Pulled muscle - help, need to find a way to stretch it

LindsayHowlett

Help!!! I've pulled a painful muscle playing squash tonight and I can't find a way to stretch it out. The pull starts below my hip and runs down the outside of my thigh to my knee! It really bloody hurts! A) what muscle is it - never pulled this one before and how do I stretch it? I've tried every leg stretch that I know including many that are probably only seen inside the pages of the Kama Sutra - can anyone help????!!!!

gtamomof2

hey... sounds like either your ITB or Vastus Lateralis... If you google vastus lateralis stretch and look at photos its probably the easiest way to find a good stretch. Mostly you are going to be doing a Quad stretch (Heel up towards your buttock) and changing the direction of your foot to get a good stretch in the area. It is most definately easier to do this laying down if you have some sort of injury (don't fall and hurt something else! LOL!)
Good Luck

LindsayHowlett

Fab!! Thank you do much!! The name of the muscle is all I need to let google wok it's magic... You just don't get the right response when you type "muscle from below hip to knee on outside of thigh"... Lol!! Thanks again!

jenj1313

This is the stretch that I give to most patients with illiotibial band pain:

http://www.stadion.com/gif/patellofemoral_distal_ITB_stretch.jpg

Don't let the top leg "pop up", and just use light pressure from the other foot. Hold for at least 2 minutes (you can move in and out of the stretch if you need to, totaling 2 minutes), repeat 2-3x per day.

Ice and a foam roller help too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9aJtO0VCqw

The video isn't an endorsement, but a picture is worth a thousand words!

I've also used this stretch with a few people who didn't get a stretch with the ones shown above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlYM3KWwrGY&feature=fvwrel

Good luck! Take it easy :-)
Jen