Recent Rec Femoris Strain

[gecko]

Please can I have some advice, I strained my Rectus femoris 14hours ago doing a treadmill sprint, I iced it for 20 minutes on 30 off all night, it doesn’t feel too bad now I have strapped it up with a compression bandage.
Im keen to know should I be doing gentle Quad stretches, is it alright to do some gentle cycling, or should I be resting it completely?

Thanks

[Quickstart]

Hi,

For future reference, it is really better to ice 10-15mins every two hours to get the greatest effect from icing.

1.) How do you know that it's a rec fem strain? Did you feel a sharp pain in your quadriceps while you were running? Did you have to stop immediately, or did it slowly build on?
2.) Assuming that it is a rec fem strain, you should really rest it from activity for 48-72 hours post injury. It gives the muscle adequate time to patch up the tear and lay down some scar tissue. Do as much as you need to, no more.
3.) If it is a rec fem strain, gentle stretching exercises can be commenced after the 72hour window has elapsed.

Ultimately the best thing you could do is to get it assessed by a physio not only to manage the injury but to screen you for why you strained your rec fem running on a treadmil.

Cheers

[gecko]

Thanks Quick Start.

The pain in the quadricep happened straight away (i was doing a 30 sec sprint), i felt a sharp pain and had to stop running within 10 seconds of the first sprint.
It feels ok now but i haven't tested it out running, i have managed some gentle Quad stretches yesterday.
I thought it must have been only a strain as i can weight bare and i am not limping at all, i can still feel a little discomfort in the area where i first felt it pull.
I am keen to get back running ASAP as i have a race coming up in 4 weeks.

Cheers