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Diagnosing a Quadricep StrainTo help your doctor achieve a proper diagnosis, he/she will begin with a medical history about you, your current condition and symptoms. He/she will inquire about the intensity of your present pain, if you heard a popping noise when you first experienced your injury, the duration and type of symptoms and the limitations you are experiencing. Details about what instigated your problem, when it started, and whether or not you have ever had treatments for this or a similar condition in the past, will be very helpful in assessing your injury. A physical examination will be performed to determine if you have any signs of a quadriceps strain. Your doctor will visually assess and feel the muscles, bones and other soft tissue in and around your quadriceps, as well as your entire leg/knee, pelvis and lower back, to evaluate sameness (symmetry), recognize differences and identify pain and tenderness. This will help to discover any abnormalities, such as mild or severe inflammation, fluid, bruising, bone or tissue deformity, and leg length discrepancies. He/she may ask you to complete a series of flexing and extending leg movements to see what motions cause pain, weakness, tightness, or instability. This will help to determine the location of your injury (in the muscle belly or near the attachment), test for the grade of your quadriceps strain and any muscle imbalances. Generally with a strain you will experience resisted extension and pain, where as with a tear you will not be able to complete a straight leg raise. He/she will also evaluate your feet and gait (the way you walk) to determine if you overpronate, or have other alignment issues. Most Common Quadriceps Injury Diagnostic Tests: Most grade 1 or 2 quadriceps strains don't require diagnostic testing, however these tests will help confirm if you have a grade 3 strain and/or will rule out other causes of quadriceps pain. The severity of quadriceps injuries can often be missed, hidden or underestimated because swelling and bleeding can occur deep within the muscle. Without a diagnostic test, it can be difficult to differentiate a fractured kneecap from a quadriceps tendon tear.  X-rays will provide a two-dimensional image of the overall structure of your quadriceps and upper leg (pelvis, femur and knee). They are helpful in identifying instability, fractures, abnormal bone shapes (bone spurs, calcifications or cysts, joint degeneration), and/or other leg problems.  MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) will provide more detailed information and will help to evaluate the soft tissues in and around your quadriceps (muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and other connective tissues). They can identify ligament or tendon damage, and can help to determine the extent of your injury, the grade of your tear, inflammation or tendinopathies, as well as other associated conditions. CT scans (computed tomography) and ultrasounds have been also used on occasion.
| Dear MendMeShop, In March of 2009 I visited my Chiroprator because of pain in my shoulder. He did ultra sound and muscle stem therapy and gave me excerises to do. He also had me get an MRI. After everything was said and done I found out I had a small bone spur, a small muscle tear and a lot of tendonitis. I was told to keep up the therapy and excerises and I would get better. I went to the internet and googled ultra sound. The first thing that came up was MendMeShop. I read what they had to say and ordered one of their units. I read the instructions and followed what they said to do and how to use the unit. I also called them up several times to answer questions. They have professional people available to help and direct the healing of what you are using the unit for. After a few weeks I began to feel relief. The one thing I did learn was to be patient. Any injury to a muscle or tendon takes a lot of time to heal. By purchasing this unit it has saved me a lot of money. Once I saw the area where the doctor was using it on me, I did the same with my ultra sound wand. I have told a lot of family and friends about this unit and they too have purchased the same device. I have grandchildren who are in sports and use the unit on they too. I would recommend this for anyone. Thank you all at MendMeShop for your help. Keep up the good work Rating: Ron Leininger           |
