Pulled Muscle

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
The other day I was opening a door that was stuck and I pulled a muscle next to my shoulder blade.

As the day wore on the pain increased to when if I moved the wrong way it felt as if I was being stabbed in the back.

Trying to sleep with a pulled muscle in a moving truck is not fun as the movement of the truck had me gasping for breath.

I finally used pillow to prop my shoulders and was able to sleep. The next day I was able to work the soreness out of the muscle and was I glad.

This is the first time I have pulled a muscle while out on the road and I was amazed at how hard it was to find a comfortable position to sleep.

Has anyone else had this happen and what did you do to get a good nights sleep?
 
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layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I have done things like that way too often. I have yet to find a way to sleep well till it loosens up.
 

jjoerger

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Army
I take Painrelief PM which is acetaminophen and diphenhydramine HCI.
It is an over the counter night time pain reliever with a sleep aid. I take a half a dose (1 pill) and it helps me to fall asleep and stay asleep. Only taking 1 pill makes it easy to wake up without feeling groggy.
 

sirgregory46

Expert Expediter
I take Painrelief PM which is acetaminophen and diphenhydramine HCI.
It is an over the counter night time pain reliever with a sleep aid. I take a half a dose (1 pill) and it helps me to fall asleep and stay asleep. Only taking 1 pill makes it easy to wake up without feeling groggy.

You realize all that is is Tylenol and benadryl. You can buy that separately and save money. :)

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Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Either ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) should work wonders. Both are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Aspirin is a NSAID, too, but the amount you'll need to take over the course of a few days will greatly increase the chances of stomach bleeding with aspirin.

The biggest differences between ibuprofen and naproxen is the speed in which they act, and in how long they last. Ibuprofen is a fast acting drug, and will bring you relief much quicker than naproxen will. Ibuprofen also works much better at relieving fevers, headaches and migraines than naproxen. Ibuprofen is generally something you would take to quickly deal with pain such as a headache or other pain.

Naproxen is a drug that works slower than ibuprofen, but in the end will offer longer-term relief compared to the short-term benefit of ibuprofen. Furthermore, it’s much better at targeting muscle tissue inflammations (the pain caused by a sprain, arthritis, or strained muscles). Naproxen is therefore best used after a long workout, a hike, for sore muscles before bed, or for long term relief of a pulled muscle for best effect.

Naproxen goes easiest on your heart, so if you have a history of heart attacks it is better to use than ibuprofen. Several reliable studies have shown ibuprofen can have adverse effects for people who have a history of heart and liver disease, especially in long term or high dosage situations. Ibuprofen can increase blood pressure, which (in rare cases) can cause heart attacks or stroke, so if you're at risk for that, naproxen is better, anyway.

I definitely have a history of heart disease, and am on medication for high blood pressure, and my doctor says either one is fine, as long as I don't take more than the clinical dose of a max of 2400mg per 24 hours for ibuprofen or 660mg naproxen in 24 hours, or take either for more than 10 days. Obviously, if you're on any medications you should check with your doctor before taking either one.

Most of the time I take ibuprofen, but for a pulled muscle, if I sleep funny and have back pain or I can't turn my head because of neck pain, I go with naproxen because it lasts longer.

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is good for pain, but is almost useless if the cause of the pain is inflammation, like with a pulled muscle. You want an anti-inflammatory to promote blood flow. An ice pack on the muscle for up to 20 minutes at a time, several times a day will also promote blood flow, lower inflammation and speed healing. After a couple or three days, however, heat therapy works better to help break down any remaining damaged cells and increase blood flow. I admit that I rarely use ice or heat except in really bad sprains or pulled muscles. Generally a NSAID and rest (not using the muscle) for a few days does the trick.
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I was on naproxen , 500MG, twice a day, every day. It did a good job on the pain in my hands and knees, did nothing when I pulled a muscle. I quit taking it, it gave me horrible dry mouth.

My DR switched me to Etodolac, 400MG, twice a day, every day. It does a fair job on the arthritis pain, no dry mouth. I have yet to pull a muscle to see what happens there.

