Does anyone know how long a non-TMS abdominal strain takes to heal?

I'm working on the general assumption that if an injury persists longer than is normal, then it's TMS. I have an abdominal strain that is very limiting. "Taking time off from exercise" isn't really an option. I'm so weak that just sitting seems to aggravate the injury.

Some websites say that the recovery time for an abdominal injury is the same as for any other muscle injury, provided the muscles are rested. Personal accounts online describe these injuries as dragging on for months. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

I tore an oblique muscle many years ago. It took around six weeks for it to heal physically but I was ginger around using it for a long time. Once bitten, twice shy and all that. During the healing time I rested completely. I had no choice as I was bed-bound. It's never troubled me since.

 

thanks

 

Dr. Sarno said : The femur, the biggest bone in the body, heals stronger then new, in about six weeks, after being broken.

 

Great point Tom. Scar tissue is the strongest of all. That's what makes recovery so damn sweet, our psychological scar tissue makes us resilient and sagacious.

 

Recently i've gotten a lot of questions on "muscle strain" versus "muscle tear." Bottom line is that a true tear will take time (like 6 weeks as above) to heal. A strain is minor and will not take more than a couple weeks, i've had a few of these from mechanical type incidents and 3 weeks should be the max. The strain should not hurt after a couple weeks or it is TMS.

 

My understanding is that "strain" and "tear" are synonymous. "Strain" is simply medical jargon, and can be either Grade 1 (minor), Grade 2 (moderate), or Grade 3 (severe).

 

They are not synonymous in my experience. When I ocassioned my injury I was running and the muscle snapped like a rubber band stretched too far. I hit the floor immediately. I was bed bound because my body couldn't support my weight. A tear is quite a violent injury, a rupture, a ripping.

A strain is essentially a pulled muscle. I experienced many abdominal strains as a belly dancer, hard not to really. As @MindBodyPT says these are mild in comparison to a tear. I experienced every 'grade' of strain during my time dancing and they all stopped hurting within days. Once it was so severe I could barely walk but it nothing like the tear and it resolved with days.

 

In the PT/medical world there is definitely a difference. As plum describes a tear is a true rip and will take that extra time to heal, occasionally surgery is even needed (usually more for a ligament or tendon). A strain/pulled muscle is not this. Even if it is a "grade 1" and there is a tiny tear this will not take long to heal. Most definitely not 6 weeks!

 

Of course me being so analytical, I would then ask what causes such injuries? I'd assume that overuse or a sudden twist of jerk would cause the more minor grade one strains and a fall or accident of some sort that applies significant force would cause a true tear or rip that would possibly require more than just rest to heal... I often agonize over pain I have, especially after physical activity... Thinking I "strained" something if I have any localized pain. I also wonder about muscle "knots" and trigger points... Are they a "real thing"?... And can TMS cause them due to prolonged tension or tightness, and once that tightness is long-standing, can a person actually get physically injured during exercise because they're tight/tense?
Sorry for the multiple questions, this is all so difficult to sort out...and I just wanted to add, the alarming part of this for me is what MDs and nurses have told me. One nurse told me a story of how she simply reached into her refrigerator one day to grab her lunch for work and "strained" a muscle in her back and missed a week of work. That just seems... well, exaggerated.. Can a muscle BE so weak that such a seemingly benign movement can cause such a "serious" injury?

 

Speaking only from personal experience, most of my strains came from either pushing my body too hard (dance requires using the body in unusual and novel ways) and not warming up sufficiently before hand. I was young and cavalier. I am much more respectful and wise now. This is why I really dislike recommendations made on here to push through pain. That is awful advice. Better advice is to learn to listen to your body, tune into the sensations, get especially good around the edges of more extreme sensations. And always warm your body up thoroughly before exercise. I think of this as the difference between a stick of gum before you pop it in your mouth and the well-chewed (sorry!), pliable and stretchy thing it becomes.

