If you often lead an active lifestyle, are athletic, and always preparing for the next major game, you may find yourself engaging your abdomen consistently as you engage in physical activity. At Advance Physical Therapy, Physical therapy in Lindenhurst, we know just how to help with any abdominal pain that afflicts you, no matter how severe.
The abdomen is a precious piece of the body, responsible for much of your athletic performance. However, should you injure your abdomen, you will have cut your athletic capabilities in half, greatly reducing your skills.
What is an Abdominal Strain?
An abdominal strain often occurs, which varies from a slight stretch to a complete and severe tear. Abdominal strains can occur in any of the four abdominal muscles; when that happens, even basic bodily functions such as coughing or sneezing end up resulting in more pain than usual. Abdominal strains should be checked immediately, though there are three classifications of abdominal strains that are worth keeping in mind.
Before any treatments can be discussed, understanding what kinds of abdominal strains there are and what causes them goes a long way for your athletic future.
The Classifications of Abdominal Strains
- First Degree Abdominal Muscle Strain
- Second Degree Abdominal Muscle Strain
- Third Degree Abdominal Muscle Strain
The varying degrees worsen from first to the third degree. First-degree strains result in relatively mild pains, making coughing, sneezing, and other usual bodily functions painful and swelling in the abdomen.
Second-degree strains are, as expected, much more severe, resulting in localized swelling and discoloration. To add to this is more severe pain of the bodily functions previously mentioned, with anything remotely connected to the abdomen bound to hurt.
Third-degree strains call for emergency medical care, as symptoms are much more drastic than before with nausea and vomiting, as well as difficulty breathing and an abnormal heart rate added to the list of symptoms.
Causes of Abdominal Strains
Sports such as baseball, basketball, track & field, and gymnastics are often where these injuries occur, usually when the movement you make is stronger and more forceful than what the abdomen fibers can handle. Anything that involves too much movement for the body to withstand invites abdominal strains.
How to Treat Abdominal Strains
When the abdominal strain has just recently occurred, the tried and true method of resting the muscles and applying ice once every twenty minutes helps drastically, as well as an ace bandage to reduce swelling. Once the strain begins to hurt less after the treatments mentioned above, mild stretches will help train the abdominal muscle to get back up to speed.
Physical therapists may also help you with exercises that do not damage the injured tissue, known as isometric muscle exercises and concentric muscle exercises. Advance Physical Therapy, Physical therapy in Lindenhurst can proudly claim that our therapists know just how to help with these procedures.
Contact Us Today
Advance Physical Therapy, Physical Therapy in Lindenhurst knows abdominal strains or other abdominal pains like no other, able to help however we can. Contact us today; we are located in Valley Stream, Lindenhurst, Astoria, and Wantagh.