how to rehab a corked thigh

• Stop your activity.
• Rest the injured leg.
• Use icepacks every two hours, applied for 15 minutes.
• Bandage the corked muscle firmly with an elasticized bandage.
• Elevate the injured limb above heart height whenever possible.
• Avoid exercise, heat, alcohol and massage in the first 48 hours, as these can all exacerbate swelling.

Full Answer

How do you get rid of a corked thigh?

Jun 20, 2016 · Correct management of a corked thigh is important and physiotherapy is very useful in speeding up the recovery process. Early mobilisation through massage, stretching and exercise is vital to ensure a quick and safe return to play.

What are the symptoms of a corked thigh?

Feb 20, 2022 · Corked Thigh Treatment? Seek professional help quickly if you can. Otherwise, implement a RICE regime until professionally assessed. After two to three days, check: If the …

Can kinesiology tape help with corked thighs?

The thigh should be rested in an elevated position with an ice pack applied for 20 minutes every two hours (never apply ice directly to the skin). A compression bandage should be applied to …

What is the best way to treat a cork injury?

Use ice to the area every one to two hours for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time. You might consider taking some anti-inflammatory or pain-relief medication. Avoid alcohol as it can …

What is the fastest way to heal a corked thigh?

The aim is to reduce the bleeding and damage in the muscle. The thigh should be rested in an elevated position with an ice pack applied for 20 minutes every two hours (never apply ice directly to the skin). A compression bandage should be applied to limit swelling and bleeding in the injured area.

How long does a corked thigh take to heal?

Corked thigh recovery time? Recovery time can range from weeks to months. One thing that can influence recovery time is the type of contusion you have. Types of contusions include intermuscular and intramuscular.Jun 20, 2016

How long does it take for a thigh muscle to heal?

If you are injured, take the time needed to let the muscle heal before you return to sports. Wait until your muscle strength and flexibility return to preinjury levels. This can take 10 days to 3 weeks for a mild strain, and up to 6 months for a severe strain, such as a hamstring strain.

How do you treat a corked leg?

Suggestions for immediate treatment of a corked muscle include:Stop your activity.Rest the injured leg.Use icepacks every two hours, applied for 15 minutes.Bandage the corked muscle firmly with an elasticized bandage.Elevate the injured limb above heart height whenever possible.More items...

Can you run out a corked thigh?

A grade one corked thigh is very mild. In some cases, a player may still be able to continue playing after a quick break. The pain is not very strong, and bruising may not occur. A grade two corked thigh may prevent a player from continuing in the game.

Should you massage a thigh contusion?

Do not put heat on the contusion. This can make swelling worse. Also, do not massage the area without talking to your doctor first. When the doctor says it's OK, you can do muscle strengthening and stretching through physical therapy (PT) or an at-home exercise program.

How can I strengthen my thighs at home?

Exercises to tone and strengthen the thighsSquats. Squats are a compound movement, meaning that multiple muscle groups are working at the same time. ... Bulgarian split squat. Bulgarian split squats are another good way to strengthen the thighs, and a person can perform them at home. ... Deadlift. ... Step-up. ... Cycling. ... Running.Jul 14, 2020

What exercises can I do to relieve thigh pain?

Lying leg extension To stretch the back of your thigh, lie on your back and lift one leg towards your chest. Place your hands behind the knee. Gently pull your leg towards your chest - you should feel a stretch in the back of your sore thigh. Hold for up to 10 seconds then return your leg to the floor.Feb 25, 2022

How can I speed up muscle recovery?

How to Speed Up Muscle Strain RecoveryApply ice or a cold compress immediately.Alternate ice with heat therapy.Perform simple low-impact exercises and stretching.Knee and calf massage for leg muscle strain recovery.Elevate the injured muscle.May 27, 2021

When should you massage a cork?

After 48-72 hours it is important to start to use the muscle gently. Swimming, cycling, walking and isometric contractions are best to start with. Again at this stage activity should be within painful limitations, however it is ok to push into some discomfort. Heat and massage may also be used following 72 hours.

Is heat good for a Corky?

Heat, alcohol, vigorous massage and playing on following injury must be avoided as they all increase the amount of bleeding and worsen the degree of injury. This may increase the recovery time and delay return to sport.Oct 28, 2019

How long does a corky last?

Providing there are no hiccups along the way and the contusion is gradually improving, within the first 2-7 days post injury, you should begin to see a significant reduction in pain and return of range of motion. This is the case for most mild to moderate contusions with full resolution of symptoms in 4-6 weeks.Sep 16, 2019

What Is a Corked Thigh?

If you’ve played a lot of contact sports before, you’ve probably experienced the answer to “what is a corked thigh?”. Being struck directly in the thigh by an object or knee at high speed can cause a corked thigh. Often it can be associated with bruising and pain on pressure or movement of the lower leg.

What Is A Corked Thigh?

A ‘corked thigh’, or quadriceps contusion as it is scientifically referred to, is the result of a severe impact to the thigh whereby the direct blow compresses the quadriceps muscle into the underlying femur bone, which results in deep rupture and bleeding of the muscle tissue. This is referred to as a ‘hematoma’.

Risk Factors and Causes Associated with Corked Leg or Thigh

When considering “what is a corked thigh?”, there are various risk factors that will affect one’s susceptibility to a corked thigh injury. These include:

Types of Corked Thigh

To answer “what is a corked thigh?”, it must be made clear that there are two different types of corked thigh injuries. There first is intermuscular contusion and the second is intramuscular contusion.

