Management of muscular injuries: Strategies for diagnosis and treatment

Introduction and aim Muscle injuries are frequent in the world of sport, especially in football. The most recent epidemiological studies show that muscle injuries represent more than 30% of all injuries (1.8–2.2/1000 h of exposure), which means that a professional football team suffers an average of 12 muscle injuries per season, equivalent to more than 300 lost sporting days. The objective of this article is to provide a working document that is clear, practical and comprehensive about diagnosis, general treatment and overall management of muscle injuries. Methods The protocols are based on current experiences and practice from managing these injuries in a professional sporting environment on a daily basis. Results and conclusions The authors present a model of sequential treatment of muscular injuries. The model is important to understand how different professionals are progressively involved in the recovery of each muscular injury. We will never be 100% certain that a player will not suffer recurrence and the risks must be considered according to specific circumstances. As always in our environment (professional sport) we are unable to be conservative but we can be sensible. The more knowledge and experience we have available, the better we are able to help in the final decision-making process.