 Poster: A snowHead
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I think I've pulled one of my quads as my left thigh is quite painful (the vastus intermedius muscle that seems to be the most likely candidate). I think I might have done it (or certainly exacerbated it) while telemarking on Saturday, and it's now very sore especially when walking down steps. I'm going skiing for Christmas so hoping it's less painful by then - is there anything which I can do to speed up recovery of a pulled muscle?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'd like to know that too, having pulled my calf muscle on Thursday whilst teaching. Didn't let on the to the clients, but could hardly walk after the lesson. It has got a bit better after resting it yesterday and applying Bio Freeze on a regular basis, but it is seriously hampering my already knackered Christmas preparation schedule.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sounds like a good excuse for a massage 
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rob@rar, it could be DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness which is usually worst 24-48 hours after exercise if you've done more than you're used to or something new. After 48 hours it should start to feel OK again, any more than that it's probably worth seeking expert advice. I can't diagnose it but personally I wouldn't be too concerned if something was sore rather than any kind of sharp pain.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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rob@rar, Ice the tender spot, compress with a bandage, DON'T stretch the quads as that re-tears healing muscle fibres, and you can get calcification in the muscles. Light activity to start with, and see a physio for advice soon. Hope you are OK for Xmas
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zebedee, it's not DOMS - I could feel the pain during the exercise itself, and it's quite different from muscle soreness. The affected area seems a little bit warmer to the touch, although that might be my imagination.
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Stop pulling it.
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rob@rar, yeah defintely - there's nothing delayed about it 
In that case RICE for a day or 2 as Martin suggests is probably the best thing, you can have some ibuprofen too to reduce any swelling.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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What do people feel about the efficacy of massage for pulled muscles?
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pam w, depends on who's doing it and what they're massaging - if nothing else can take your mind of the pain 
I've managed to pull my calf muscle as well and would recommend a long soak in the bath for easing the pain
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Pulled, torn or a strained muscles ..all different ...!! A pull will hurt a lot ( bad limp, as it bloody hurts ) and a tear even more so..but a strain should settle down in a few days depending on how bad it is.
A pull would take upto 2 weeks (IME) to get back to normal walking use and not over-doing it. I suspect a strain here, which is a few days rest and don't over extend it.
I have done most of these at one time of another and I don't think you want to take any short cuts... time and rest unless you have proper professional guidance and help.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Just bang a bit of Deep Heat on ya leg.
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If you can get to someone qualified in sports injury it would be best. Depending on what you've actually done massage might be beneficial-but only from someone who knows what they are doing. Have you tried/can you take/ anti-inflamatories?
Also excellent advise I was given and have come to trust was that after initial RICE for a day, use a combination of cold and hot compresses.- 3 min. cold, 3 min. hot repeat 7 times. This combination will help to get muscle out of spasm.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Deep tissue massage, maybe foam roller stretching exercises - both will be pretty sore bit should help IMO.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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rob@rar, I know what Martin Nicholas is saying about stretching but I would disagree to some extent. The problem is that if you don't stretch it out while it's healing the muscle may end up shortened and more liekly then to get pulled in the future.
There are also some people that would say that the collagen that is laid down in the healing process is laid down in a disordered (ant therefore weak) fashion and that stretching helps the new fibres laid down to be aligned better and therefore stronger.
I would advocate stretching gently to the point of mild discomfort esp when the muscle is warm (eg after a short walk) and if you are at home at this point, this is the time to ice it (while you are gently stretching).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hot bath - get good blood flow with no exercise. Have a cold beer for relaxation.
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Nick L,
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I would advocate stretching gently to the point of mild discomfort esp when the muscle is warm
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My current experience of a very troublesome hamstring - a long-standing problem - bears this out: if I rest it, it's painful the next day, if I exercise and carefully stretch it, it's less painful. Continuing to exercise and stretch regularly keeps the problem within bounds. My physio (who is a sports physio) has recommended wearing compression tights when I exercise, but I can't honestly say that seems to make a huge difference, except when they occasionally cut off the blood supply to my feet! 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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666, Surprisingly the science is to the contrary - Immediately after heavy exercise you should have ice baths. Potentially stripping down and diving ina powder field would do the trick!
