In Chinese medicine, the first step in a muscle injury is to restore free-flow of the local circulation, which aids in flushing out the dead cells and debris that are stuck in local area of the injury, while simultaneously bringing in cell building blocks and fibroblasts, which create new tissue. Restoring free-flow of circulation also reduces pain, because it is precisely the lack of free-flow that creates the pain. Restoring free-flow is best achieved by a multi-modal approach.