Pain in your quadriceps that is related to exercise can occur in a variety of circumstances. Your quadriceps run along the front of your thigh. While commonly referred to as quads or quadriceps, there are actually four muscles in this group -- the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and astus intermedius. Overuse injuries and strains are two common causes of pain in the quadriceps. If you have thigh pain due to exercise, it's best to see a medical professional.
Muscle Strains
Working out too hard, such as during jumps or sprints, can cause a strain in these muscles. You are especially at risk of a strain if you jump into activity without warming up properly. Although you can strain any of the four muscles, the one most commonly affected is the rectus femoris, which crosses both your knee and hip joints. Strains are actually small tears in your muscle. These are graded as a level one, two or three, depending on how severe they are. With level one your discomfort is will be mild but you may have a spasm at the tear site. At level two you will feel a sharp pain when running or jumping, your pain will affect your walking and there may be swelling. You may be unable to bend your knee fully. If you suffer a level three strain you won't be able to walk without crutches and you will have immediate swelling when the injury occurs.
Strain Treatment
Treatment varies depending on how severe your strain is. At level one, you need to rest your quadriceps for 72 hours minimum before exercising again. Meanwhile, apply the rest, ice, compression and elevation, or RICE, technique. Level two requires similar treatment, with the addition of crutches if needed, wearing a compression bandage and elevating your thigh. Consult a medical professional about when to resume activity. Elevate your leg and apply cold and a compression bandage immediately with a level three strain; seek medical attention right away.
Overuse Injury
If it is not a strain, your quadriceps pain may be caused by an overuse injury called patellofemoral dysfunction. This injury occurs at the articulation of your kneecap, or patella, and underlying thigh bone. Dysfunction either occurs when the patella is forced with excessive pressure against the underlying thigh bone, usually due to overly-tight quadriceps muscles, or when it tracks to one side or other of the groove where it fits into the thigh bone. In either case, the end result is inflammation and pain. You may feel pain after sitting for a period of time or when going up and down hills or stairs.
Rehabilitation
Seek medical advice for treating patellofemoral dysfunction. It's commonly caused by weakness of the vastus medialis, which is the large quadriceps muscle that you find on the inside front of your thigh. Strengthening this quadriceps muscle is often a key factor for rehabilitating this injury. Three beneficial exercises are likely to be used. One simply involves tightening the vastus medialis when seated for 10 seconds several times a day. Another is wall sits, in which you stand with your back to a wall with your knees flexed 20 to 30 degrees while squeezing a ball between your knees. Side step-ups also are used to recruit the vastus medialis. Your doctor also may prescribe iliotibial band stretching.
