Joe A Shaw PA-C - 7/17/2008

Question
What is the best method to treat muscle pull in all my body?Is paraffin good for muscle pull?

Answer
Robert,
The tried and true method to treat a pulled or strained muscle is RICE. Rest the body part or get some type of brace or support, Ice ( custom wraps fit better, but ice bags can work) Compression..again custom fit ice packs fit and mold to part) but you want to make sure that the ice penetrates deep into the muscle and not just lay on top of skin. Elevate- This is suppose to reduce swelling ie if you have an ankle injury then putting it up on a chair w ice wrap is best.
Paraffin (hot wax) is mainly used for arthritic stiff joints in hands/fingers. Hot packs or moist heating pad can be used for larger or other body parts. There is nothing magic about the hot wax..it just feels goods to stiff cold joints and it retains heat to the area a little better than just warm water.

But heat should NOT be used with an acute strain..it may feel good initially, but it will increase swelling of the injured muscle area

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