3 Degrees of Quad Muscle Injury From Lunges and Their Symptoms

Use proper form to help prevent quad strain during lunges.
Image Credit: Cecilie_Arcurs/E+/GettyImages

Lunges are popular for toning and strengthening your legs, including your quadriceps, a muscle that extends from your hips to your knees. A muscle imbalance, neglecting to warm up before doing lunges, overusing your leg muscles, or exercising them while they're fatigued all make you susceptible to a quadriceps strain. Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a pulled quadriceps is essential for a quick recovery.

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Thigh Pain After Lunges

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If you're doing lunges and experience minimal tearing and stretching of the muscle fibers in your thigh, you've most likely fallen victim to a first-degree quadriceps strain. You might experience tightness, spasms and tenderness in the front of your upper leg.

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Although bending the knee of the affected leg and moving your thigh forward and back might cause mild pain, the discomfort might not always be severe enough that you must stop exercising.

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Sudden Thigh Pain

A second-degree pulled quad muscle can be recognized by a sudden sharp pain that stops you in your tracks. The muscle fibers are partially torn and the pain is more severe than that of a first-degree strain. The muscle is weak and unable to withstand much resistance.

Pressing on the affected area with your hand induces pain, as does bending and extending your knee and moving your thigh forward and back. An indentation or lump might appear at the site of the pulled muscle, and after one or more days, bruising might be visible.

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Read more: How to Treat a Pulled Quad Muscle

Torn Quad Muscle

If you hear or feel a pop or snap in the front of your thigh and experience a sudden, intense, debilitating pain, you're most likely dealing with a third-degree quadriceps strain. This is the worst-case scenario, because the muscle is completely torn.

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The pain is severe and paired with immediate swelling of the area. Within 24 hours you'll notice bruising and you'll need crutches to walk. Surgery may be needed to repair the muscle fibers.

Things to Consider

Regardless of the severity of the pulled muscle, initial treatment usually includes rest, icing of the muscle, compression and elevation. A doctor might recommend taking medications to relieve the pain, and once the pain subsides, she might suggest doing stretching and strengthening exercise to restore muscle flexibility and strength.

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A first-degree strain can take anywhere from 10 to 21 days to heal. Give a second-degree strain one to two months to heal, and count three months or longer for full recovery for third-degree strain.

Read more: How to Recover From a Strained Quad Fast

Use Proper Form

One of the best ways to help prevent thigh pain after lunges is to be sure you are using proper form. Practice lunges while standing in place first.

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HOW TO DO IT: Stand with your feet in a split stance. Keeping your chest up and torso straight, bend both knees at the same time to lower yourself down toward the ground. Do not allow your front knee to move in front of your toes. Lower as far as possible without quad pain, or until your back knee lightly touches the ground. Straighten your knees and stand back up.

Progress to stepping lunges — step one foot forward or one foot back — while maintaining proper form.

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