Top 5 Tips For Managing An Acute Muscle Strain

Osteopath Heath Williams of Principle Four Osteopathy has given us his Top 5 Tips For Managing An Acute Muscle Strain.  At Principle Four Osteopathy we see many patients present to the clinic with acute muscle strains.  Some of these occur as a result of a sporting activity such as playing AFL or going for a run.  Others find themselves simply straining a muscle whilst at work or on the weekend when performing house duties.

Top 5 Tips For Managing An Acute Muscle Strain

  1. Rest the injured area to avoid further aggravating the injury.  In many cases you can continue to be active but should modify how much movement you are performing.  For those people suffering from a lot of discomfort and pain, rest the area completely.
  2. Ice the area.   Get a bag of ice or a cooling pack and place this over the injured area.  Cooling the area can act as an analgesic as well as help reduce inflammation.  Be sure to avoid placing the ice directly on the skin of the affected area so that you don’t give yourself an ice burn.
  3. Compress or support the area.  For some people this may mean keeping the sock on for an ankle sprain or wearing a brace/support around the area.
  4. Elevate the injured area to help with reducing blood flow to the injured area which can contribute to further nerve compression/irritation and pain.
  5. See your GP if the injured area is not getting better over 48-72 hours.  If your injury gets worse or you start to develop other signs and symptoms such as weakness, numbness, pins and needles etc, please go to your GP or the Emergency Department of your local hospital.

Principle Four Osteopathy is one of Melbourne City CBD leading Osteopathy clinics.  At the clinic we treat a wide range of clients, ranging from the office worker, exercise enthusiast to athlete.  We have 3 experienced osteopaths working across both of the clinics.

The Melbourne City CBD clinic is  located at 29 Somerset Place (basement), close to the corner of Elizabeth St and Little Bourke in the Melbourne City CBD. Our premises adjoin the Jon Weller Personal Training Studio, a fully-equipped training space which allows clients to combine their osteopathy treatment with exercise tutorials or specific training programs and rehabilitation.

The Docklands clinic is located at 717 Bourke St (Ground Floor), beneath the Channel 9 building near the walkway from Southern Cross Train Station to Etihad Stadium.  Our premises adjoin Pilates on Bourke, a fully-equipped pilates and yoga training space which allows clients to combine their osteopathy treatment with exercise tutorials, pilates or specific training programs and rehabilitation.

To speak to an Osteopath or book an appointment at Principle Four Osteopathy, please book online or call 03 9670 9290.