DefinitionStrain injury to one of the muscles or tendons of the forearm. The muscles of the forearm are involved with flexion and extension of the wrist and fingers, they also stabilize the elbow and wrist. As with all strains the most likely spot for the strain to occur is at the junction of muscle and its tendon because this is generally the weakess point along the entire muscle or tendon.
Parts Involved- flexor and extensor muscles of the forearm and the tendons of those muscle
- Bones of the forearm, Ulna and the Radius
- surrounding tissues such as blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels
Signs & Symptoms- Pain elicited when the muscle is made to work under some resistance, so if the strain is in a flexor muscle of the forearm then pain would be felt when the forearm is made to flex and there is Resistance to that flexion by a person or object
- possible muscle spasm of any of the forearm flexor muscles
- swelling in the area of the muscle strain
- loss of strength, strength loss will be increased with the severity of the muscle strain
- inflammation of the tendon sheath for the muscle involved
CausesPossible causes for a
strain of forearm is prolonged overuse of the muscles and tendons of the wrist and forearm. The other way one can get this injury is with a sudden violent trauma such as in contact sports such as football.
RisksContact sports as mentioned above in causes can increase ones risk of developing this injury, but there is other factors such as poor nutrition which can leave the muscle or tendon in a weakened state or unhealthy and prone to strains. previous injury to the forearm can also lead to a forearm strain as there may be existing scar tissue which is not of the same tensile strength as the surrounding tendon or muscle, and thus tears.
Preventionwarm up properly before taking part in any physical activity. The other step to prevent a strain is to take part in a good flexibility program and strength training program. the two programs will help to keep the muscle and its tendons healthy and strong and able to withstand stretching and sudden force being applied.