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plectrum, there does seem to be good evidence now for ice baths after intense exercise. One of the theories behind this is that the cold casues the blood vessels in the muscles to shut down preventing loads of tiny small micro-haemorrhages (producing little bruises) which are believed by some to be at least part of the cause of muscle stiffness
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The correct treatment for muscle tears/pulls is to ice as much as possible for the first 48 hours (10-15 mins every hour or as much is practicable) and gentle stretching (up to the point of discomfort but not beyond). Do not apply heat as this encourages blood flow and hence increases the bleeding into the muscle fibres which will prolong the time taken for recovery.
From 48-96 hours alternate ice and heat. Start to stretch out the muscle fully after the application of heat.
96 hours+ apply heat as required, full stretching, and sports massage (if desired) to remove any knots that may have formed.
Try to avoid massage for the first 96 hours as the muscle is still healing itself and does not respond well to further damage being inflicted.
This method was given to me by my personal trainer who also does my sports massages & I can testify to the effectiveness of this regime of treatment. I have had quite serious muscle pulls in the past and have been back on it again within a week
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Sounds v. similar to the regimen I have been told to follow, I too seem to recover quite quickly. For longer lasting injuries (Hurtles prob) I had deep tissue friction massage for a similar problem (breaks up scar tissue?)- couldn't walk very well afterwards but next day was great
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| JulesB wrote: |
| Sounds v. similar to the regimen I have been told to follow, I too seem to recover quite quickly. For longer lasting injuries (Hurtles prob) I had deep tissue friction massage for a similar problem (breaks up scar tissue?)- couldn't walk very well afterwards but next day was great |
Jules, yep this is what I call sports massage as it is quite different to your run of the mill, make you feel relaxed massage. The main principle being to apply enough pressure to the muscle fibres to break any adhesions and then to straighten them out. Its always the 3 passes over the muscle at the end that gets me...the worst pain I've ever had (being a bloke I've never given birth so can't comment on that  ) Went through a phase where my calves were shot to pieces and it took my trainer the best part of 6 months of weekly massages to get rid of all the adhesions that had formed. Hurts like hell for a day but recovers quite quickly.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Deep tissue massage breaks down scar tissue, knots and creases in your muscles; as does foam roller massage which "irons" out your muscles in a similar way. It has been very effective for runner's knee problems i've had which are due to tight quads, hip flexors and IT bands. If this seems like too much hassle, than start to build stretching into your warm up and after exercise regime and you should help to prevent further injuries. For pain relief and to reduce swelling try a gel called "Voltarol", its far more effective than ibuprofen gels, and available from Boots and most chemists.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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plectrum, for the first 24 hours or so and he's well past that. Isn't the 'cold' idea to stop blood pooling ?
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pam w,
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What do people feel about the efficacy of massage for pulled muscles?
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My physio said massage doesn't really do anything except feel nice.
Good for the soul though I reckon, and helps you to relax, which may have a knock on effect.
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You know it makes sense.
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My physio also said deep tissue massage wouldn't do much, but I think he wanted to justify his fees, especially as most of the info he gave me I could have found myself online.
In the end I stopped physio and carried on with the deep tissue sports massage which was much more effective and less than half the price. Make sure you get a sports-specific masseur though - which incidentally is not relaxing at all but very painfull for the first few sessions but completely does the job IMO!
Ice baths / cold packs etc reduce the blood flow following muscle-overload and thus reduces swelling and bruising in the muscle.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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BrightonSki, there is not much evidence for pre-exercise stretching, though there is some for starting exercise with a warm-up (i.e. lower intensity exercise for several minutes). However there is evidence that stretching at the end of exercise while still warm can help to prevent injury by lengthening thos tight muscles that you refer to.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You're right deep deep tissue massage does seem to be for a more specific deep seated muscle problem, and yes it nacks- my friend (a qualified sports injury instructor- not official title but you know my meaning) employs knobbly wooden things and all sorts. Like most women she has a sadistic streak. You'll also find her in a post event tent at the GNR- hopefully she's a bit gentler on people she doesn't know who have just run a half marathon, but I wouldn't bet on it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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1. Warm-up
2. Light stretch
3. Exercise
4. Longer stretch
Works for me. I agree though, stretching before warmed-up is a waste of time.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I've heard amputation followed by tarring is quite effective
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'd need to adjust your bindings after though; and get shorter poles
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plectrum, we don't call it "tarring", it's called "cautery".
Do you think CEM would be able to build up the boot adequately on that side?
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