Corked Thigh Treatment

Now that we have all the information on “what is a corked thigh?”, let’s understand how to treat a corked thigh.

Are You Dealing with A Corked Thigh?

So, there you have it – the next time you’re asked, “what is a corked thigh?”, you’ll be able to run them through the ins and outs of corked leg issues and corked thigh treatment.

Adolescent Leg Injuries

Adolescent injuries differ from adult injuries, mainly because the bones are still growing. The growth plates (physis) are cartilaginous (strong connective tissue) areas from which the bones elongate or enlarge. Repetitive stress or sudden large forces can cause injury to these areas.

Acute Injury Signs

Here are some warning signs that you have an injury. While some injuries are immediately evident, others can creep up slowly and progressively get worse. If you don't pay attention to both types of injuries, chronic problems can develop.

Elite Sports Injury Management

You probably already know that a sports injury can affect not only your performance but also your lifestyle. The latest research continues to change sports injury management considerably. Our challenge is to keep up to date with the latest research and put them to work for you.

Risk

Contact sports and sports that require quick starts, i.e., running races and other track events

Signs and Symptoms

At the time of this type of trauma, a player may experience varying levels of pain and reduced range of motion. The extent of pain and loss of movement will be dependent on the amount of force and the impact of the force at the time of trauma. The traumatised area will become swollen and painful to touch.

Immediate Management

The immediate treatment of any soft tissue injury consists of the RICER protocol – rest, ice, compression, elevation and referral. RICE protocol should be followed for 48–72 hours. The aim is to reduce the bleeding and damage in the muscle.

Rehabilitation and Return to Play

Light stretching should be utilised immediately post injury. This will help reduce muscle spasms and make stretching more beneficial in the days to come. Utilise standard quadricep stretching techniques with the hip flexed and extended. These should be performed with a 10 second hold of the stretch, repeated three to five times daily.

Acknowledgements

Sports Medicine Australia wishes to thank the sports medicine practitioners and SMA state branches who provided expert feedback in the development of this fact sheet.

Always Consult a Trained Professional

The information above is general in nature and is only intended to provide a summary of the subject matter covered. It is not a substitute for medical advice and you should always consult a trained professional practising in the area of sports medicine in relation to any injury.

Friday, June 25, 2021

If you've played a lot of contact sports like Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer or AFL, you might have experienced what's known as a corked thigh injury.

What is a corked thigh?

A corked thigh is a common injury in contact sports caused by a direct hit to the thigh muscle. Also known as a dead leg or a charley horse, a corked thigh is technically a hematoma or contusion.

Risk Factors Associated with a Corked Thigh

The most common cause of a corked thigh is a direct hit to the quadriceps (thigh) muscle. However, there are other risk factors that might cause a corked thigh including:

Types of Corked Thigh

There are two types of corked thigh injuries: an intermuscular contusion and an intramuscular contusion.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Corked Thigh?

Going back to the different types of corked thighs you might have, knowing which one you're experiencing can give you a better idea of how long the recovery will take.

How to treat a corked thigh?

The best treatment for a corked thigh happens in two phases: the protection phase and the restoration phase.

Protection Phase

In the protection phase of your corked thigh treatment, you'll want to treat your corked thigh similarly to how you'd treat a typical muscle strain. That means your main goal will be to reduce pain and control the inflammation.

What is a quadriceps contusion?

A quadriceps contusion is condition that is frequently seen in contact sports and is characterised by a bruise located in the quadriceps muscle (i.e. front of the thigh – figure 1).

Causes of a quadriceps contusion

Quadriceps contusions occur following a direct impact to the quadriceps muscle from an object or person. This most commonly occurs due to a collision with another player during contact sports, such as football or rugby, or from an impact from a ball in sports such as hockey or cricket.

Signs and symptoms of a quadriceps contusion

Patients with a quadriceps contusion usually feel a sudden pain in the quadriceps muscle at the time of injury. In minor contusions, pain may be minimal (or sometimes may go unnoticed) allowing continued activity. In more severe cases, patients may experience severe pain, muscle spasm, weakness and an inability to continue activity.

Diagnosis of a quadriceps contusion

A thorough subjective and objective examination from a physiotherapist is usually sufficient to diagnose a quadriceps contusion. Further investigations such as an MRI scan or Ultrasound may be required, in rare cases, to confirm diagnosis.

Treatment for a quadriceps contusion

For detailed physiotherapy information on the treatment of a quadriceps contusion ‘Become a Member’.

Prognosis of a quadriceps contusion

With appropriate management, patients with minor quadriceps contusions can usually recover in one to three weeks. With larger contusions, recovery may take four to eight weeks or longer depending on the severity of injury. In rare cases, patients with this condition can sometimes develop myositis ossificans (i.e. bony growth in the contusion).

Physiotherapy for a quadriceps contusion

For detailed information on physiotherapy treatment of this condition ‘Become a Member’.

Corked Thigh Treatment

As with all injuries of this nature, it is recommended that you seek professional care to get a proper assessment, but generally speaking a corked thigh treatment normally consists of the following:

Alternative items you may wish to use

When your Kinesio Tape a large thigh contusion, there is an alternative in the Doctor K Kinesiology range, which can make application easier.

What preparation is required to Tape a Corked Quad correctly?

When applying any kinesiology tape, it is important that you prepare the skin and tape ready for the application, to get the best adhesion.

What is the Correct Tape Tension?

During this kinesiology tape application it is important to apply the tape with the correct tension.

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In Australia, and for that matter world wide, Kinesiology Taping is a fast growing injury treatment technique, assisting athletes with faster injury recovery, back to peak performance.