How Do You Speed Up Muscle Strain Recovery?

Hinge Health member’s question: 

“I have a muscle strain that's painful and uncomfortable. How can I help it heal faster?”

Hinge Health physical therapist Paige Nelson’s answer:

Muscle strains are frustrating! They’re a common reason people come in to see me — they pulled a muscle in their back or leg, and they want to stop feeling sidelined by the pain and weakness it’s causing. A physical therapist can provide more personalized guidance on which strengthening exercises would be best for your injury. But a general playbook involves doing things to ease the pain while building up resilience in your muscles. Strengthening the injured area and surrounding muscles helps you heal and may help reduce future injuries. For example, if you strained your hamstring, you’ll likely want to focus on strengthening your hamstrings and glutes. 

Here are three things that can help with recovery from many kinds of muscle strains.

1. Keep Moving 

The concept of "rest is best" has evolved in the physical therapy world. We used to think that rest, ice, compression, and elevation (R.I.C.E.) were the gold standard for healing from injury like a muscle strain, but we now prefer to recommend  P.E.A.C.E. and L.O.V.E. PEACE stands for protect, elevate, avoid unnecessary medications, compress, and educate. LOVE stands for load, optimism, vascularization, and exercise. It’s a tad technical, but what it boils down to is this: It's crucial to incorporate gentle movement early on in the recovery process. 

A lot of people assume — mistakenly — that they need to completely immobilize (stop moving) an injured area. And while you do want to avoid aggravating movement in the first 24 to 48 hours after a muscle strain, complete lack of movement can actually slow your recovery. Instead, engage in gentle movement that feels tolerable (such as walking or stretching), and then gradually increase what you ask your body to do.

2. Use Ice and Heat 

Ice and heat can be helpful tools in managing discomfort from a muscle strain. Ice helps reduce inflammation and swelling. It narrows blood vessels, which limits blood flow to the injured tissue and helps decrease initial swelling and pain. This can be useful in the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. 

After that, heat tends to be more beneficial. Heat helps increase blood flow to the area, which brings oxygen and nutrients that support healing. It also helps relax tight or stiff muscles, which often happens as a protective response to the strain. I recommend using heat before doing exercise therapy to make it easier to move and help reduce discomfort. Heat can also be really helpful before bedtime if pain is interfering with your sleep.

3. Take Care of the Rest of You  

Healing from a muscle strain isn’t just about focusing on the injured area. Your entire body plays a role in recovery, and taking a well-rounded approach can help speed up the process.

First, stay hydrated. Water is essential for transporting nutrients to your muscles and flushing out waste products that accumulate during healing. It also helps keep your muscles and tissues flexible, which can make movement easier and reduce the chance of further injury.

Along with hydration, eating nutritious foods supports healing. Focus on fruits, vegetables, protein-rich foods (like lean meats, beans, and legumes), and healthy fats (such as avocado, olive oil, and fatty fish). These nutrients help rebuild muscle tissue, reduce inflammation, and provide the energy your body needs to heal efficiently. 

Prioritize rest and sleep. Your body repairs damaged tissues while you sleep, so getting enough quality rest is crucial for muscle recovery. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night to give your body the time it needs to repair and regenerate muscle fibers.

Know When to Seek Help 

If you’re not seeing significant improvement in your muscle strain recovery in a week to 10 days, or if you're experiencing severe bruising or difficulty bearing weight, talk to your provider. These can be signs of a more serious injury, like a muscle tear.

My Main Takeaway 

Muscle strains tend to happen episodically. So once this happens and you’re through the initial phase of healing, it really helps to build strengthening exercises into your routine to try and prevent future strains. Don’t stop doing targeted exercises once you start to feel better.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References 

1. Scialoia, D. &. Swartzendruber, A. J. The R.I.C.E Protocol is a MYTH: A Review and Recommendations. The Sport Journal, 24. 

2. Dubois, B. & Esculier, J. F. (2019). Soft tissue injuries simply need PEACE & LOVE. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54, 72-73.

3. Dubois, B., & Esculier, J.-F. (2019). Soft-tissue Injuries Simply Need PEACE and LOVE. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(2). doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-101253