Out with strained Quadriceps!

[ZhuiQuan]

I overworked my legs... bike riding then lots of Shaolin Kung Fu. I strained both my legs, but my left one is really bad. I've been rehabilitating myself and I feel like it's getting better, but not good enough to safely start training again. I guess I"m just *****ing... I can't take it! I've been out for almost a week and I'm losing it! I know it could be a lot worse, and I'm very thankful it isn't... but I haven't gone this long without training since I started. I've been doing a lot of upper body workouts at home though (in addition to light leg exercises so I don't completely stop using those muscles). I'll be shaped like a triangle by the time I'm all healed.

Is anyone else out there dealing with an injury? Or has anyone else delt with strained quads? Any tips besides R.I.C.E., the styrofoam ice cup and running backwards?

[The Willow Sword]

Do you have any chinese herbal medicine shops in your area? You may need a formula for strengthening the joints and ligaments.

[Chief Fox]

I strained both my quads 2 summers ago. Similar circumstance to you. I was training a lot, playing softball and running a lot. Second softball game of the season I had to sprint for something and my quads were like "oh no you didn't!".

It took about a month before I was completely back to normal but I was doing light workouts within two weeks.

A few years ago I sprained my ankle and as a result developed tendonitis in my knee. I was out for a few months. During my time off I built a wooden dummy so the time wasn't completely wasted.

Right now I have a pulled muscle in my back. It's getting better so I've started stepping through forms. This weekend I'm hopping to get together with a friend for some light drills and application work. I'm thinking that I'll be fine by next week or so.

You just gotta take you time when you're injured. Try to work things from a different angle or take the time completely off.

I also started playing the guitar when I was injured one time. Use the free time to your advantage.

Good luck.

[MasterKiller]

I'm constantly hurt.

There is a difference between being hurt and being injured, though.

[kwaichang]

How did you strain your quads : exactly... The Quads are hard to strain because there are 4 mucles that extend the knee. To strain one usually requires a high velocity movement with an eccentric emphasis or in other words high speed eccentric contractions multiple times. what was the mecanism(s) of injury. There is a difference between a strain and a sprain and a pull or tear KC

[ZhuiQuan]

How did you strain your quads : exactly... The Quads are hard to strain because there are 4 mucles that extend the knee. To strain one usually requires a high velocity movement with an eccentric emphasis or in other words high speed eccentric contractions multiple times. what was the mecanism(s) of injury. There is a difference between a strain and a sprain and a pull or tear KC

I'll reiterate in detail... I used to ride my bike very often without doing any other leg workouts. I went through the Fall and Winter without riding much at all. I started taking Kung Fu about 9 months ago. Last week I rode my bike 6 miles to the store and back. A few days later I rode 3.5 miles to my Kung Fu studio, trained for an hour, then rode back home another 3.5 miles. My legs were very sore afterwards, but I continued to work out very hard at home every day as usual.
I was doing stretch kicks and as I retracted my leg back to the floor, I felt a sudden pain as if I was being stabbed or shot (I've never been stabbed or shot, I'm just using that as a way to explain the pain as best I can). The pain was followed by a burning sensation, and lingering soreness and pain when I put weight on it.
I was light on my leg after that. Two days later, I was in a parking lot and I ran to my car. After three strides, I felt the exact same pain in both of my legs, followed by burning and weakness when I walked.

I concluded that the exact muscle I injured is the rectus femoris, since that is where the pain is localized, and it is also the most common in quadricep strains.

Why do you ask?