A muscle strain or tear occurs when the force on the muscle exceeds the maximum force the muscle can handle. The muscle fibers can fail or tear (partially or completely). Symptoms of a muscle strain or tear include pain, swelling, weakness when using the muscle, and tenderness to touch the muscle. Occasionally, the muscle tear may cause bruising and swelling. Commonly strained muscles in the hip area include the hip flexor, hamstring, glute, adductor, and piriformis. Your therapist will assess your muscle and provide you education about the location of your muscle strain and how to give it the right environment to heal. They will also create a custom treatment plan to address your concerns. Your treatment plan may include some manual therapy (hands on treatment), a specific exercise program, needling (dry needling and/or acupuncture), taping, ultrasound, shockwave therapy, and more! Muscle strains and tears often heal very well with physiotherapy and rarely need surgical intervention.