Glen AtwellSports Injury: Quad Strain and Tear
May 20th 2008 01:17
That sudden tightness in the front of your thigh. A dull ache that never fades. Yes, that’s right; you’ve strained your quaddy!
Your quadriceps (there are four muscles) are located on the front of your thigh. In literal terms, it opposes the hamstring, in that it crosses over your hip joint, along the thigh and into the knee.
Quad strains usually occur in kicking or during full extensions of the leg. Obviously, kicking sports such as football and soccer produce the most quad injuries. Runners rarely strain or tear their quad muscles
It is not known whether the initial contact with the ball, or the swing through, is more likely to cause the injury.
A pulled quadriceps is often the result of a strength imbalance between the quadriceps and the hamstring. Strong hamstring muscles in the back of the leg and weak quadriceps muscles in the front of the leg can result in a pull or a tear.
Treatment following a quadriceps injury should employ the RICE device.
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Icing should be routine, on and off every hour, for at least the first couple of days. This will quell bleeding and promote faster healing.
A nasty quad tear could mean many months off the field, but a slight strain should only set you back two to four weeks.
During recovery, ensure you stretch adequately before undertaking strenuous activity, and when resuming running exercises, don’t sprint or take-off with too much vigor – you might reinjure.
Stair-climbing is the best way to isolate and strengthen quad muscles.
Hold that pole and stretch that quad!
Quad strains usually occur in kicking or during full extensions of the leg. Obviously, kicking sports such as football and soccer produce the most quad injuries. Runners rarely strain or tear their quad muscles
It is not known whether the initial contact with the ball, or the swing through, is more likely to cause the injury.
A pulled quadriceps is often the result of a strength imbalance between the quadriceps and the hamstring. Strong hamstring muscles in the back of the leg and weak quadriceps muscles in the front of the leg can result in a pull or a tear.
Treatment following a quadriceps injury should employ the RICE device.
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Icing should be routine, on and off every hour, for at least the first couple of days. This will quell bleeding and promote faster healing.
A nasty quad tear could mean many months off the field, but a slight strain should only set you back two to four weeks.
During recovery, ensure you stretch adequately before undertaking strenuous activity, and when resuming running exercises, don’t sprint or take-off with too much vigor – you might reinjure.
Stair-climbing is the best way to isolate and strengthen quad muscles.
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