Heat or ice on torn muscle ?

[colint]

I appear to have severly torn a muscle(maybe ?) after doing some weight training yesterday. No pain at the time, but woke up with neck etc a bit stiff and it quickly progressed to agony. I can safely say that this is the moset painful injury I've ever had, and that includes numerous broken bones.

I've got a heat pack on that doesn't seem to be making any difference, should I be using ice ?

 

[Sneds]

RICE

Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation

Or PRICE and just add protect to the above x

 

[pokerjoke]

Initally on new injuries you should put ice on it to reduce swelling,then get an x-ray it could be worse than you think so get it checked out.

 

[birdieman]

Sounds like you've pinched the sciatic nerve as a muscle strain shouldn't hurt more than a broken bone!
Best just rest, maybe get checked by a doctor for a ruptured neck vertebrae disc.

 

[colint]

Thanks guys, going to try the ice and if it's not better tomorrow go the docs. The nerve thing sounds like a possibility as when I move the pain goes right down to my waist on one side of my body, and strangely up to the top of my head.

 

[Yerman]

Your sciatic nerve is nowhere near your neck!
Sounds typical soft tissue injury -SNEDS is bang on with the old R.I.C.E though we don't usually use compression on neck injuries unless its a Man U supporter.

 

[pokerjoke]

I no doctor but it sounds to me youve bruised your right toe.

 

[USER1999]

Um, go see a profesional, don't ask a golf forum. Me, I use a physio, he really knows his stuff with sports injuries. He used to work with Bjorn Borg. For you, who knows, but not here.

 

[TonyN]

RICE treatment is usually only good for the first 48 hours to reduce swelling and aid the blood flow back towards the affected area after the ice has been removed.

After the 48 hours the heat treatment is better because it expands the blood cells I beleive and help to speed up the repair process.

 

[kid2]

Murph is right Colin,
The forum although very helpful in most areas unless someone on here is a qualified physio is no place for a true answer.....
The physio is your only option with the amount of injuries iv had playing football physios can localise the injury and get you to recovery quicker.....From my own experience if you had pulled or strained a muscle ligament or tendon for that matter you would have felt it at that moment in the gym.....Go get to your physio and he'll sort you out and always ice the injury first it takes the swelling down and slows the blood flow to the injured area...

 

[colint]

thanks all, I've had ice on it for the last couple of hours and it's eased slightly. Agree the physio is the place to go, but all I could move earlier was my hands so got stuck with you lot

 

[Region3]

Are you taking anything for it?

Not necessarily painkillers but an anti-inflammatory?

 

[JustOne]

If it hurts everywhere you press then it's likely you have broken your finger.