A muscle strain, pull, or tear is a common injury, particularly among athletes and runners and those who participate in high-intensity workouts.

The quadriceps muscle group is particularly at risk for muscle strains because they cross both the hip and knee joints. They are also used for high-speed activities, such as football, basketball, and soccer.

The quadriceps femoris (Latin for “four-headed muscle of the femur”), also called simply the quadriceps, quadriceps extensor, or quads, is a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the great extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large fleshy mass that covers the front and sides of the femur.

Muscle strains usually happen when a muscle is stretched beyond its limit, tearing the muscle fibers. They frequently occur near the point where the muscle joins the tough, fibrous connective tissue of the tendon. A similar injury occurs if there is a direct blow to the muscle. Muscle strains in the thigh can be quite painful.

Once a muscle strain occurs, the muscle is vulnerable to re-injury and it’s important to let the muscle heal properly and to follow preventive guidelines from your doctor.

Symptoms
A person who experiences a muscle strain in the thigh will frequently describe a popping or snapping sensation as the muscle tears. Pain is sudden and may be severe and the area around the injury may be tender to the touch, with visible bruising if blood vessels are also broken.

What Causes a Thigh Strain?
There are a number of factors that can increase your risk of straining your thigh muscles. The most common include:

• Muscle tightness
• Muscle fatigue
• Muscle imbalances
• In-correct exercise technique
• Inadequate warm up period
• History of thigh strain/tear without adequate recovery

Treating sore quadriceps with Percussive Massage
While the best approach is always prevention (strong, flexible, balanced muscles throughout your lower body will help prevent quad strains), if you’re experiencing acute thigh muscle soreness and pain, percussive massage therapy can help.

Percussive massage therapy is a breakthrough treatment for soft tissue pain and injury. Percussive massage accelerates the growth and repair of tissues by providing concentrated, rapid, short-duration pulses deep into the tissues of the body. This heavily increases blood flow to the area causing pain relief and increased range of motion and function. Percussive massagers, including the MyoBuddy Massager Pro® also provide a gentle stretch to the muscles and connective tissues improving flexibility and boosting performance.

Using the MyoBuddy Pro® Percussive Massager for self-care can help ease quadriceps muscle pain and stiffness in the thigh muscles.

MyoBuddy Fitness Educator Mary Biancalana, MS. Edu CMTPT, LMT, Certified Personal Trainer demonstrates how to use the MyoBuddy PRO® Percussive Massager to treat sore Quadriceps (quads; thigh muscles) in the video below.

Tags: Strained Quadriceps, Sore Quads, Sore Thigh Muscles, Muscle Injury, Muscle Strain, Muscle Tear