Pulled adductor muscle

So, my buddy pulled a muscle—or maybe several—and apparently tore some tissue. It’s looking pretty swollen and bruised, plus there's some internal bleeding going on, so he's in a lot of pain. He can't even sleep.
He went to see a doctor who basically just told him to sit tight and prescribed some heavy-duty painkillers that he’s refusing to touch.
I was wondering if anyone here could recommend a good cream to speed up the healing process or anything else that might take the edge off the pain.

Thanks in advance.

lonefox72 said:My buddy pulled a muscle—or maybe several—and tore some tissue. It’s looking pretty swollen and bruised, with blood pooling under the skin, and he can't even sleep.
He saw a doctor who told him to just rest and prescribed some heavy-duty painkillers that he’s refusing to take.
Does anyone have recommendations for a good cream to speed up the healing or anything else that might take the edge off the pain?

Thanks, cheers.

What kind of "heavy-duty painkillers" are we talking about here? And why is he turning them down?

Look, honestly, nothing beats time and actual rest if he wants to recover properly. There aren't any magic creams out there. For the pain, though, something like Advil cream might help—it gets enough ibuprofen right where it hurts to dial down the inflammation and soreness. Just make sure he isn't allergic to the ingredients (ibuprofen, levomenthol).

I can't remember the exact names of the meds (I just caught his description), but basically, my sister lost her mind when she saw what the doctor prescribed. She was like, "Are you serious? What is that even supposed to do?" Anyway, he’s refusing to take them. He’s just not the type to rely on pills... he doesn't buy into the whole thing.
But honestly, if he actually wants to get some sleep, he's going to have to swallow something eventually.
So, we're looking at Advil then.

I've been browsing some US forums, and most of the advice boils down to rest and maybe some light physical therapy—like gentle stretching once the muscle stiffness eases up, followed by icing it after the movement.

Does anyone know if a light massage with rubbing alcohol actually helps?

lonefox72 said:I can't recall the exact names (I just remembered his description, basically my sister lost it when she saw what he prescribed—like, "what is this even supposed to do?" ), but he won't touch them. He’s just not a pills guy. Doesn't believe in the whole thing.
but I think if he actually wants to sleep, he'll eventually have to take something.
So, basically "Deep relief".

I've been browsing some international forums, and it mostly boils down to rest, some light exercises—just gentle stretching after the muscle stiffness subsides—and then using ice after working out.

Does anyone know if a light massage with rubbing alcohol helps at all?

Exactly, just rest at first. Once the bruising fades and the pain lets up, you can start some light, gradual movement, stopping right before it hurts. If you use ice afterward, don't put it directly on the skin; wrap it in a towel first. And no, an alcohol massage isn't going to do anything.

As for the meds—a real nurse knows where her expertise ends. Making comments about a doctor's decision is totally unprofessional, to put it mildly, and honestly, it says a lot about someone's character.

Besides, doctors don't exactly have an easy time dealing with your husband either—refusing to believe in medicine pretty much undermines their "healing powers."😁 😁 .