actually sometimes complete ruptures only cause pain in the immediate post injury period. the best example i can give is people with significant tendinosis of the long head of the bicep tendon. this tendon goes from intra-articular to extra-articular and then down the arm in front. when inflamed it can be quite painful causing chronic anterior shoulder pain. for some this tendon eventually ruptures; they have a shot of severe pain swelling and bruising and then their chronic shoulder pain is gone. their bicep muscle looks different but the pain is better. . do not use only pain as your guide. weakness or other functional deficits can also be a sign of a complete rupture with or without severe pain. an mri will definitely identify the extent of the muscle injury and it is a non-invasive test that gives you a lot of information.
is an mri recommended if the pain from my pulled forearm muscle is gone but the area is still enlarged?