The more the injured part swells, the more it will hurt. When lying or sitting, prop up the arm or leg with pillows to minimize swelling also. An arm sling helps to keep injured wrists or hands elevated. After a period of rest, allowing initial healing, your physician may recommend range of motion , stretching or strengthening exercises , especially before returning to sports. This may result in either mild tenderness with no major change in muscle function, to severe pain, swelling, and reduced muscle strength or movement.
Treatment is the same as for strains and sprains described above.
A complication that can occur after this type of injury is the formation of calcium deposits in the blood that has collected within the muscle. This can produce severe pain and limit one's ability to use the muscle normally. Occasionally we may suspect a fracture to the bone has occurred based on the child's examination, but may not see any obvious sign of it on an initial X-ray. We may need the help of a radiologist who specializes in reading X-rays. They read the X-rays in the morning, so after getting their report, we will contact you to relay their findings or recommendations.