Thigh Strains / Quadriceps Strain / Rectus Femoris Strain
Quadriceps (Rectus Femoris) Strain
You maybe midway through pre-season training and starting to get into more kicking and running drills? You may want to work on a very important quadricep muscle known as the Rectus Femoris (RF). The quadricep muscle is a group of four muscles situated at the front of the hip/leg. The RF is the most superficial of the group of muscles and has two attachment sites, both of which are above the hip joint.
The exact motion you perform when kicking a ball can cause a RF strain - ie. straightening the knee & bending the hip.
Rectus femoris injuries make up the majority of quadricep injuries in soccer players. The injury occurs with a clear mechanism: acceleration, deceleration or from a kicking activity.
Symptoms:
Usually pain around the front of the hip will present following an acute incident (Most likely from one of the above mechanisms).