Muscle Tear & Strain Treatment in London
Assess Your Muscle Injury, Understand What Has Been Affected And Build A Clear Plan For Your Recovery
Whether your injury happened during sport, gym training or everyday activity, we can assess the problem and help you understand what to do next.
When Should I Consider Physiotherapy For A Muscle Injury?
- Sudden muscle pain started during exercise or sport
- They felt a pull, strain or sharp pain during movement
- Walking, running or training has become painful
- The injured area feels noticeably weaker
- Swelling or bruising developed after the injury
- Stretching or contracting the muscle is painful
- They have been diagnosed with a muscle strain or tear
- They are unsure when to start exercising the muscle again
- They want to return to running, gym training or sport
- Previous treatment has not produced the progress they expected
You do not need to know exactly which muscle has been injured or how severe the injury is before booking.
Your first appointment is designed to assess the injury, explain what we think has happened and help you understand what to do next.What Is A Muscle Strain Or Tear?
A muscle strain occurs when muscle fibres are injured. The injury can range from a relatively minor strain to a more significant muscle tear.
Muscle injuries commonly happen when a muscle is working hard during activities such as sprinting, jumping, lifting or changing direction, although they can occur in many different situations.
The name or grade of the injury is only part of the picture.
We also want to understand how the injury is affecting your movement, strength and ability to do the activities you need to do.
Muscle Injuries We Commonly Assess
Pain in the back of the thigh, often occurring during running, sprinting or other faster movements.
Calf pain that may occur during running, jumping, pushing off or sport.
Pain at the front of the thigh following running, kicking, gym training or other activity.
Muscle injuries around the inner thigh and groin, particularly during running, kicking or changing direction.
Strains that occur during lifting, resistance training or other gym-based exercise.
Muscle problems that improve but repeatedly return when running, training or sport increases again.
What Happens At Your First Muscle Injury Appointment?
Understand Your Injury
We talk through what happened, what you felt at the time, whether bruising or swelling developed and how the injury has changed since.
We also discuss how it is affecting walking, work, exercise or sport.
Assess The Injury
We assess the movement and strength relevant to the injured muscle.
Depending on how recent the injury is and what you can comfortably manage, we may also assess functional movements related to your activity.
Explain What We Find
We explain what we think has been injured, how significant the problem appears to be and what that means for your next steps.
If anything remains unclear, or we think imaging or another medical opinion would be useful, we explain that too.
Start Treatment Or Rehabilitation
Where appropriate, we can begin treatment or rehabilitation during the same appointment. The approach depends on the injury, how recently it happened and what the muscle currently tolerates.
Build Your Plan
Before you leave, we explain what we recommend next, what you can do between appointments and how we will decide when you are ready to progress.
Do I Need A Scan For A Muscle Tear?
Not Necessarily.
Many muscle injuries can initially be assessed without an MRI or ultrasound.
Whether imaging would be useful depends on how the injury happened, your symptoms, what we find during the assessment and whether the result is likely to change what happens next.
If you already have an MRI, ultrasound or medical report, bring it with you and we can consider the findings alongside your assessment.
If you have not had a scan, you do not normally need to arrange one before booking unless you have already been advised to do so.
If we think imaging or another medical opinion would be useful, we will explain why and discuss the next step.
How Do We Treat And Rehabilitate Muscle Tears And Strains?
There is no single rehabilitation programme for every muscle injury.
What we recommend depends on which muscle has been injured, how significant the injury appears to be, your symptoms, your starting point and what you want to return to doing.With a recent injury, the first stage may involve managing pain and swelling while keeping an appropriate amount of movement and activity.
If movement has become uncomfortable or restricted, rehabilitation can gradually restore what you need for normal everyday activity.
As the muscle becomes ready, exercises are progressively used to rebuild strength. The aim is not simply to make the muscle feel less painful. We want it to become capable of doing the work you need it to do again.
Rehabilitation can then become progressively more challenging. Depending on your goal, this might involve heavier strength work, faster movements, running, jumping or changing direction.
The later stages should increasingly reflect what you want to return to, whether that is normal everyday activity, gym training, running or sport.
