Overuse of muscles and heavy load attribute to numerous cases of muscle pain in the thigh. Using the muscle too soon can also injure the muscle, so it's important to always stretch before engaging in any strenuous physical activity. Muscle pain in the thigh can also be a sign of a serious disease, such as peripheral arterial disease, and you should seek medical attention immediately.
Hamstring Injury
Hamstring injury occurs in the muscles located in the posterior of the thigh as a result from either sudden load or overstretching. Athletes commonly suffer from hamstring injury, especially in sports that require sprinting, states the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, AAOS. Hamstring strain is characterized as either a partial or a complete tear of the muscle, and it generally occurs in the site where the muscle and tendon fibers join. Avulsion injury, the most serious form of a hamstring injury, encompasses a complete tear of the tendon.
Quadriceps Muscle Injury
A muscle strain in any of the quadriceps muscles--rectus femoris, vastis lateralis, vastis medialis and vastis intermedius--occurs when a muscle tears, either partially or completely, or when a muscle overstretches itself. According to Roland Jeffery Physiotherapy Sports Injury Clinic, rectus femoris is the most susceptible to injury because it crosses both the hip and the knee joints. Sports that require sprinting, jumping and a constant change in direction have frequently caused quadriceps muscle strain in athletes.
Muscle Cramp
A tight, sharp pain in the muscles of the thigh usually characterizes a muscle cramp; the hamstring or quadriceps muscles remain in contraction even after the legs stop moving. Almost everyone will experience a muscle cramp once in a while, says the AAOS, because just about any physical activity can induce muscle cramps--even sitting and sleeping. Although the causes of muscle cramps remain unknown, the AAOS reports that researchers say that inadequate stretching, muscle fatigue, poor conditioning, exercising in high heat, dehydration and depletion of salt and minerals all contribute to muscle cramps.
Myositis Ossificans
Myositis ossificans, bone formation in the bruised area within a muscle, occurs as a result of a heavy blow to the muscles. The University of Kentucky Health Care reports that 10 to 20 percent of thigh contusions have developed myositis ossificans with symptoms of bruising, heat, pain, tenderness, swelling and difficulty in movement.
Peripheral Arterial Disease
According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, NHLBI, peripheral arterial disease, or PAD, commonly affects the legs. This buildup of plaque in the arteries causes constrictions that ultimately block blood from flowing, restricting oxygen flow to organs and tissues. When oxygen can't reach the tissues in the thigh, pain and numbness generally develop. When tissues don't receive enough blood, which carries not only oxygen but antibodies, infections or even tissue death can develop. In this case, amputation might be necessary.
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Hamstring Muscle Injuries
- Roland Jeffery Physiotherapy Sports Injury Clinic: Quadricpes Muscle Strain
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute--Diseases and Conditions Index: What is Peripheral Arterial Disease?
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Muscle Cramp
- University of Kentucky Health Care: UK Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine-- Myositis Ossificans
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