thigh strain injury

[davidpearce]

hello
i wonder whether you can help. i've had a thigh injury for the past year now with no sign that its improving. it started back in november 2009 when i had just taken a penalty, i felt a slight twinge in my left thigh. diagnosis from my clubs physio suggested i had a slight thigh strain. after two weeks rest i returned to football for a couple of games only to damage it again this time the pain was slightly more but still in the same place the middle of my left thigh. i decided to give my thigh a longer rest of about 4-5 weeks. on my return i tore my thigh while taking a free kick the pain was exscruciating leaving me unable to walk for a few days. this time the pain was toward the top of my left thigh. this injury kept me out for 10 weeks. my latest comeback didnt last too long as after just three games i strained it again this time it was slight but in the same place as at first in the middle of my left thigh. i gave it a rest over the summer until pre-season which was roughly 12 weeks until my next game but again when i returned i injured it in the same place. i booked myself into a recommended physio who again diagnosed a thigh tear in my rectus femoris muscle. he put me on a six weeks rehabilitaion programme consisting of two weeks stretching, two weeks resistance band and two weeks core work rebuilding the strength in the area. after this i felt very confident that it had healed, the thigh felt strong and so on the final week of my rehabilitation i moved onto striking a ball but after a few strikes my thigh went again slightly above the usual injured area. after returning to my physio and him putting me through some tests he told me i had damaged only a few fibres and should be ok to return in 3 weeks. my thigh hadn't felt right i could still feel the injury so i decided to carry on with the rehab programme he gave me until i could no longer feel the injury. i hadnt played a match for 14 weeks when in my second match back which was last saturday i was running for the ball stopped suddenly and felt my thigh straight away in the same injured area. every time i had injured my thigh it was always from kicking the ball but this time it was from running im very worried the only option left would be an operation which i would like to avoid. i've booked into see my GP as i would like to get a scan but i know this would take weeks. i suffer from lower back pains now and then and read this could be a cause of the problem also my club physio who i was seeing at first said my right leg was slightly shorter than my left she showed me this by my hip bones could this be a problem? sorry for going on but im very depressed about this as i cant see it ending can you give me any advice
many thanks

[Heidi]

Hi
Obviously there is a problem in the thigh muscle, but because you have completed a rehab programme and it still keeps returning, you are right to look at other potential causes.
Back pain may be associated and it is worth getting an experienced physio to have a look at this. Leg length difference also may be involved.
Other than your rehab programme, did you get any soft tissue treatment to the actual muscles? e.g. sports massage etc? If not I would highly recommend this.

[aaliya]

I agree with the above poster^^ this is all truly quite obvious.. Even I think that we all have to do take care of this..