Damaged Quad Muscles (Knee Area)

Madwife2009

Hi,

I don't know if anyone can make any suggestions or not - I had an accident on my bike nearly four months ago (bike and I ended up in a heap; my leg on ground, bike on my leg,by my knee, other leg on top of the bike). My leg is still a bit swollen (I can see and feel the fluid slopping around in there) and it's still painful and bruised; new bruising seems to appear on an almost daily basis). My doctor thinks that there are lots of little tears in the quad muscles and they are definitely weaker on that leg compared to the other leg - when I stand on just the damaged leg, I'm quite wobbly.

My doctor has suggested a cold pack when I'm resting in the evenings, ibuprofen (which i really hate taking) and exercises, either squats or lying on my back and raising my leg up whilst keeping it straight.

Is there anything else I can do to help my poor leg? I'm currently on a calorie deficit as I have another 35lbs to lose (set to losing a couple of pounds a month). I don't know anything about muscle injuries/recovery so would be grateful for any suggestions

Cheers

xvolution

One thing I've done to help with swollen legs is to wear a compression sleeve/socks. The higher compression rated ones are specially made to aid healing for post-surgery and injury. However, I would ask your doctor before even trying it, because getting them on the first time might make things worse, depending on the severity of the injury.

emb369

Compression can help a lot (sleeves) and you can try KT tape if you know how to use it. I tore my quad last year before my triathlon and was off it completely for 4 weeks. No running or cycling and swimming only with a pull buoy.

Willbenchforcupcakes

You've mentioned Doctor, but have you seen a physio to fully diagnose and treat?

Also consider eating at maintenance while you finish rehab. It will allow your body to heal better and faster. I know it sucks, I'm there right now myself. But I would rather have a few weeks at maintenance to heal my injury rather than drag it out for months just to keep cutting weight right now.

lizandrashaw

Swimming is excellent. It assists the lymphatic flow to help move the swelling out of the area. If you can get to a pool where you can just gently walk in chest deep water, then you can work on the mechanics of your gait and get rid of any limp you have. Limping will put stress on your other knee, as well as your back.

xvolution

Another thing to try [again, with doctor's approval] is to get a set of resistance bands with ankle bracelets. Most physical therapists recommend using them for recovery post-injury and post-surgery [since they only provide resistance, there's not as much strain on the parts of the muscle connected to the bones, and thus less of a chance of re-injury].

I lost my ability to walk last March [allergic reaction to statins which caused muscle degeneration in my legs] and after a month of doing resistance band training most of my walking ability was restored. Took another month for it to be back completely].