Pulled Quad Muscle
Proper Rehabilitation for a Pulled Quad Muscle
A pulled quad muscle is painful and in severe cases, it can be debilitating. The quadriceps is actually a group of muscles located in the front portion of thigh. This muscle group consists of the rectus femoris, quadriceps femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and vastus intermedius, which all work together to create one of the strongest muscles groups in the body.
Typically, a pulled quad muscle would be easy to recognize by the distinct pain. If the quad is torn, not only would you experience definitely pain but also, it would come on suddenly and become acute. Most often, this muscle is pulled or torn while competing in sports or doing something physical strenuous. Runners for instance can experience a pulled quad muscle if they have not stretched and warmed up properly.
Additionally, a pulled quad muscle occurs when the quadriceps and hamstring group are not balanced from a point of strength. If one group of muscles is stronger than the other group, you end up with two sets of muscles that are not used in coordination of each other. As a result, you are faced with strength imbalance. Again, this is commonly associated with runners simply because they use the hamstrings more.
Doctors recommend rest, ice, compression, and elevation for a pulled quad muscle, which becomes the acronym “RICE”. Usually, following this for a few days to a week would be enough time for the quad to recovery. If the quads become inflamed and swollen, your doctor would likely prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain medication during the recovery period.
If the pulled quad muscle is severe, it could take several weeks or even months for it to heal completely. While it might be hard to stay off the leg during this time, you need to give it time to rest. Over time, you would be able to stand on your leg without feeling pain and at that point, you could begin walking short distances to stretch the muscle. As the muscle heals, you would slowly add jogging but you want to avoid sprints or making any jerking motions while running.
If you should feel pain or discomfort after the pulled quad muscle has healed, pay attention and start the RICE process again. Usually, this means you did not provide the leg adequate time to heal but it could also be an indicator that the muscle is torn. At that point, you should talk to your doctor so anything serious could be ruled out.
Some of the rehabilitation things you can use for a pulled quad muscle include some type of heating ointment or cream. Then, you want to use both ice and heat, alternating every 15 to 20 minutes, which will help with swelling. Most importantly, a pulled quad muscle needs to be elevated so prop a few pillows beneath the leg and rest. If you need to go to work or school, you can use crutches to keep you from putting pressure on the leg during the recovery period.