A man walked into a hospital, yelping in pain. He had his right hand placed on his upper left arm, visibly wincing as she sorted for attention from the nurses. He was finally attended to and the nurse asked him what was wrong. Wasting no time, the gentleman pulled off his shirt to reveal an upper left arm with a visibly injured muscle.
His arm was swollen, several veins were wrapped around the bulge, and a splatter of blood was underneath his skin giving it a discolored look. The doctor diagnosed him with a muscle tear. Apparently, he was lifting an excessively heavy weight at the gym and that was the end result. Since the young man’s situation was severe, the doctor suggested surgery to reattach the tendon.
What are Ruptured Muscles?
A ruptured muscle, also called a muscle strain or pulled muscle, is a condition where the muscle fibers tear because of too much stretching or pressure applied to it. This injury is very unpredictable because it happens quickly and it could be to any extent, depending on what activity you were doing.
Symptoms of Ruptured Muscles
- Sudden and sharp pain in the muscle
- Swelling
- Bruised skin
- Discolored skin
- Muscle weakness
- Difficulty moving the affected area
- Tenderness
- A visible lump or deformity in the muscle
Causes of Ruptured Muscles
Lifting heavy weights aren’t the only causes of ruptured muscles. Ruptured muscles are usually unexpected and could happen when you’re doing anything.
Over-stretching: Stretching a muscle beyond its limit especially during workout can cause the muscle fibers to tear.
Lifting heavy weights: If you try to lift weights that are too heavy or you don’t use the right form to lift this weight, you can put too much stress on your muscles. This can cause the muscle fibers or tendons to rupture because they were not properly positioned to carry the load.
Sudden movements: Sudden movements usually cause muscle pulls, but sometimes you can engage in quick and intense actions like sprinting, jumping, or twisting, which can suddenly put a lot of pressure on the muscles.
Accidents: Getting injury during sports or having a bad fall can cause the muscles to rupture. The sudden force on the muscle or tendons can make it tear.
Not warming up properly: Have you ever noticed athletes running around the field or jogging at a spot before any of their events take place? This is because they are trying to warm up their stiff muscles. If you jump into intense exercise without warming up, your muscles are stiff and less flexible. This increases the chances of them tearing because they aren’t loosened up and ready for the burst of energy you are putting them through.
Conclusion
Muscle pulls can lead to ruptured muscles, like in the case of the guy who hurt himself badly while lifting heavy weights at the gym. A ruptured muscle happens when the muscle fibers tear because they’re stretched too much or under too much pressure.
