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
