Thigh Injuries - Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Methods

The thigh is the limb of the body that acts like a pillar to support the body by providing a base to the upper body and back. It acts as the foundation of the body by enabling the feet to stay stable and support the weight of the entire body. Weakness in the thighs immediately affects the walking and standing activity of a person. The bone of the thigh or the femur is the largest and the toughest bone of the body. It is not easily vulnerable to injuries but the muscles, tendons, and nerves are vulnerable as they are in a high density in the thigh.

Thigh Injuries - An Introduction

Sprains, strains, and ruptures are one of the most common injuries that affect the thigh. Being one of the most powerful bones in the body, minor mishaps cannot damage the femur or cause a fracture. Major accidents however are known to create minor or major fractures of the femur bone. The muscles in the thigh have one of the highest densities in the body and hence are more prone to damage than other parts of the body. The thigh gives leverage to the body while turning and hence excessive strain or stress can damage the muscles of the thigh.

Types of Thigh Injuries

There are three types of pains or injuries that affect the thigh. They are classified on the basis of the part of the thigh they affect and the indications of the injury:

1. Front Thigh Injuries

Front Thigh Injury

Also known as anterior thigh injuries, these injuries affect the front part of the thigh. They consists of four sets of muscles which are collectively known as the quadriceps. They support the front moving motion of the thigh and also provide support to the abdomen, chest, and hip muscles. Injuries that affect the front thigh include:

• Thigh Strain - One of the most basic and common forms of front thigh injuries, thigh strains are caused when the quadriceps muscles are either overworked or have been injured due to an accident. Thigh strains are medically graded on a scale of 1 to 3 with one meaning a basic strain and three meaning a complete tear or rupture of the quadriceps
• Thigh Contusion - Contusions are injuries in which the blood vessels of a specific part of the body are ruptured causing the region to go blue and swell in size. Thigh contusions are the same and occur when the blood vessels are crushed between the muscles and the thigh bone or femur. Mild contusions cause a very unnoticeable stinging like pain which is sensed only when the wound is touched. Major thigh contusions cause the skin to turn bluish blackish and swell
• Myositis Ossificans - Ossification is termed as the formation of a bone. In the case of myositis ossificans, a small bony outgrowth occurs near a region that has been affected by a thigh strain or contusion. If the strain or contusion is neglected, there is a huge possibility of the formation of a small bone in that region causing extreme pain in the muscles and sometimes, causing the muscle to rupture or tear

2. Back Thigh Injuries

Back Thigh Injury

Posterior thigh injuries affect the hind region of the thigh which is made up of three sets of muscles that are collectively known as hamstring muscles. Back thigh injuries are more frequent that front thigh injuries as they are responsible for taking the load of the jerking and twisting of the entire body. They are responsible for channeling the energy of the body into the feet, and hence when they are over-stressed, they tend to snap almost immediately. Back thigh injuries include:

• Hamstring Strain - One of the most common injuries among posterior thigh injuries are hamstring strains. A strain or tear to the hamstring muscle which is usually called a pulled hamstring is the most common among thigh injuries. Just like thigh strains, it is also graded on a scale from 1 to 3. It is a common injury among sportspeople who tend to injure their hamstring very often
• Cramps - Cramps usually occur a bit later than the strain on the muscle. Unusual Contraction is the main reason for cramps. Cramps cause the thigh to contract and thus stretching the thigh causes a sharp pain in the thigh. Physiotherapy usually helps in releasing the spasm and thus relieving pain
• Referred Pain - Referred pain is when pain in some part of the body radiates the pain in the hind region of the thigh. Pain in the back, the shoulder, the neck, etc., can sometimes get down to the posterior muscles of the thigh and cause pain. The pain is referred from the source to the target which is the back portion of the thigh

3. Thigh Fractures

Fractures of the thigh are one of the rarest types of fractures. The femur is the largest and one of the strongest bones in the human body. It is difficult for a minor accident to break or damage such a bone. But if a major accident causes the femur to get fractured, recovering from the fracture is a difficult and a complex treatment process.

