Cramp, contracture, strain, elongation, rupture and tear… With the “World Cup”, footballers’ muscles suffer. And our vocabulary is enriched; lexicon to shine in front of the television.
- To contract, the muscle needs energy, and cannot work without leaving waste which, when it accumulates in the muscle, causes cramps.
- Contracture is the next stage up: the muscle cannot return to its relaxed state at rest, it is sensitive when touched, and in places, a little hard.
- Then there is the strain, and worse, the tear, or even complete muscle ruptures, which are serious, but quite rare.
Our muscles, which in their great majority serve to move our bones, can in fact, like all parts of the body, suffer from more or less serious ailments. Why Doctor takes stock, from the least serious, cramp, to the most serious, rupture.
What is a muscle cramp?
There are several types of muscle injuries. At the bottom of the severity scale, not the pain scale, because it can be terribly painful, there is cramp. It is the response of an undertrained muscle to too much stress. To contract, the muscle needs energy, and does not know how to work without leaving waste… This waste, when it accumulates in the muscle, causes cramps.
As for cramps at night, it is usually due to general fatigue or poor positioning of the leg in bed. This leaves the calf sore and there is nothing to do but wait for it to pass. If it occurs after sports, rest, aspirin and good hydration are usually enough to eliminate the pain.
Contracture
This is the next stage up. The muscle cannot return to its relaxed state at rest. The muscle is sensitive when touched, and in places, a little hard. Same treatment as for cramp: rest and anti-inflammatories.
Then, if the pain appears during a sudden movement, especially at the start of the effort, on a poorly warmed up muscle, we will then speak of an elongation, which is aptly named, because we are pulling too much on the muscle.
Breakdown
In the case of a strain, the muscle has been used too violently, but it is intact. This is not the case with a strain. Athletes describe a real stabbing, often accompanied by a snap. Hence its name. The muscle being damaged, it bleeds and a hematoma, an internal hemorrhage, appears very quickly.
The treatment consists of resting the muscle: a few days for a contracture, 1 to 2 weeks for a strain, 6 to 8 weeks for a tear… Modern ultrasound techniques and other local treatments can save a little time.
Muscle rupture and tear
At the more serious stage of the tear, we have the tear, even complete muscle ruptures, which are serious, but quite rare. This is the domain of the surgeon.
