A thigh strain is a tear to one of the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh. Thigh strains are graded 1, 2 or 3 depending on how bad they are. Here we explain thigh strain diagnosis and how to tell what grade of injury you have.
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How bad is my thigh strain?
A thigh strain (quadriceps muscle tear) causes sudden acute pain at the front of the thigh. Muscle strains are graded 1 to 3 depending on how bad they are an how much of the muscle has torn.
Grade 1
- If you have a grade 1 quad strain then it may not feel bad enough to stop training at the time.
- You might feel a twinge in the thigh, with a general feeling of tightness.
- Walking may cause mild discomfort and running might be difficult.
- You are unlikely to have swelling, but you may feel a lump in the muscle.
Grade 2
- Grade 2 symptoms are more severe than grade two.
- You may feel a sudden sharp pain when running, jumping or kicking and be unable to play on.
- Pain will make walking difficult and you will notice swelling or mild bruising.
- The pain would be felt when pressing into the muscle, particularly where it is torn.
- When diagnosing thigh strains your therapist will get you to straighten your leg whilst they resist it. Pain indicates injury to the muscle.
Grade 3
- Grade 3 symptoms consist of severe, sudden pain in the front of the thigh.
- The patient will be unable to walk without the aid of crutches.
- With grade 3 thigh strain diagnosis, bad swelling will appear immediately. Significant bruising deveops within 24 hours.
- A static muscle contraction will be painful and is likely to produce a bulge in the muscle.
- The patient can expect to be out of competition for 6 to 12 weeks.
Assessment & diagnosis of thigh strains

A professional therapist will do a full assessment in order to accurately diagnose your injury. This should include:
- Questions about your general health, previous injury as well as current injury.
- Your therapist will then perform a physical assessment of the injury.
- This includes observation and palpation (feeling the area),
range of motion tests and resisted muscle tests.