Fiber break, what is it and how is it cured? Can pressotherapy help you?

"I was running and... I felt like a stone hit my leg!" If you have ever heard this phrase or have said it yourself, I recommend that you continue reading and find out how it can help you. pressure therapy SIZEN.

Fiber breakage, or also called fibrillar rupture or muscle tear, as its name suggests, is defined as a break in the fibers that make up the muscle. The most common fibrillar tears occur in the lower body, specifically in the hamstrings, gastrocnemius, quadriceps, and adductors; however, it is not uncommon for them to occur in the trunk or arms.

Depending on the severity of the injury, it can be classified into different degrees:

• Grade I: a small number of fibers are broken, causing the patient discomfort or slight pain.
• Grade II: also called partial tear. A greater number of fibers are broken, but the muscle belly is not affected. The pain is more intense.
• Grade III: it is known as total tear. The muscular belly is completely torn, the patient can hardly move the affected area and the pain is very sharp.

how can it help you SIZEN before a fiber break?

La presotherapy SIZEN can help you in the moment immediately after the break occurs, however, it can also do it in injury prevention. After the break, an accumulation of fluid or blood (hematoma) can occur, causing inflammation of the area. Said excess liquid can be drained thanks to pressotherapy SIZEN thus speeding up the recovery process.

For it, it is recommended to use mode 2 of operation since it is ideal for draining excess accumulated liquid. First, chamber 1 is inflated, followed by the second, and so on until all are inflated, always maintaining the inflation pressure of the previous chambers. Once they are all inflated, they deflate at the same time, starting this process all over again.

For lymphatic drainage with pressotherapy it is recommended that the pressure is between 30 and 40 mmHg and between 30 and 60 minutes of duration.

Besides, One of the main causes of fiber breakage is muscle fatigue. Nevertheless, thanks to SIZEN and by changing bad habits we can avoid overloads. Specifically, mode 3 and 4 are specifically designed for this. Mode 3 applies a pulse massage, similar to that performed with the hands, facilitating a deep, complete and rapid muscle recovery. On the other hand, mode 4 applies a full and more intensive session using compression and decompression.

Most fibrillar tears occur in the lower extremities, so we should use the PANTS of SIZEN (boots that cover from the feet to the groin) or COMPLETE PANTS (which would cover from the feet to the navel). However, if the break occurred in the arm, we would use PRESOTHERAPY ARM SLEEVES or in the case of an abdominal rupture, we would use the PRESOTHERAPY ABDOMINAL GRAPE.

What are the causes of a fiber break?

There are numerous causes that can cause a fiber break, below, we will explain the most common:

• A bad warm up: It is quite common, especially at an amateur level, not to warm up properly before practicing sports. If the muscle is not warm enough and is subjected to a sharp overstretch, it can tear and lead to muscle tear.
• Flexibility deficit: Working flexibility in the athlete's routine is important for injury prevention. Specifically for muscle tears, the greater the flexibility of the muscle, the greater the ability to stretch without breaking.
• muscle fatigueRest is a fundamental part of the athlete's routine. A bad rest and its corresponding muscle overload will cause greater rigidity in the structures and, therefore, there will be more possibility of tissue damage.
• direct trauma: not only can a fiber tear be caused indirectly (the muscle does not receive a direct blow, but rather it breaks due to excessive stretching), but this tear can also be produced with an impact on the muscle: a kick, a fall on that area, etc.
• Sedentary lifestyle: Like any pathology, the less accustomed the body is to doing sports, the more chances it has to get sick. The case of fiber breakage is no exception. If you are not used to playing sports and your muscles elongate and contract more strongly than usual, it is much more likely that they will suffer any alteration.
• Bad nutrition: An unhealthy diet is, on many occasions, one of the main causes of muscle, tendon and ligament injuries. Poor diet produces in the body a series of toxic elements that make body tissues more rigid and poorly vascularized, which means an increased probability of tissue damage.
• Etc.

What are the symptoms of a fiber break?

When excessive elongation of our fibers occurs that exceeds the elastic limit of the muscle fiber, breakage occurs. The most common symptom is a sudden and intense pain, which is commonly known as “stone throwing syndrome”. It is called this way since the person who suffers from it feels the sensation of having received a stone in the affected area.
In addition, it is common for a bruise to appear in the area due to the tear, however, there are occasions where it does not appear, since it depends on the depth of the tear or the affected area.
On the other hand, depending on the centimeters of the break or its degree, there will be more or less inflammation in the affected area.

What can I do if I suspect that I have a fibrillar rupture?

First of all, you should go to the physiotherapist or doctor so that through a medical test (usually an ultrasound is enough to observe the break and determine its degree) confirm that you really suffer from a fiber break. Subsequently, the physiotherapist will help you heal the tear so that your life and your sporting activity return to normal as soon as possible and in the best way.
If the physiotherapist or doctor cannot assess you the same day as the tear, it is recommended that, until you have an appointment, you apply ice to the affected area for a maximum of 10 minutes, 3 times a day, to avoid excessive inflammation. In addition, rest, elevation of the limb and the use of pressure therapy are important. SIZEN for the reabsorption of the edema that may have been generated.

As a conclusion, we could say that pressotherapy SIZEN Not only does it help recovery to be better and faster when we suffer a fiber break, but it also helps to prevent them, because if we take care of our body, we will be less likely to damage it.

Author:

Alice Vicario, physiotherapist and creator of Fisiovik (IG: @fisiovik).