How to Ease The Pain of Muscle Strain or Pulled Muscles

Manage the strained muscle early using ice packs. Ice packs can reduce the swelling and decrease the pain of a pulled muscle. It's important, however, to keep the muscle stretched out as far as possible without causing yourself pain. This way, the coolness from the ice is able to reach every part of the muscle strain to better resolve the problem. Ice the affected strained muscle 20 minutes for every hour you're awake.

After the swelling has subsided from the muscle strain, apply heat to the area. Heat can help the pulled muscle loosen and relax to ease the pain. Do not, however, apply heat immediately after straining a muscle. This will only increase the swelling. A good rule of thumb is to apply ice first to a swelled muscle, then use heat to loosen the affected muscle. Try a heating pad to the affected area for 15-20 minutes a few times a day.

Take a nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Anti-inflammatory medications can help to decrease the pain while helping to reduce the swelling in the pulled muscle. Using these medications to reduce the pain can also help you to move the muscle more easily and get it to loosen up. Be sure to only take the recommended dosage of anti-inflammatory medications so as to not upset your stomach. Usually, taking 2-3 pills every 6 hours help to reduce the pain of a muscle strain.

Apply an ace bandage for support and to reduce swelling. An ace bandage is great for keeping the strained muscle from further injury. Supporting the pulled muscle with an ace bandage wrap will help to restrict the muscle until it is healed and ready for use again. Be sure not to wrap the muscle strain too tightly or you will cut off circulation to the muscle and cause more damage than good. After wrapping the muscle strain in an ace bandage, elevated the affected area for at least a half an hour or more if you can find the time.

Despite what you may have heard, exercise is not good for a strained muscle. Working an overworked muscle is not the way to heal it properly. Instead, rest the muscle completely until it is healed and all the swelling and/or bruising has disappeared. Try not to overly stretch the muscle or use it a lot when it's been pulled. A strained muscle is usually one that has been overly worked and exercising the affected area will not help to get any knots out or make it feel better. In fact, it could harm it more.