About this topic
A muscle strain happens when the muscle is stretched too much. Sometimes, this is also called a pulled muscle. In some cases, your muscle may bleed and you may see bruising on the skin. When this injury happens in the leg, it is a lower extremity muscle strain. This can happen in any muscle in the leg. It most often happens in these muscles: ‚
- Back of the thigh. These are your hamstrings.
- Front of thigh. These are your quadriceps.
- Inner thigh. These are the groin and hip adductors.
- Calf. These are the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.
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What are the causes?
- Overuse of the leg or repeat movements of the leg
- A sudden, forceful movement in the leg
- A strong blow to the leg
- Tightness in the leg muscles
- Some leg muscles stronger than others
- Not warming up before a workout
- Stretching too much and too hard
- Being too tired
What are the main signs?
- Pain in the leg that may be:
- Sharp and sudden
- Worse when moving the leg
- Weak leg muscles
- Swelling
- Bruising or redness
How does the doctor diagnose this health problem?
Your doctor will exam your leg and feel around to find where the problem is. Your doctor may also have you move in certain ways to check your motion and strength. The doctor may order: ‚
How does the doctor treat this health problem?
- Rest
- Ice
- Keeping the leg raised
- Compression ¢ ˆ ’ An ACE wrap can be wrapped lightly around the injured area for support and to ease swelling.
- Brace or neoprene sleeve
- Crutches to take pressure off the injured leg
- Exercises
- Heat may be used later but not right away. Heat can make swelling worse.
- Physical therapy (PT)
- Surgery is very rare and is only done when a muscle is fully torn.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Take breaks often when doing things that use repeat movements.
- When standing, try putting one leg up on a small step.
- Warm up slowly and stretch before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to how far you run. Do not work out if your are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
- Keep a healthy weight so there is not extra stress on your joints. Eat a balanced diet to keep your muscles healthy.
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
- Wear the right equipment when playing sports.
Helpful tips
- If you have had a pulled muscle before, take extra time to warm up and stretch. If you have pulled a muscle before, it is more likely to happen again.
- Use extra care when playing sports or doing things where you use your legs such as dancing, running, playing soccer, basketball, or football.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00366 ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00361 ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00408 ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