Herb,

It's possible you've pulled a muscle. As we get older it's not such a hard thing to do, I've heard of people pulling muscles while straining on the toilet. If the pain gets worse rather than better over the next day or two then I would recommend seeing your doctor. But, if it begins to improve then it is probably a pulled muscle and can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to fully heal. If it is a pulled muscle then you need to take care not to strain it again.

I once pulled a muscle in my back from a simple sneeze. It took a good 3 weeks before it felt back to normal. I've also heard that a common way people strain muscles is putting their socks on in the morning - muscles are cold and more easily strained without hard-core activity.

If it is a strain, then applying an ice pack for about 20 mins. every 4-6 hours should help reduce any inflammation.

Hope you feel better soon.

Elizabeth