{{Short description|Medical condition}} thumb|Transverse fascia A '''side strain''' is a muscle strain caused by tearing of the transversalis fascia or the internal oblique muscle.<ref name="pa">{{cite web|url=http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/16456350/side-strain-internal-oblique-muscle-strain-phy.htm|title=Side strain|publisher=PhysioAdvisor|accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref>{{Unreliable medical source|date=June 2016}} When this occurs, stretching the muscle will be severely painful, making it difficult to move the arm, and the strain may later be marked by swelling or bruising.<ref name="nsmi">{{cite web|url=http://www.nsmi.org.uk/articles/cricket-injuries/side-strain-injuries.html|title=Side strain : cricket injuries|publisher=Sports medicine|accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref>
The strain usually occurs due to the internal oblique muscle contracting suddenly from a stretched position. It may happen suddenly, or over time from regular repetitive activity.<ref name="pa"/> It is common in cricket players,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nealon |first1=Andrew |last2=Farhart |first2=Patrick |last3=Linklater |first3=James M. |title=Cricket Sports Medicine |date=2025 |publisher=Springer Nature |location=Singapore |isbn=978-981-96-6321-7 |pages=373–388 |language=en |chapter=Side and Abdominal Strains in Cricket |doi=10.1007/978-981-96-6321-7_36 }}</ref> and occurs on the opposite side of the arm that is used for bowling.<ref name="nsmi"/> The injury has also been reported in rowing, baseball and ice hockey and pool.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_qvBBAAAQBAJ&dq=%22side+strain%22+rowing&pg=PA207|title=Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Skeletal Musculature|editor=Marc-André Weber|page=207|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|year=2013|isbn=978-3-642-37219-3}}</ref> The preferred treatment for a side strain is regular rest and inactivity on the affected muscle. With appropriate rest, regular activity on the muscle can occur between 4 and 6 weeks, though it may take longer.<ref name="pa"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Injuries of abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine and pelvis
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