Pulled vs Sore

[AndrewWiggin]

Help!

I think I pulled my quads doing squats the other day. I think it's pulled rather than sore simply because the pain very intense and I have difficulty controlling getting up and sitting down (not only because it hurts, but it just kind of gives way).

Aside from waiting, how can I tell if it's pulled or just sore? And what can I do about it?

 

[azmark]

I'm not a therapist what so ever but I've been sore and injured plenty of times and that doesn't sound like soreness.

It sounds like a major injury because your quads (from what I remember) don't take much of the strength in squats as your gluts would. So you may have used poor technique, over-trained, heavy reps, or just cold muscles to have your quads go out like that.

Please get this checked out, I've pulled quads from running many of times and it is extremely painful so if you happen to have a tear it will be severe as in any other muscle.

Keep us posted!

 

[Go West Young Man]

Try the old RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation) treatment for 2 days, if you don't start feeling better then get to a doctor.

 

[MajorBurnz]

That doesn't sound like soreness to me. I'd see a doctor. That's what they're there for anyway. At worst they'll tell you not to worry. There's no harm in being over-careful.

All the best, I hope it's something fleeting.

The last thing you need, when you start working out, is to injure myself. I speak from experience.

EDIT: Did you do leg extensions? That may make your quads sore to the point of giving way. Did you do free-weight squats, or did you use a Smith machine or some other squat machine. If it turns out to just be soreness, I'd switch to a combination of leg-presses and hack-squats for a while, before returning to squats.

 

[patrisVII]

Soreness can be pretty intense pain-wise. It also can severly limit the range of motion.

Was the pain immediate? A strain would be painful during or not long after the workout. Soreness won't usually show for 24-48 hours

Is it in both legs? Soreness in both legs would be a normal result of an intense work out, but it's not likely you strained both thigh muscles at the same time

What part of the quads? Close to the knee in the 'tear drop' heads of the thigh (vastus lateralis/medialis) or on the thick 'cable' muscle accross the top (rectus femoris)? My guess is the rectus femoris could be overworked/strained if you squat really deep (butt to heels), otherwise I'm not sure how the thigh would become really sore or strained by doing squats alone (unless they were sissy type squats, which are essentially a leg extension performed standing up, or you were raising up on your toes as you descended into the squat).

RICE, as was mentioned, and aspirin and rest wouldn't hurt either.

 

[Monkeydad]

Help!

I think I pulled my quads doing squats the other day. I think it's pulled rather than sore simply because the pain very intense and I have difficulty controlling getting up and sitting down (not only because it hurts, but it just kind of gives way).

Aside from waiting, how can I tell if it's pulled or just sore? And what can I do about it?

Just rest it for a few days, Mr. Haynesworth.