Quadriceps/Hamstring Muscle strains & Tears
Los Angeles
Understanding Quadriceps
and Hamstring Muscle Tears
The quadriceps and hamstrings are the largest muscle groups in the leg. Working in unison, they contribute the majority of your leg strength and ability to use your knees and perform athletically, so muscle tears must be resolved as a high priority.
Symptoms of a torn quad or hamstring
- Swelling in the front upper thigh or in the upper back of the leg.
- Leg movement induces pain.
- Difficulty sitting down or rising from a sitting position.
- Leg weakness.
- Loss of mobility in the legs.
What are orthobiologics?
Orthobiologics involves the use of materials derived from the body to support the body’s healing response and maintain joint and tissue health. Combining orthobiologics with other modalities and interventions, including strength training, can assist a person to optimize functional ability and regain quality of life especially if chronic conditions have been debilitating over time.
How can muscle tears be treated?
Proper evaluation and assessment of the type and severity of injury will determine the approach. Some muscle strains and injuries can have a quick recovery while others may need more time. Understanding tissue healing timeframes and expected goals will help determine the plan of care.
Initial inflammatory phase: Damaged muscle releases chemicals that promote swelling and pain to initiate the inflammatory phase of the healing cascade.
Proliferation and remodeling phase: Depending upon the severity of the injury and expected timeline, a discussion may involve providing an orthobiologic injection to the injured site as adjunct support for healing. What type of orthobiologic used will be discussed during the consultation.
Physical therapy: Providing care to the injured muscle, minimizing scarring, improving flexibility, and providing progressive strength training is important. But also evaluating and recognizing biomechanical deficiencies and applying corrections will help prevent future injury.
Prevention: Understanding why the injury may have occurred and what can be done to prevent injury is needed. Physical therapy, supportive healing with orthobiologics, orthotics, and adhering to comprehensive warm-up protocols may be helpful.
Do orthobiologics really help?
Orthobiologic therapy is continuously being evaluated and researched. There is evidence that it can support the body’s natural healing processes and assist with repair. The expectation is that orthobiologics will continue to evolve and be used more frequently with injuries as well as prophylactically as a way to optimize physical health.