How to treat pulled muscles with your FSA

Muscle strain or pull can cause intense pain and immobility in whatever the affected body part is. It's the most common sports injury, but you can also get a pulled muscle by putting undue pressure or from sudden movements while performing daily tasks such as lifting or reaching. Luckily, you can treat a muscle pull relatively easily with a combination of rest of home remedies you can buy with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

You'll know you have a muscle pull when there's swelling or bruising, pain of a specific area at rest, or even inability to use that muscle. Here is what you should do when you have pulled a muscle:

1. Ice the area immediately

Ice is very effective for decreasing swelling and reducing pain. It also helps to relax the shoulder muscle to prevents spasms and stops any bleeding. Ice the muscle area 20 minutes every hour while awake.

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2. Take Medication

Your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants on a short-term basis to relieve extreme pain. A doctor may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen to reduce local inflammation, which is often the cause of pain.

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3. Get Chiropractic Treatments

Seeing a chiropractor is possible with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA),and so are massage therapies (if they are medically necessary) with a letter of medical necessity. Massage therapy promotes blood flow to affected area, loosen tight muscles, and release endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers. Gentle manipulation by the chiropractor helps loosen tight back muscles and promote healing.

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4. Apply Heat Therapy

Application of heat is helpful in the long term to stimulate the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, helping to heal the damaged tissue. Heat also decreases pain signals to the brain and increases flexibility in soft tissues around the muscles and connective tissues.

Product of the week:

Battle Creek products can help with pain relief, and they're FSA eligible.

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