Quadriceps muscle strain

Injuries to this muscle group are common and can be painful, debilitating and can result in significant time away from training and competition. 

Anatomy

The quadriceps is made up of four individual muscles each of which play a role in hip flexion and knee extension. These are all innervated by the femoral nerve.

·         Rectus femoris

·         Vastus lateralis

·         Vastus intermedius

·         Vastus medialus

Quadriceps Muscle Strain

Quadriceps strains are most commonly caused by a strong eccentric contraction during sporting activities such as sprinting, football and basketball.  A quadriceps strain injury normally occurs when the extensor muscles are forced to stretch beyond their limitations, resulting damage to the muscle tissue commonly called a tear. The tear in the muscle is called the strain, and fall into one of three different degrees, depending on its severity. 

Grade 1

Grade 1 quadriceps strains do not normally appear until a particular activity like running, jumping or kicking is done. This is often described as a sensation of tightness or feelings of pain when the muscles are contracted or stretched. Continuation of the activity is often report with the discomfort occurring after or the day after participation

Grade 2

Grade 2 quadriceps strains immediately have sensations of pain, far more painful than those of the grade 1 injuries. It also produces severe pain on walking. The grade 2 groin strains are usually confirmed by pains and weakness, especially when muscles are contracted or stretched. This type of strain is normally very sore to touch and may result in bruising at the anterior thigh. 

Grade 3 

Grade 3 quadriceps strains are described as a full rupture of one of the extensor muscles but are rare. These types keep the athlete from walking with individual normally requiring surgical intervention following this type of injury. For both the grade 2 and 3 strain injuries, a large bruise is normally formed below the injured area after a few days. The bruise is generally caused by bleeding of the damaged tissues. 

Immediate treatment for any type of muscle injury is to commence three practical yet helpful methods: 

Rest– Avoid the aggravating activity until the pain has disappeared, normal between 3 to 6 weeks
 
Ice– Use ice every couple of hours for 20 minutes over the affected area to reduce bleeding and pain 

Compression– Compression assists in the prevention of swelling in the affected area help to reduce the recovery time 

Preventing Groin Strain

·         Use compression shorts to keep the muscles warm and supported

·         Always warm up before sporting activity

·         Always cool down after sporting activity

·         Stability exercises

·         Seek the advice of a qualified sports injury specialist