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. 

This blog was originally written on June 24, 2019, and has been updated since.

If you have scheduled a procedure to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), you’re probably wondering, “How long will I be out of my normal routine?” Although this is an important question, there is much more to ACL surgery recovery than just getting back on your feet. Even after you can walk without crutches or other assistive devices, your body is still healing, and the recovery process continues.

This blog was originally written on January 27, 2020, and has been updated since.

Anyone can suffer from a hip flexor injury, but athletes, martial artists, and dancers know this kind of injury all too well. The hip flexors are a group of muscles along the bottom of your abdomen and the top of your hips. Even if you’re not performing a three-hour stage show like a certain superstar, activities such as kicking, running, jumping, and dancing all engage those muscles.¹

Back pain: It can strike suddenly or sneak up on you after a long period of wear and tear. Considering it’s the second most common health complaint doctors hear after headaches, back problems are likely to happen to you sometime during your life. (1)

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: 

• A sprain (with a “P”) means the ligaments that hold bones together are torn or stretched. (1)
• A strain (with a “T”) means the muscles themselves are stretched or torn. (1) 

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.