Treatment Options Where Appropriate
- Hands-on treatment
- Exercise rehabilitation
- Laser therapy
- EMS
- Infrared cupping
- Vibration therapy
When Should I Start Strengthening A Muscle Injury?
The right time to begin strengthening depends on the injury and how the muscle responds.
Complete rest until all pain disappears is not automatically necessary, but doing too much too soon may aggravate symptoms.
Rehabilitation should begin at a level the injured muscle can currently manage and then become progressively more challenging as it improves.
That may start with relatively simple exercises before progressing towards heavier strength work, faster movements and the demands of your normal activity.
Your practitioner will help you understand what is appropriate at each stage.
How Do I Know When I Am Ready To Run Or Return To Sport?
Returning to running or sport should not be based only on how many days or weeks have passed since the injury.
We also want to know how the muscle is responding to movement, strength work and progressively more demanding activity.
Depending on your injury and sport, rehabilitation may progress through:- Strength exercises
- Heavier resistance
- Running
- Faster running or sprinting
- Jumping and landing
- Accelerating and slowing down
- Changing direction
- Sport-specific movements
Not everybody needs every stage.
Someone returning to normal gym training has different demands from someone returning to sprinting or competitive football.
The aim is to progressively rebuild the activities that matter to you.
Our Approach To Muscle Injury Rehabilitation
We assess the injury and understand how it is affecting your movement, strength and activity.
Where appropriate, early treatment and rehabilitation can help manage symptoms and restore useful movement.
We progressively rebuild movement and strength and increase what the injured muscle can manage.
As you improve, rehabilitation can progress towards heavier strength work, running, speed or sport where appropriate.
Not everybody needs every stage or the same number of appointments.
Your plan should reflect the injury, your progress and what you need the muscle to do.
What If My Muscle Injury Isn't Improving?
If your progress is not matching expectations, we reassess.
That may involve:- Reviewing how your pain, bruising, swelling or function has changed
- Retesting relevant movement and muscle strength
- Reconsidering whether the original clinical explanation still fits
- Adjusting rehabilitation or activity
- Progressing your programme when appropriate
- Considering imaging if it is likely to change management
- Considering medical or specialist referral if the presentation warrants it
We do not want to simply repeat the same treatment indefinitely.
If the clinical picture changes, the plan should change too.
Why Choose Fit2Function For Muscle Injury Rehabilitation?
We have time to understand how the injury happened, assess the muscle properly and explain what we find.
Where appropriate, treatment can be combined with progressive strengthening and rehabilitation.
Our Covent Garden clinic allows rehabilitation to progress from early exercises towards meaningful strength, running and sport-specific activity where required.
If your injury is not progressing as expected, we reassess and adjust the plan rather than simply repeating the same treatment.
Muscle Tears & Strains FAQs
What exactly is a muscle tear or strain?
A muscle strain (or tear) occurs when muscle fibres are overstretched or damaged due to excessive force. Strains are graded from mild (Grade 1) to severe (Grade 3), depending on the level of damage.
How can I tell if my injury is a muscle tear or just a minor strain?
Mild strains cause soreness and tightness, while tears usually involve sharper pain, swelling, bruising and weakness. A thorough clinical assessment is the best way to confirm the extent of your injury.
How long does it typically take to recover from a muscle tear?
Recovery times vary by severity. Mild strains may heal within 1-2 weeks, moderate tears may take 4-6 weeks, and severe tears may require several months of rehab.
Can I still exercise if I have a muscle strain?
In most cases yes, but exercise should be modified and guided by a professional. We help you stay active safely while avoiding further damage.
What should I do immediately after injuring a muscle?
Apply ice, rest the area and avoid aggravating movements. Seek a professional assessment as soon as possible so treatment and rehab can as early as possible
How can I prevent muscle tears in the future?
A thorough warm-up, strength training and flexibility work can all reduce your risk. We’ll assess your movement and give you a tailored injury prevention plan.
Meet Our Multidisciplinary Team Behind Your Recovery
Our Physiotherapy treatments are provided by our fully qualified Physiotherapists and practitioners. They are experienced professionals skilled in evidence-based rehabilitation techniques, ensuring your treatment is safe, effective, and tailored to meet your individual goals.