The back of the thigh consists of three muscles - extensor, flexor and adductor. Leg flexion is directly related to the muscles located on the back of the thigh.
If it is not enough to warm up the muscles before training, the activity will lead to injury - stretching. There are situations in which a tear of the ligaments occurs, they are usually typical for athletes.
Causes of stretching the back of the thigh while running
It is possible to injure such a zone, provided that there was no warm-up and warm-up before training.
Also, the reasons may be:
- Decreased muscle tone.
- A sharp jolt.
- Hit.
- A sharp change in position.
- Lifting a lot of weight.
For untrained people, it is important to remember the basic rule of training - the muscles need to be warmed up, the body must be prepared for the upcoming exercises. This is what keeps you from tearing and long-term treatment.
Injuries can most often be obtained when:
- sitting;
- with lunges;
- when swinging.
Symptoms of trauma
Not getting enough exercise or spending too much time sitting every day can damage muscles, causing chronic pain. Inactivity can also lead to muscle weakening, causing widespread muscle pain.
People who have pain in the upper thigh due to a sedentary lifestyle may also feel pain throughout their body.
Pain can move or change in intensity over time, and some people with this type of pain may experience widespread chronic pain.
Muscle damage can range from mild to severe. Symptoms also appear depending on the complexity. However, all stages are characterized by hip pain.
In this case, it can be observed:
- Swelling.
- Stiffness in motion.
- Redness.
- Hematomas.
In the most severe stage, muscles are usually torn and a clicking sensation occurs. With manual examination, pain sensations increase.
With a tear, movement is possible, but gait and coordination are impaired. Every movement is accompanied by pain. When the gap occurs completely, the person strives to restrict movement.
Against the background of an injury, a temperature may rise, general weakness. As soon as a painful symptom arises, you should immediately contact a specialist for further examination.
The muscles in the thighs can become tense due to the lengthy time we spend in a seated position during the working day. For this reason, it is important to stretch your thigh muscles frequently. Several sessions with a physical therapist can help determine which exercises are best for stretching your hips.
First aid for stretching
As soon as a sprain or tear appears, it is important to get qualified help. First of all, ice or a cold compress is applied to the injury site every 20 minutes.
If possible, lubricate the affected area with ointment or gel with a cooling effect, a thin layer. All the time, the leg should be on a hill to avoid swelling.
You also need to minimize movement, constantly apply cold compresses 5-10 times a day. Fix the leg higher for the entire time.
Diagnosis and treatment of back thigh sprain
When contacting a specialist - a surgeon or a traumatologist, they will accurately answer the question of abnormalities in the hip, during the examination they will note the intensity of the injury, based on the pain and localization of the bruises.
During the examination, as a rule, the joints are examined for flexion / extension, and their integrity is checked.
It is recommended to exclude loads with light and medium stretching, walk with support for a certain amount of time.
In order to reduce pain, anti-inflammatory ointments and tablets are used. Physiotherapy is also well recommended. Its use is possible subject to the convergence of edema and pain.
For severe sprains, the treatment will take a long time. If there is a tear or muscle tear. Surgery is required - preferably in the first week after injury.
Drug treatment
If a person has recurrent episodes of pain in the back of the thigh, then a visit with a doctor is warranted, as he will help determine the root cause of the pain.
Accordingly, only a qualified specialist will be able to prescribe adequate therapy to avoid the manifestation of an allergic reaction.
For treatment use:
- Non-steroidal drugs. This group of ointments and creams that make it possible to quickly remove pain and inflammation. All have the same ingredient - Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Indomethacin.
- Anticoagulants. Bloodstream drugs that prevent blood clots from forming in blood vessels. Apply until complete recovery.
- Cooling. Relaxes muscles due to menthol action.
Folk remedies
Traditional medicine should not be used as the only treatment.
Use warm compresses with beer and pepper (the ingredients are mixed, heated, applied to cheesecloth and applied to the damaged area), leaving them for 15-20 minutes. Using grandma's recipes helps in standard - traditional medicine.
It is used to relieve pain, using compresses:
- From clay. To prepare it, you need to make gruel from clay purchased in advance from a pharmacy. Then apply the composition to gauze or napkin. After application, wrap the place with a scarf. Keep for 2 hours.
- From milk. For such a compress, you need to wet gauze or a bandage in hot milk, secure with paper or cotton wool and wait until everything cools down. Then repeat several times.
- From onions. The compress is prepared from finely chopped onion and sugar, everything is mixed until mushy and applied to the sore spot. Everything is fixed with a bandage.
Recovery period after injury
Recovery is a long period. Regardless of the degree of injury, this area is very important. Rehabilitation includes physical therapy, exercise therapy, massage and swimming.
The duration of recovery can last from 14 days (the standard sick leave period) to six months (in the case of surgery).
When can you continue running?
If the injury was minor, you can try some simple exercises in the gym after a week. Start training only by warming up all muscles. It is important to be extremely careful - no sudden movements, jerks, so as not to miss the first bell of pain.
Possible complications of injury, preventive measures
As a rule, complications from injury to the muscles of the back of the thigh develop in proportion to the injury received, as well as to the characteristics of the person.
The hope that the pain will subside by itself is stupid, since the injured tendon will begin to become inflamed, fluid will accumulate around it, causing, ultimately, a crunch.
Then, after a certain time, the inflammation intensifies with pain. The pain will reach such limits that it will be painful to pick up elementary things - such as a kettle.
If the injury is too neglected, a consultation with a traumatologist is needed.
In order to avoid injury, it is important to adhere to safety rules so that you do not get injured during training. First of all, warm up thoroughly.
Hip and knee dysfunction is usually caused by a sprain or injury to the back of the thigh muscle. Thus, it is practically impossible to walk or bend the leg at the knee with such an injury. The causes of injury can be both strong loads and inappropriate pace, poor warm-up, and so on.
For professionals, the problem of stretching this area is not uncommon. However, it is very easy to get injured in everyday life. Treatment, as well as the recovery period for this type of injury, is very difficult due to the fact that you need to devote a lot of effort and time to recovery.