There is a massive difference in terms of feeling between a worked-out, post-exercise body and overuse or damage. The former is an ache or pain that feels good. Strain doesn't possess this beneficial psychological component.

Trigger points are *real* knots but I'm pretty sure they are intimately connected to TMS. Have a look at some of @Gigalos posts because he writes sagely on this subject. I defer to his opinion.

Finally, I do think one can harm themselves through being tight and tense HOWEVER my suggestion there relates back to my earlier thoughts on NOT pushing through. It's best to gently work on relieving tension first and warming up thoroughly.

It's so important to foster a healthy, balanced relationship with your body. If you've not exercised for a long time for God's sake don't be gung-ho. Be gentle. Follow a mindful, calibrated program that eases you back into movement over time. Incorporate rest days. Be playful. Cultivate a positive, nurturing mindset.

Remember these are my thoughts based upon my experience. The wonderful @MindBodyPT will offer more insightful thoughts based upon a richer knowledge and experience. I look forward to hearing them for they are ever-enriching.

 

My definition of a "tear" would be a true structural injury defined by swelling, blood collecting in the injured area (ecomosis), and excruciating pain. I tore a gastrox muscle in a tennis match once, it came out of the blue, I looked behind me to see if I'd been hit by an object like a golf ball or a bullet. I went to an orthopedist, (for the first time), the next day . He wrapped it in a Koban , lightweight Ace type of bandage, and gave me a crutch to walk with. He told be to quit playing for about six weeks--I quit for three weeks and then started hitting gingerly again. I attributed the tear to having not warmed-up properly after resuming playing after a break between matches.

I've had a lot of "strains"--not tears, since then and some real sprained ankles. Being TMS savvy now, I attribute many of these "strains" to TMS mini attacks, if there was is traumatic event associated with the pain. I'll back off, observing the event, and try to sort it out, thinking TMS psychologically. When I swim I sometimes get shoulder pain, it may last for a few days or a week of two. If I warm-up slowly, I can maybe shake it off or not--then I'll just use one arm and work on kicking and rotating more --whatever works.

Our joints have little brains in them called propreoceptors--giving us propreoceptive awarness. They tell us when we are overly stretching--they are part of the "live & learn" bodymind structual team. That's where that TMS awareness comes in --being in the present--not the past/future, helps prevent "real tears". Warm-up before doing violent movements. In the immortal terms of Walter Stack : "Start slow and taper off".

 

Our bodies are not this fragile. Benign movements don't cause serious injury. I'd suggest the nurse in question just wanted/needed some time off and either blagged it in full consciousness or it was manufactured by her subconscious aka TMS. Net result the same.

 

How does one tell the difference between a strain and a tear? There was a definite "pulling" sensation accompanied by pain at the onset. After two to three weeks the pain fell to manageable levels and I started exercising through mild pain. This resulted in a LOT of pain later that day, and now a few days later, it's still very painful to do anything.

 

I get exactly the same sensations from trying to exert myself and I NEVER used to be so "fragile"... It's just a hunch and MindBodyPT is a great one to ask, but I suspect I'm so tight and nervous about movement that it creates that pulling followed by pain sensation, convincing me I've injured myself... I am still trying to figure out if they ARE actual strains or just my nerves playing tricks on me. We become overly sensitized after suffering in pain for an extended period of time... Autonomic Nervous System overload.. Still waiting for mine to calm down, it's a dual process, caring for your body physically (some people ignore their pain and push through it, that method doesn't work for me..) and soothing your mind and spirit...

 

With a tear you do feel the rip and there is a loss of control, much like a collapse. It's very distinct and nothing like the feeling of a pull. It sounds like you originally pulled a muscle and then aggravated it. Have you seen a doctor?

 

No, I haven't seen a doctor. In a way, I'm thankful for this injury. I've suffered so many aches and pains over the years, but this pain (in conjunction with the structured education program) has allowed me to view things in a new way. I'm using it as a tool to separate pain from fear.