The most typical injuries and causes of pain in the thigh are hamstring pressures (back of the thigh) and quadriceps pressures (front of the thigh). The hamstring strain is the most common muscular injury in sport and frequently returns (re-injury). It is thought that one of the reasons for this is because of bad rehabilitation (insufficient time to recover or bad choice of rehab exercise) so it is extremely important to treat the initial injury properly and use appropriate timescales to enable done recovery of the harmed muscle.
Main Causes of Pain in the Back of the Thigh
- Hamstring strain (pulled hamstring).
- Sciatica.
- Cramp.
- Hamstring contusion.
- Hamstring origin tendinitis.
- Less typical causes of hamstring pain.
- Hamstring contusion.
- Referred hamstring pain.
- Tight hamstring muscles.
Symptoms of the Back of the Thigh Injury
- Very severe pain in the thigh following a high effect collision such as a high effect crash on a sports field or a Road Traffic Accident. This might suggest a fracture of the femur which is a very serious injury as they have the tendency to be connected with extreme bleeding internally.
- Severe pain in the thigh after and direct impact e.g. opponents knee to the front of the thigh. In some uncommon cases, the resulting bleeding that happens can be extreme and result in compartment syndrome which is an extremely severe condition.
- Severe pain in the thigh followed by a failure to correct or flex the knee and a palpable (able to feel) gap in the muscle. This might be a grade 3 rupture of the muscle and may require surgery if it takes place at either end of the muscle at the junction with the bone.
- Altered experience (“pins and needles” sensation or loss of sensation) in the lower leg following a thigh injury.
Other symptoms appear with pain in the back of the thigh: knee pain, when sitting, in right or left thigh, pain in buttock, when walking or running, discomfort in calf, foot or heel, etc.
Anatomy of the thigh
There are 4 quadriceps muscles at the front of thigh and three hamstring muscles at the back of the thigh.
Hamstring muscle strain/rupture
The hamstrings form the group of muscles at the back of the thigh. A hamstring strain is triggered by an over-stretch, tear or finish rupture of several of the three hamstring muscles (e.g. when running from either a jog or a standstill position). Hamstring strains are common in sports that need explosive stop-start running movements (e.g. rugby, netball and athletic sprinting events).
Hamstring pressures occur as an outcome of too much force being put on the hamstrings muscles throughout effort. This happens often when the hamstrings are tightening up to slow the legs forward swing during running. They are common amongst sprinters, jumping sports, footballers and hockey players. Hamstring strains or ruptures may happen due to, muscle weak point and tightness or lumbar spine tightness.
Hamstring strains frequently happen at the start of a game/training session due to insufficient warm-up, or near completion of the game/training session when tiredness is a contributing aspect.
Symptoms consist of an unexpected, sharp stab throughout exertion with swelling and bruising increasing in the hours following. Pain will enhance with contracting or stretching the hurt muscle. Hamstring strains might become persistent if appropriate stretching and reinforcing is not achieved prior to return to sport.
Poor rehabilitation can leave inflexible scar tissue making it vulnerable to re-injury. Hamstring injuries typically recur and can end up being long-term injuries if rehabilitation is inadequate or the development of rehabilitation is too quickly.
Referred pain
Referred pain in this area will have the tendency to be less that of a strain and will be poorly localized. The sacroiliac joint and lumbar spinal column tend to refer pain to the hamstring area. Tightness in the hamstring in addition to lumbar, butt and calf pain may or may not accompany the hamstring pain. Pain in the back of the thigh may be shooting or a dull pains and may or might not be continuous.
Hamstring tendonitis
This problem is commonly come across by short distance sprinters or after an inadequately handled hamstring strain. The upper part of the hamstring is most typically affected and symptoms are subsequently felt in the butt. Pain will tend to occur gradually after exercise and may seem like a deep burning or sharp pain, low down in the buttock. As the injury advances unattended, weakness and tightness might be felt in the hamstring area (back of the thigh). Pain might ease in the short term with light hamstring extending.
Sciatica Symptoms
For some people, sciatica pain can be severe and debilitating. For others, the sciatica symptoms might be irregular and annoying, but have the possible to obtain even worse.
Low back pain may exist along with the leg pain, however typically the leg pain is significantly more severe than the low back pain. Patients frequently describe their sciatica symptoms as electrical shocks diminishing the leg, or searing or burning pain.
Common Sciatica Symptoms
Normally, sciatica only impacts one side of the lower body and the pain typically radiates from the lower back all the way through the back of the thigh and down through the leg.
Some combination of the following symptoms is most typical:
- Lower back pain, if experienced at all, is not as severe as leg pain.
- Constant pain in just one side of the butt or leg, but seldom both the right and left sides.
- Pain that originates in the low back or butt and continues along the course of the sciatic nerve – down the back of the thigh and into the lower leg and foot.
- Pain that feels much better when patients lie down or are walking, but aggravates when standing or sitting.
- Pain that is normally referred to as sharp or searing, rather than dull.
- Some experience a “pins-and-needles” experience, numbness or weak point, or a prickling sensation down the leg.
- Weakness or numbness when moving the leg or foot.
- Severe or shooting pain in one leg that may make it tough to stand up or walk.
- Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain and other symptoms might also consist of foot pain or pain in the toes.
Should I See a Doctor?
It is very rare that thigh injuries have to seen by a doctor as many are muscular injuries that will recover provided the suitable treatment and rest.
Nevertheless, if you have the following symptoms then you must seek additional medical help.
