Torn quad. What should I do?

[Swole_2112]

Through either the tearing of scare tissue or a dislodged oil pocket, I tore my right quad last Saturday while training legs. Obviously, training legs during the recovery period is out of the question, but what should I be doing? Ice? Heat? None of the above? Also, what kind of recovery time am I facing?

[RagingBull666]

did you see a doc yet?

[bigdamray]

alternate heat and ice. 10 minutes of each 3 times through, a few times a day. is there any bruising?

[Swole_2112]

alternate heat and ice. 10 minutes of each 3 times through, a few times a day. is there any bruising?

No brusing. Some swelling. Plenty of pain.



did you see a doc yet?

No, and I don't plan to. The reason being, when it comes to sports medicine, I think 99% of doctors couldn't find their ass with both hands.

[bigdamray]

My only concern is that if it is a dislodged oil pocket, you could get an infection and need antibiotics.

[Beverly McD.]

If it's a tear, the odds are pretty good there will be at least a little bleed out.

[Swole_2112]

My only concern is that if it is a dislodged oil pocket, you could get an infection and need antibiotics.


Well, it happened on Saturday and nothing yet. If there were going to be an infection, would it have set in by now? I also forgot to mention that there is a little warmth to the area, but far from hot. Also, no discoloration.

Next, how it could have gotten infected. I used a brand new needle and I swabbed the area with alcohol. The conditions were as sterile as they always are. I just don't know how that could have happened, if it did.

[Swole_2112]

If it's a tear, the odds are pretty good there will be at least a little bleed out.

What would that look like?

[Beverly McD.]

Bruising. The purple color you see on a bruise is just blood, whether it comes from a tear, or just from bumping into something. Your body reabsorbs it eventually.

[Swole_2112]

Bruising. The purple color you see on a bruise is just blood, whether it comes from a tear, or just from bumping into something. Your body reabsorbs it eventually.

I don't recall there being any bruising, at all. Maybe a little redness, but I would think that was from the inflamation. No bruising. No purplish color.

[bigdamray]

Well, it happened on Saturday and nothing yet. If there were going to be an infection, would it have set in by now? I also forgot to mention that there is a little warmth to the area, but far from hot. Also, no discoloration.

Next, how it could have gotten infected. I used a brand new needle and I swabbed the area with alcohol. The conditions were as sterile as they always are. I just don't know how that could have happened, if it did.

If you're not sick yet then you're probably ok. Sometimes infections happen no matter how careful we are.

[Beverly McD.]

If it were me I would apply a hot compress to the area for 10 min. or so, then dig my thumb in, find the knot and and start pushing it out. It'll take your breath away in the short run, but will help overall. Ice it afterward, and often, for a few days.

After every shot if you'll apply firm pressure to the shot site for a minute or so, it'll help dissapate the medicine, and lessen the probability if a repeat occurence.

[Big Sky Guy]

If you tore, you should see at least a nickle sized bruise somewhere below the location of the tear if you stayed on your feet for awhile after the experience...fluids running downhill and all.

When I slightly tore my hamm last fall there was no heat or discoloration to speak of, but a quarter-sized bruise did form about 4 inches below the tear.

[KKAZ]

When i tore my left bicep tendon in May, there was no visible bruising or discoloration.

[Big Sky Guy]

Tendon tear can certainly be different that muscle tear as far as visible bruising.

[G-REX]

I've torn both bi's to the point of having to be surgically re-attached, both had severe bruising at or around the elbow; where the blood puddled.

[Swole_2112]

I think I was wrong about the brusing. My fiancee' said in one area my leg looks purple. So, I don't know. Is it a tear? Is it a burst vein? Both? Anybody? I've also got tenderness and swelling just above the knee which is far below the point of pain or injection.

[Beverly McD.]

Bottom line is you're just guessing on whether or not you have a tear, or a problem arising from an injection site, and we're all just guessing with you.

Swelling and/or bruising below the site is typical.

Anytime you insert a needle into muscle tissue you disrupt the that tissue and it becomes a stress point, making it more prone to injury, until it heals.

Try to time your quad injections and your quad workouts as far apart as possible.

If it is a tear, or you have had a tear in that area before, you will be more likely to have a tear there again due to scar tissue. Muscle tissue is laid out very neatly, but scar tissue is just a mass and has no elasticity.

Wrap a compression bandage on it, ice it often, do light stretching that causes no pain to keep the tissue elongated so you are less likely to tear it again.

Hope it heals quickly for you!

[Swole_2112]

Okay, this is getting me a little more concerned everyday. Now, I not only have swelling in my quad and just above the knee, but I also have swelling in my lower leg all the way down to and including my ankle. WTF is going on here? Are my lymph nodes not getting rid of the fluid as quickly as it is building? I know were all just guessing, here. At this point, I would go to the doctor, but I don't have insurance and my only option is to go to the VA. The nearest VA hospital is a two hour drive from where I live and an appointment at the local VA clinic would take weeks. Thanks for all the advice, folks. I appreciate it.

[Beverly McD.]

Gravity. My husband tore his pec and the swelling and a huge amount of bruising extended below the belt line.

[TedKoppelspegleg]

I've torn both bi's to the point of having to be surgically re-attached, both had severe bruising at or around the elbow; where the blood puddled.Same here, in June I tore my right distal bicep and the bruising was from my elbow to my wrist

[HULK1550]

Okay, this is getting me a little more concerned everyday. Now, I not only have swelling in my quad and just above the knee, but I also have swelling in my lower leg all the way down to and including my ankle. WTF is going on here? Are my lymph nodes not getting rid of the fluid as quickly as it is building? I know were all just guessing, here. At this point, I would go to the doctor, but I don't have insurance and my only option is to go to the VA. The nearest VA hospital is a two hour drive from where I live and an appointment at the local VA clinic would take weeks. Thanks for all the advice, folks. I appreciate it.

Go the emergency room at the VA they have to see you. i know every VA doesnt have an ER so you will have to see if it does.

BTW, i am confused from this thread and the other one. which one is more current? im confused because i saw that other thread first and you acted like you had no idea what it was even recently and on this thread it seems you are fairly sure you have some sort of tear.

[Swole_2112]

Go the emergency room at the VA they have to see you. i know every VA doesnt have an ER so you will have to see if it does.

BTW, i am confused from this thread and the other one. which one is more current? im confused because i saw that other thread first and you acted like you had no idea what it was even recently and on this thread it seems you are fairly sure you have some sort of tear.

This one is only slightly more current. At first, I didn't know what it was, but after confering with some folks and doing a little research, I became fairly convinced that it was/is a minor tear.

[Swole_2112]

Okay, I went to the doctor today (just for peace of mind). He said at this point, it's impossible to tell whether or not it's a tear, because it's been more than 72 hours. He said the swelling in my quad, knee, lower leg, and ankle is simply because of the fluid leakage and the fact that fluid flows downward. He added that my body will eventually reabsorb it (Beverely McD). He said to apply moist heat, 20 min on and 40 min off, several times per day. He doubted that I had a major tear because of the conditioning my muscle have had over the years. He said that I could have a tear that would only be revealed under a magnifying glass or even a microscope and still cause a great deal of pain. So, in conclusion, he said to stay off of it as much as I can and take asprin. He also said I'm looking at a recovery period of two months possibly. Good thing legs is my strong point.