WHAT IS IT?
The quadriceps muscle group, located at the front of the thigh, is the largest muscle in the human body. It is composed of four distinct muscles: the rectus femoris muscle, the vastus lateralis muscle, the vastus medialis muscle and the vastus intermedius muscle. The quadriceps are mainly responsible for the movements of extension (i.e. unbending) of the knee and flexion (i.e. bending) of the hip.
A muscle strain injury at the quadriceps is caused by an excessif stretching of the muscular fibers beyond their physiological limit. The muscle fibers themselves will for the most part remain  intact and therefore the muscle strength isn’t significantly affected.
Although there is no complete muscle tear with this injury, a quadriceps muscle mild strain can still be symptomatic. Indeed, one of the most characteristic symptoms of this  condition is pain felt with contracting or stretching the muscle, and with palpation over the muscle. There may also be presence of swelling and bruising if the strain was enough to cause a partial tear in some of the muscle fibers.
CAUSES/RISK FACTORSÂ :
- A pre-existing lack offlexibility or contracture of the quadriceps muscle
- A muscular imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles
- The practice of certainsportswhich require an important and sudden contraction of the quadriceps or a sudden acceleration during running
The absence or lack of a proper warm-up before an exercise or the practice of a sport- A pre-existing muscular weakness or fatigue
WHAT DO PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENTS CONSIST OF?
Firstly, physiotherapy treatments will aim to reduce the pain and inflammation present with the use of electrotherapy (such as ultrasound or TENS), ice and proper education regarding the activities that may worsen your condition and thus that should be avoided for the time being. Then, your therapist will use a wide array of manual therapy and myofascial release techniques, and will prescribe appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises
Therefore, please consult a Forcemedic physiotherapist as soon as possible for a quick recovery!