Treatment For Thigh Injuries

There are a number of invasive and non-invasive treatment methods for thigh injuries. Non-invasive or non-surgical treatment methods are usually recommended for thigh injuries such as strains or sprains.

1. Pain Relief Products - Using topical analgesics and painkillers are mostly used to reduce the inflammation and pain of the injury. They seep into the muscles and provide warmth and reduce the chances of further inflammation.

BioTemper Pain Relief Deep Penetrating Gel​

2. Tigh Supports - Wearing thigh braces and thigh supports also helps in rehab for thigh injuries. They restrict the movement of the thighs and provide adequate time to the thigh muscles to heal.

Breg Polar Knee And Thigh Wrap​	FLA Orthopedics EZ-ON Neoprene Thigh Wrap Support

3. Compression Stalkings - Compression stockings are used to restrict the movement of the thigh as well as provide a conducive environment for the thigh muscles to heal on their own. They are anti-embolism in nature and thus prevent thrombosis as well.

Advanced Orthopaedics Anti-Embolism Thigh High Closed Toe 18 mmHg Compression Stockings​

4. Hot and Cold Therapy - Hot and cold therapy is also an amazing alternative to invasive treatment as it heals the pain by using physical phenomena such as heat and cold. Different medium such as hot and cold packs, hot and cold systems, hot wraps, cold wraps, etc., can be used to deliver warmth or coolness to the muscles that in turn act to heal the injury or soothe the condition. Heat acts by activating the muscles and initiating the healing process. Cold therapy slows the blood circulation in the region and helps in reducing inflammation and burning sensations.

Aquacel Hot and Cold Relief Pad​	Pain Management Hot and Cold Therapy System

Surgery is usually an option in situations like acute myositis occificans where the bone has to be surgical removed. In cases of some neuromuscular disorders as well, surgery is the only option to treat the condition. Fracture are treated using the standard procedure for treating fractures but after the fracture has healed, compression stockings, braces, thigh straps, etc., are used to provide extra support to the thigh.

Other Helpful Thigh Injury Treatment Products

Thigh injuries can sometimes render a person unable to carry out daily activities like sitting, standing, and completing basic household chores. There are a number of aids that can help in easing your life while you undergo treatment or rehabilitation for thigh injuries:

• Reachers - Reachers are mechanical arms that substitute the action and function of a human arm by allowing you to grab or hold an item with minimal movement of the body. People with thigh injuries might sometimes be restricted to the bed or a wheelchair and moving around for things can be difficult. Reachers help you get to those things without stressing yourself and also without asking help from someone else, making you independent as well.

Sammons Preston Lightweight Aluminum Reacher​

• Standing and Sitting Aids - Sitting and standing are activities that executed with support from the thigh muscles. Weak or injured thigh muscles may cause the person difficulty while standing or sitting. Using aids such as standing supports and sitting aids such as seat assists can help a person execute the activities with ease and not strain the thigh muscles any further.

Mabis DMI DuroLift Seat Assist​

• Hip Kits - Hip kits are an assemblage of a number of products that aid a person in daily activities and chores that might become difficult while undergoing treatment or rehabilitation for a condition. Thigh injuries might put a person in a condition where moving a lot for small things can cause pain and discomfort. Hip kits have all the products one might need to execute small chores with ease without straining the thigh or aggravating the injury.

Graham-Field Post Surgery Hip Kit​

Exercise is an important part of rehab that can help increase the strength of the muscles after treatment and also make the muscles deterrent to further injury in most cases. Using exercises aids such as exercise mats, exercise balls, rebounders, and stretching and flexibility aids can go a long way in improving muscle and bone strength and speeding the process of healing.

Yoga has also been proven through centuries to help in regaining strength of the body and in this case improving the strength of the thigh muscles. Use yoga mats and other yoga aids to help in expediting the healing process.

 

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