Pulled and Strained Muscles

Muscle strain -- or muscle pull or even a muscle tear -- implies damage to a muscle or its attaching tendons. You can put undue pressure on muscles during the course of normal daily activities, with sudden heavy lifting, during sports, or while performing work tasks.

Muscle damage can be in the form of tearing (part or all) of the muscle fibers and the tendons attached to the muscle. The tearing of the muscle can also damage small blood vessels, causing local bleeding (bruising) and pain (caused by irritation of the nerve endings in the area).

Muscle Strain Symptoms:

• Swelling, bruising or redness, or open cuts due to the injury

• Pain at rest

• Pain when the specific muscle or the joint in relation to that muscle is used

• Weakness of the muscle or tendons (A sprain, in contrast, is an injury to a joint and its ligaments.)

• Inability to use the muscle at all