscle
• Associated joints and muscles are also affected as pain can be experienced there as well
• Excruciating pain is observed immediately
• Affected muscle becomes weak
• The pulled muscles become hard and you get a feeling of stiffness in that area

Every part of our body has muscles, so a pull can occur absolutely anywhere. Some of the body parts that are prone to a muscle pull are the back, chest and the legs.

Pulled Muscle Symptoms in Back
Some of the symptoms seen during pulled muscle in back are listed below:

• Stiffness of muscles
• Swelling
• Spasms or contractions in back muscles
• Excruciating pain in the strained area
• Surrounding muscles also show pain and spasms
• Sharp, burning or blinding pain
• A hot feeling can be experienced in the affected area

Pulled Muscle Symptoms in Chest
Pulled chest muscle symptoms are seen within 24 hours of the pulled muscle or injury.

• A major swelling of the tendons is observed
• Pectoral tendinopathy, which is the extreme stage of damage to the chest muscles is also a very commonly observed symptom
• If the pain is not immediate, your arms and your chest may start aching after a duration of 6 to 8 hours
• You may also experience pain while moving your upper body.

Find useful information on chest muscle pain and muscle spasms in chest.

Pulled Muscle Symptoms in Legs
The leg comprises a variety of muscles and as they are associated with running and physical stress, there are more chances of strain in the leg area. Symptoms include:

• The area where the pull has occurred, turns black and blue in color
• Tender swelling and muscle pain is observed after contracting the muscle due to activity
• A loss of muscle function can also be seen in the affected area
• A bruise, depression or some other type of dis-figuration is observed
• A certain hardness develops at the site. These are some of the visual symptoms
• A popping sound can be heard when the injury takes place
• The calf muscle stiffens and aches on movement
• If this injury is left untreated, the symptoms can lead to further worsening of the muscle injury

Read more on muscle spasms in legs.

Causes and Treatments of Pulled Muscles

Some common causes behind a muscle pull in any part of our body can be, over stretching due to lifting heavy loads, accidents, wrong posture while sitting, sleeping or bending in the wrong ways. The major causes of a muscle pull in the chest and legs can be excessive strain while running , jogging or playing any sport. Gastrocnemius (calf muscle), plantaris, hamstring and quadriceps are leg muscles where spasms or pulls can occur very often. Intense workouts can also lead to a spasm in the chest.

Pulled muscles can be treated by simple remedies like applying ice packs on the strained area, applying heat to it by using hot water bags for about 20 minutes everyday and taking medicines like anti-inflammatory and pain reducing drugs. Adequate amount of rest is the most important treatment for a pulled muscle. Read on to know more about pulled muscle treatment.

So listed above were some of the main pulled muscle symptoms. A pulled muscle is a very minor injury that can be treated by simple remedies. So it's our responsibility, to not let it worsen and take the precautionary measures when required.