Leg Injury

This injury guide identifies the common causes of a leg injury; symptoms, treatments and rehabilitation. Jump to section:

Thigh Strain
Hamstring Injury
Calf Strain
Shin Splints

Thigh Strain

What is thigh strain?

Thigh strain’s are a very common injury among athletes. The thigh comprises of three sets of muscles: hamstring muscles, quadriceps, and the adductor muscles. The quadriceps and hamstrings work synergistically to extend and flex the leg. Adductor muscles pull and push the legs together and apart. A thigh muscle injury is characterised by a stretch or tear in one or more of the muscles in the thigh.

Symptoms of thigh muscle injury

• Swelling
• Thigh pain
• Bruising and discolouration
• Weakness in thigh muscles

Thigh strain causes

Muscle overload and overuse is the main cause of thigh muscle injury; the stretching of the muscle beyond its ability. Several risk factors make it more likely to sustain a muscle strain; muscle tightness, muscle imbalance, poor conditioning, muscle fatigue, and activity. Those particularly at risk are runners, sprinters, dancers, footballers, rugby players, and adolescents who are still physically growing.

Thigh strain treatment

Treatment of thigh strain will depend on the severity of the injury.

Protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation (PRICE) is one of the most recommended approaches for the management of leg injuries such as a thigh sprain. The aim is to minimise haemorrhage, swelling, inflammation and pain, to provide the best conditions for healing to take place.

The PRICE approach is recommended by NHS Choices:

• Protection – protect the strained thigh from further injury – using a support bandage if appropriate
• Rest – stop the activity that caused the injury, and rest the injured joint or muscle. Avoid activity for the first 48 to 72 hours after injury
• Ice – for the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury, apply a cooling therapy like Physicool
• Compression – compress or bandage the injured area to limit any swelling and movement that could damage it further
• Elevation – keep the injured area raised and supported on a pillow to help reduce swelling

Physicool provides the key stages of PRICE in a single reusable bandage, providing protection, cooling and compression for the thigh injury.  When applied to the thigh, Physicool will reduce the inflammation and pain whilst helping the healing process.

Hamstring Injury

What is a hamstring injury?

Hamstring injuries are a frequent problem among athletes, particularly those who participate in sports such as football, rugby and basketball – sports that involve a lot of sprinting. A hamstring injury is characterised by a stretch or tear in one or more of the muscles at the rear of the thigh.

Hamstring injury symptoms

If you pull your hamstring you will note a sudden, acute pain in the back of the thigh, causing you to stop, hop or fall. Symptoms include:

• Swelling
• Pain
• Bruising and discolouration
• Weakness in the back of your thigh

A hamstring injury is often referred to as a pulled hamstring or a torn hamstring.

Causes of a hamstring injury

Muscle overload/overuse is the main cause of a hamstring injury – stretching the muscle beyond its ability. Muscle tightness, muscle imbalance, poor conditioning and muscle fatigue are the common factors that will make someone more likely to sustain a muscle strain. Those particularly at risk are runners, sprinters, dancers, footballers, rugby players, and adolescents who are still physically growing.

Hamstring injury treatment

Treatment of hamstring injuries will depend on the type of injury sustained, its severity, and your own needs.

Protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation (PRICE) is one of the most recommended approaches for the management of a hamstring injury. The aim is to minimise haemorrhage, swelling, inflammation and pain, to provide the best conditions for healing to take place.

The PRICE approach is recommended by NHS Choices:

• Protection – protect the torn hamstring from further injury – using a support bandage if appropriate
• Rest – stop the activity that caused the injury, and rest the injured joint or muscle. Avoid activity for the first 48 to 72 hours after injury
• Ice – for the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury, apply a cooling therapy like Physicool
• Compression – compress or bandage the injured area to limit any swelling and movement that could damage it further
• Elevation – keep the injured area raised and supported on a pillow to help reduce swelling

Physicool provides the key stages of PRICE in a single reusable bandage, providing protection, cooling and compression for the torn hamstring to help the healing process. A Physicool bandage can be applied to the hamstring and will draw out the heat and inflammation, removing the pain.

Calf Strain

What is calf strain?

Calf strain’s are a common sporting injury. Also known as a ‘pulled calf’, a calf strain occurs when the calf muscle is stretched beyond its ability and the muscle tissue tears. The severity of the strain can be classified as a first, second and third degree strain.

Calf strain symptoms

Calf strains are graded:

• Grade 1: mild discomfort, minimal disability, minimal or no limits to activity.
• Grade 2: moderate discomfort walking, limited ability to perform activities.
• Grade 3: severe injury, inability to walk.

What causes a calf strain?

A calf strain or pull often occurs during high acceleration or a sharp change in direction whilst running. This includes high impact sports and high physical exertion, such as athletics, running, rugby, basketball, football and gymnastics.

How to treat a calf strain

Protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation (PRICE) is one of the most recommended approaches for the management of clf strains. The aim is to minimise haemorrhage, swelling, inflammation and pain, to provide the best conditions for healing to take place.

The PRICE approach is recommended by NHS Choices:

• Protection – protect the injured area from further injury – using a support bandage if appropriate
• Rest – stop the activity that caused the injury, and rest the injured joint or muscle. Avoid activity for the first 48 to 72 hours after injury
• Ice – for the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury, apply a cooling therapy like Physicool
• Compression – compress or bandage the injured area to limit any swelling and movement that could damage it further
• Elevation – keep the injured area raised and supported on a pillow to help reduce swelling

Physicool provides the key stages of PRICE in a single reusable bandage, providing protection, cooling and compression for the calf to help the healing process. Wrap a Physicool bandage around the calf to reduce the inflammation and combat the calf pain.

Physicool is a unique cotton bandage impregnated with a patented liquid which draws heat away from the affected tissues by rapid evaporation. While the deep tissues are being cooled, the simultaneous compression effects of Physicool modify the inflammatory response to soft tissue damage which helps promote healing.

Shin Splints (Medial tibial stress syndrome)

What are shin splints?

Shin splints are very common in exercise and sport. The term refers to the pain people get along the inner edge of the shinbone (tibia). Shin splints often develop after physical activity and are particularly associated with running. However, any intense athleticism can bring on shin splints, especially if you are new to fitness or a certain type of sport.

Shin splints symptoms

Shin splints are generally characterised by a pain along the edge of the tibia.

• Pain could be sharp or dull and throbbing
• Swelling

Shin splints treatment

Standard treatment for shin splints is to rest the leg to prevent further progression of damage pain. Cold compression is essential to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling around the shin. Applying a Physicool bandage for 30 minutes several times per day will greatly reduce the inflammation and pain.

Protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation (PRICE) is one of the most recommended approaches for the management of a leg injury. The aim is to minimise haemorrhage, swelling, inflammation and pain, to provide the best conditions for healing to take place.

Physicool will treat the inflammation and pain of anterolateral shin splints and posteromedial shin splints in an easy and convenient way. Cold compression therapy works by interrupting and slowing nerve and cell function in the injured area, reducing swelling in the tibial area. Reducing the swelling is important because once blood vessels are blocked or damaged, they can no longer carry the vital oxygen and nutrients to the tibial tendons and muscles and the tissue cells begin to break-down.

By limiting the amount of damage done to your deep crural fascia and tibial tendons and muscles, you also reduce pain and limit the amount of healing that needs to occur. This is a very important step to get rid of shin splints faster and with less pain.