A strain is more widely known as a “pulled” muscle. It is a common injury in sports and training. It can also easily occur in daily life activities. This injury is characterized by tears in the skeletal muscle or tendon due to overstretching.
Some symptoms of a strain discoloring and swelling since blood tends to accumulate around injuries. The muscle can get stiff because it is trying to protect itself against the pulling that caused the injury.
To recover from a strain the first priority should be rest. Your body heals itself and grows during sleep and rest. Ice should be placed on the area for no longer than 20 minutes at a time in order to decrease swelling. An ACE bandage may be wrapped around the injured area for support and also to keep blood from pooling in the area. If possible elevating the injured body part can also keep swelling to a minimum.
A day or two after the initial injury, if you are comfortable it may be wise to lightly stretch the muscle so it does not clamp down on itself too much and cause severe stiffness
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