If you’re a Yankees fan then you are already bummed about the season and also the latest news revolving around Derek Jeter. The epitome of shortstops has been placed on the on the disabled list with a Grade 1 right quadriceps strain. And to make matters worse Alex Rodriguez will not return from the disabled list because he too has a grade 1 strain of his left quadriceps. Talk about bad timing right?
If you’re wondering about what a Grade 1 quadriceps strain, please allow me to explain. First, the quadriceps muscles are the muscles located in the front of the thigh. They consist of the Vastus lateralis, Vastus medialis, Vastus intermedius and the Rectus femoris. A strain is a tear in the muscle and these can range in severity, from a very small tear to a complete rupture. Now we need to know a little bit about how they happen.
Tears to the quadriceps muscles are usually the result of an activity such as sprinting, jumping or kicking, especially if you had a lackluster warm-up. Any of these muscles can strain (or tear) but the most common is usually the Rectus femoris. The reason for this is because it is the only one of the four muscles, which crosses both the hip and knee joints making it more susceptible to injury. In addition, injuries that occur following a direct impact to the muscle, such as being hit by a ball or other hard object, are more likely to be contusions and should be treated slightly differently.
You may be asking yourself, “but what about the treatment?” This is a great question and the treatment plan for a grade 1 quadriceps strain consists of ultrasound and electrical stimulation therapy as well as specific massage techniques to speed up the recovery process.
At Cross Bay Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, P.C. we have an experienced physical therapy staff with licensed Doctors of Physical Therapy and physical therapy assistants who are ready to get you back on your feet. The goal of our physical therapy staff is to implement musculoskeletal exercises and physical activities to condition muscles to restore strength and movement. Our staff works diligently in identifying and maximizing movement potential through various physical therapy measures. We look forward to helping you on your road to recovery.