Rest Ice Compression Elevation

Take the weight off your leg as soon as possible. Sit down or lie down in as comfortable position as possible.

Apply it for 10 to 15 minutes at a time every hour during the first 24 hours of the injury, except for when you’re sleeping. After the first 24 hours, you can repeat the icing four to five times throughout the day, or every two to three hours. You can use either commercial ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables, like frozen peas. Peas are small enough to conform to the shape of your leg easily. You can also fill an old long tube sock with rice and keep it in the freezer for when you may need it. Never place ice directly on the skin. Always wrap it in something (like a towel or t-shirt) to protect the skin.

The bandage should be wrapped tightly enough to apply medium pressure, but not so tightly as to cause any bulging around the bandage or stop blood flow. Start wrapping high on your leg, above the injury. Once the swelling has gone, you don’t need to wrap anymore. If the pain increases with a compression bandage, it is too tight and you should loosen it.

If you can’t raise the leg above the heart, keep it parallel to the ground. After the first or second day, you should move a little bit every hour or so. Take it easy and take it slowly. Don’t overdo it. You can make it worse by re-injuring the thigh muscles.

Heat: Heat is avoided because heat can increase swelling and bleeding at the injury site. Alcohol: Alcohol increases bleeding, swelling, and delays healing. Running or exercise: Any activity will aggravate the injury and increase swelling and bleeding. Massage: Massage can be very helpful after the initial recovery period, but should be avoided during the first 72 hours. After 48 to 72 hours, you can try some of these methods.

OTC pain medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or acetaminophen (Tylenol), can be taken to reduce pain and inflammation.

After the appropriate amount of time has passed, apply heat to the injury three for 15 minutes, three to four times a day. You can use a heating pad, a heated wrap, a hot compress, or a hot water bottle. You can also soak in a hot bath. Heat is better at helping chronic muscle pain or pain associated with arthritis.

Start with two minutes of heat, followed by one minute of cold. Repeat this six times. Repeat the entire cycle twice a day.

The foam roller is a foam tube that you place under the injured leg and roll it back and forth under the injured leg. When you are able, repeat on both sides. This can be useful in preventing further injury.

Fill your tub with water that is warmer than lukewarm, but that does not burn your skin. Pour in at least a cup of Epsom salt, though you can add more. Soak for up to 20 minutes.

Try stroking the legs in an upward direction, kneading the muscles with your hands, or press deeper pressure along the muscle. Go see a massage therapist if your thigh injury is severe, or if you are unsure how to massage your thigh at home.

Try the frog stretch for your inner thighs. Get on your knees and spread them as wide as you can, stabilizing yourself on your hands. Make sure your shins are parallel to one another. Arch your back so that your belly drops and your butt is pushed back. If you are more flexible, you can lower yourself to your forearms. You should feel the stretch in your inner thighs. [8] X Research source For a good hamstring stretch, sit on the floor with one leg straight out and the other bent. Lean towards the straight leg, rotating at the hips. You should feel the stretch in the back of the thigh. Hold that for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. You can also place both feet straight out in front of you and bend at the hip, reaching for your toes. [9] X Research source To stretch the quads, stand and hold on to the wall or a chair to balance yourself. Bend your knee and grab the foot, bringing it as close to your butt as possible. You should feel the stretch in the front of the thigh.

See your physician if the pain or discomfort does not improve with the RICE method within five to seven days. Physical therapy may be required for severe injuries. Ask your doctor for a referral to a massage therapist or physical therapist.

It is very important to warm up and stretch the muscles in the thigh before any activity. If these muscles have not been adequately stretched, you are at a higher risk of straining and injuring the muscle.

Many people also report hearing or feeling a pop. Within a short time, from minutes to hours, swelling, bruising, and tenderness at the area of the injury is common. There may also be some degree of weakness, or you may not be able to walk or put any weight on your leg.

Participation in any sport that involves running, kicking, and sprinting, especially if enough time is not taken to stretch the muscles before participating. Dancing and other vigorous activities can put you at higher risk as well. A history of muscle strain. Previous thigh muscle injuries do weaken the muscle and make it more likely to happen again Starting physical activity while in poor shape or before the muscles are properly stretched. Muscle imbalance. Since the quadriceps and the hamstrings work together, along with the adductor muscles, if one group of muscles is much stronger than another, it can strain the weaker muscle group.

If you experienced an injury that caused thigh pain, you may want to see your doctor if you believe it is severe. If you are unsure of the cause of your thigh pain, you can see your doctor as soon as it happens just to be sure.