Whether you enjoy extreme sports (misty mountain hopping, anyone?) or just golfing the fairway to heaven, wrist injuries happen. Some of them, like fractures (a.k.a. a broken bone) might require surgery. If you do need surgery, proper recovery is important so you can ramble on with your favorite activities.

If you’ve ever hoisted a squirming toddler or forgotten your form during a deadlift, I’ve got a feeling you know what it’s like to pull a back muscle. What we call a “pulled” muscle in the back actually refers to one of two different injuries:

Regardless of activity level, no one is immune to muscle strains. And what is a muscle strain? It’s damage to a muscle or tendon (AKA the tissue that attaches muscle to bone).1,2 A strain can be as mild as over-stretching and as severe as tearing in the muscle or tendon. Muscle strains are not limited to athletes, either; you can strain a muscle by lifting something too heavy (say, a box of books, or an eager grandkid). Using one muscle over and over can cause strain, as can falling, reaching, turning your head too far or too quickly... the list goes on.1

Whether you’re throwing passes or passing the potato salad, injuries happen. Along with that twinge in your shoulder or twisted ankle comes swelling and inflammation. Why?

So you’ve messed up your ACL.

A painful injury, for sure, but at least you’re not alone. Every year, nearly a quarter of a million people in the U.S. and Canada injure their ACL (full name anterior cruciate ligament—try saying that after a couple of beers). Let’s take a look at why these types of injuries happen and some ACL rehab exercises to help you through recovery.

A pulled back muscle can begin as a sudden, sharp pain when lifting or bending. The pain can also increase gradually, getting worse as the days go by. It’s a common injury, but there’s little comfort in that fact—especially if it stops you from doing the things you enjoy.

What do you think of when you hear “pull a groin muscle?” We know, we know. Nothing fun. But get yourself out of the fetal position and listen up. First, most groin strains can be treated successfully at home. Second, there are ways to help manage the pain as you heal.