Why Are These Injuries So Common For Seniors

Health Wellness

Have you ever watched a track meet and seen a sprinter pull up right out of the starting blocks and grab the outer front of their thigh? What about a baseball, football or soccer player who suddenly pulls up and grabs the outer front of their thigh?

As a senior, have you ever turned wrong, stood up wrong, squatted wrong or done anything that suddenly produces a pain in the outer front of the thigh? From what I’ve been able to ascertain, it happens to many seniors, however, many try to deal with it on their own without seeing their doctor. Guilty as charged as I will explain.

I was getting out of the back seat of our SUV when my right foot caught on the seat in front. I was already stepping out to the left with my left leg. When the foot caught, it caused an awkward movement of my body and I felt a sharp pain in the upper and outer front of the left thigh. Being an old cowboy who usually serves as his own doctor, I just kind of dismissed it for the moment. However, as the evening progressed, the pain in the thigh grew more intense, especially when getting up from sitting or just walking.

Over the years, I’ve pulled and injured my hamstring, but that’s in the back of the leg, not the front, so, I did some research, even though I was pretty sure I knew what had happened.

In the outer front of the thigh is a group of muscles known as the quadriceps, often referred to as the quads. Quadriceps is Latin for ‘four headed’. The quads consist of the rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis. The three vastus muscles attach at the top to the femur bone and to the kneecap at the bottom. The rectus femoris runs through a hole in the hip bone at the top and then attaches to the bottom of the knee. The main function of the quads is to extend the knee, making them important in walking, running or just bending or squatting to garden, stand up or pick something up from the floor.

The quads, like the hamstring, are so key to leg movement that they are also highly vulnerable to a sprain or tear, described as:

A muscle strain (also known as a pulled muscle), happens when your muscle is overstretched or torn as a result of overuse, fatigue, or improper use. Strains are commonly confused with sprains. A sprain is the stretching or tearing of the tough bands of fibrous tissue (ligaments) that connect two bones in your joints. Strains and sprains share similar signs and symptoms but involve different parts of your body.

As many of us age, we become even more susceptible to strains or tears of the quads and hamstring. We need to be aware of the symptoms, which are:

Those who experience a thigh muscle strain generally feel a snapping sensation in the thigh area. This is the muscle tearing and can create a more serious issue if the blood vessels are also broken. A popping feeling can also be a sign of a thigh muscle strain, where the pain is severe and instant. The area surrounding the injury may be tender to touch, and bruising can occur rather quickly.

So, how should we treat a quad strain or tear?

The R.I.C.E. protocol is used to treat most muscle strain injuries occur. This protocol can generally heal most thigh muscle strains without the need for surgery.

R.I.C.E. stands for:

Rest: Stop the activity you had been performing at the time of the injury while it heals.

Ice: Use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Do not apply ice directly to skin.

Compression: Wrap the injury in a soft compression bandage.

Elevation: Raise your leg higher than your heart to minimize the swelling.

If the pain is severe or you notice that your thigh is misshaped, see your doctor. Along with the RICE treatment, they will probably recommend some kind of anti-inflammatory, which could be ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin).

In more severe injuries, surgery may be necessary to repair the tears or reattach the muscles.

Just beware that strains of the quads are NOT an injury of athletes or the young, but is also something that can plague seniors.

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