Always trade offs.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Not every NSAID works the same on everyone. The 3 OTC NSAIDs are aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. Ketoprofen used to be OTC, but now it's prescription-only. One NSAID may have little effect on one person for a specific condition, while another will work great. Still others may need one of the dozen or so prescription NSAIDs.

I do know that one is better for osteoarthritis and the other is better for rheumatoid arthritis, but I can't remember which is which.
 

pandora2112

Seasoned Expediter
Turtle I know acetaminophen is used to treat arthritis because it doesn't cause stomach irritation with regular use. Acetaminophen isn't a NSAID but still a pain reliever. I want to say ibuprofen or naproxen are OTC treatments of rheumatoid arthritis bc of their anti inflammatory properties...I could be wrong, this is from memory and not fact checked!


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pandora2112

Seasoned Expediter
Teamcaffee you might try a heating pad next time...depending on the severity, type of muscle sprain, location, etc typically either heat therapy can work wonders. And strangely enough cold therapy can work too...though cold therapy is typically more effective on chronic pain.

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moose

Veteran Expediter
One word: "chiropractor" !
they do wonders, and can be found @ any small town America.
and yes- this is a work related injury and {least in my case} fully covered.
O.C.C- never leave home without it!.
 

Monty

Expert Expediter
I slipped, (didn't fall), in the garage a week ago, today I am going to a massage therapist, since I can hardly walk. Lower, left back is in spasms. I have a commercial grade massager I have used on it to keep moving, but I need relief!

Pulled muscles are not fun!
 

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Monty that is what I was thinking about that I only had a small area that was hurting and I played the What if game. My muscle would spasm when I moved wrong and it sure got my attention.

I was really wishing for a heating pad and next time we are home I will try and remember to add one to the truck. I have asper cream that I use on my knees that seemed to help the pain.

We are getting older and stuff like this reminds me that we are getting older.
 

Dynamite 1

Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I believe what you pulled, or what I was told anyway, is called the rhomboid lumbosis (sp) it is very painfull. I have suffered this several times. Pain relievers help but I have found that deep massage done a few times a day worked the best for me.
 

moose

Veteran Expediter
O.K, lets ask.
lets say that you are in another state, away from home, and you need a massage, to ease an muscle pain.
when Googling it, how will you know that the massage therapist you are going to is a legit one, that will relief your pain, and not the, lets say..., the naughty one?...
 

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
Nothing wrong with a therapeutic message that has a happy ending.
 

pandora2112

Seasoned Expediter
O.K, lets ask.
lets say that you are in another state, away from home, and you need a massage, to ease an muscle pain.
when Googling it, how will you know that the massage therapist you are going to is a legit one, that will relief your pain, and not the, lets say..., the naughty one?...

Just look for the one advertising free showers or happy endings!

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ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
We are getting older and stuff like this reminds me that we are getting older.

Indeed we are getting older, and short of suicide, there is nothing we can do about that.

Physically, it means we have to work harder to be fit than when we were younger. We can't get away with eating whatever we want whenever we want. We can't leap out the back of a dock-high truck without fear of injury like a young person can. Doing what was a simple chore when we were younger, like moving freight around in the back of a truck, can easily result in an injury when we are older. And even if we are not injured handling freight, we may get aches and pains that we did not feel in our youth. Some of these may motivate us to move less, taking us further down the deconditioning path and reinforcing the downward spiral.

Since Diane and I learned how to use gyms on the road, the clock continues to tick but the aches and pains are gone and our energy has increased. It is good to work out whenever and wherever you can but the gyms make available to us a full selection of cardio and strength equipment that provides full-body workouts. Every major muscle group can be exercised and strengthened by using this equipment. The available showers make it easy to complete a full workout without worrying about blowing your shower.

It makes a difference. It is easier now for us to climb in and out of the truck. Increased flexibility makes it easier and more desireable to move around. The fact that our muscles have been recently exercised reduces the chance that we may sprain, strain or pull something while doing manual labor. We feel more awake and alert behind the wheel.

I especially enjoy the selectorized equipment the gyms provide. The machines keep your body safely and well positioned while you work a particular muscle group. For a deconditioned person like me who has a way to go before I would call myself physically fit, selectorized is the solution.

While injuries can still happen, of course, the aches and pains are gone. It feels good to feel good.
 
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