Stretching of the leg muscles is one of the most common injuries not only among the novice athletes, but also among real professionals. Doing sports professionally either for yourself, in a club or at home, on an amateur level or on an advanced level is important not only to know the symptoms of this unpleasant phenomenon, but also to be able to fight it correctly in order to quickly cure muscles and prevent complications.
What are the symptoms of stretching the leg muscles?
If you - stretching the leg muscles (hip, calf muscle - in this case it does not matter), it is unlikely that you will confuse this state with anything else because of its very unpleasant characteristic symptoms, since the main sign of stretching the leg is a sharp local pain that can have a slightly pulling character, and does not go away with time.
Than such a trauma arises as a result of playing sports without warm-up, on not warmed up muscles, or at too intensive physical exertion - excessive for the present level of sports training.
What should I do when I stretch my legs?
Stretching of the leg muscles requires urgent treatment. The sooner you take action, the less serious the consequences will be. Remember the sequence of first and subsequent help with stretching the legs:
- If severe pain occurs, immediately stop exercising. The load on the diseased muscle is strictly prohibited within the next 48 hours.
- Apply dry cold to your leg - if you use ice, pack it in a plastic bag and wrap in a towel. Otherwise, you risk not only stretching the muscles, but also getting hypothermia, which is even worse. Apply dry cold is recommended every four hours for 15-30 minutes.
- In place of stretching, do not put too much pressure on the elastic bandage, try not to disturb the muscle for 48 hours (two days).
- On the third day you can practice warming up - warm baths or compresses. Do not do this before.
- When stretching the muscles of the legs it is important not to limp, but to go straight to evenly distribute the load. However, if you have the opportunity to "lie down" a couple of days after the injury - be sure to use it!
Do not forget that stretching of the calf muscles can be confused with stretching and even rupture of the knee ligaments. In case of severe, intense pain, it is recommended to see a doctor at the nearest trauma center. However, this is not the only reason to go there.
Disturbing symptoms
You can get by home treatment only if you have a stretching of the ankle muscles (anterior or hamstrings) of low intensity with not too pronounced pain syndrome. If you have moderate or severe pain, you need to contact a specialist. Disturbing symptoms that indicate that you urgently need to be seen are:
- An unbearable pain, turning into general weakness;
- noticeable curvature of the muscle;
- deformation of the damaged area with slight pressure or an attempt to step on the foot;
- inability to move a traumatized muscle;
- the appearance of extensive bruises and tumors;
- heightened sensitivity, unbearable pain when trying to touch the damaged area;
- loss of skin sensitivity in the area of trauma;
- redness in the area of damage.
In any of these cases, self-medication is strictly prohibited: you need to go to a trauma clinic where you will be examined by a doctor and tell you how to treat a stretching leg in your case and whether you have a more serious injury.