Chiropractic Therapy for Thigh Pain

If your thigh pain is acute, you must obtain an X-ray to exclude the possibility of fractured bone. Chronic muscular pain, however, may be helped by chiropractic care. The four quadriceps femoris muscles on the front of your thigh can tear or become strained by exertion; the resulting injury is a contusion or bruise. A contusion is most painful when moving the thigh. Chiropractic treatment can ease the pain and relax muscle spasms while the muscles are healing. Chiropractors can also realign the spine and hips, which may ease residual muscle pain in the legs.

Symptoms

Determine the extent of your injury. If you can’t put any weight on your leg or extend it at all, you may have a fracture or tear that requires emergency care. A contusion, which may be helped by chiropractic therapy, is accompanied by swelling of the front of the thigh; the skin is red and progresses to black and blue. The thigh bruise limits the range of motion of the knee, but probably won’t completely immobilize you.

Another reason to see a chiropractor is if you have thigh pain that seems to be radiating down from your lower back. In this case, the muscle tightness may be the result of your hips or spine being out of alignment and will respond to a simple adjustment.

Immediate Treatment

Immediately after an injury, apply ice to the thigh to reduce swelling; a chiropractor may do this during an office visit. Elevating the leg reduces swelling and takes pressure off of the injury. The chiropractor may recommend an ace bandage to support the leg while the muscles heal. Short-term use of crutches takes the weight off the injured muscles to give them a chance to heal and relax.

Chiropractic Approaches

The goal of the chiropractic treatment is to restore full range of motion to the knee joint, i.e. improve function and decrease pain. Chiropractic adjustment will not reduce pain associated with a thigh bruise, but chiropractors use massage, ultrasound, and electrical muscle stimulation to stretch or relax muscles that are shortened due to spasms. Electronic muscle stimulation technique can also tone, reshape, and firm thighs. Electronic muscle stimulation reduces both acute and chronic pain.

A chiropractor may perform an adjustment if he or she determines that your chronic, non-contusion-related thigh pain is the result of an injury to another area of the back. It’s all connected, so a spasm or misalignment in your shoulders, lower back or hips could affect the muscles of the thigh.

Supplements

A chiropractor may suggest vitamin supplements and analgesics. Naproxen sodium eases pain and reduces swelling, but might irritate the stomach. Supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin increase lubrication in joints; they may also contain MSM, vitamin D, hyaluronic acid and anti-inflammatory agents. Your chiropractor will help you decide which supplements and analgesics will work best on your leg. Another at-home treatment to relieve symptoms is a heating pad; however, not all injuries respond well to heat, so be sure to confirm with your chiropractor the type of treatment appropriate to your condition.

Prevention

To stay healthy and prevent the thigh from getting bruised again, your chiropractor may suggest several things based on the circumstances of your injury. These may include losing weight, adding exercise or changing your current exercise regimen or improving your posture. If you stand for long periods of time, take a few minutes to elevate the leg. If you sit for long periods, take breaks to move around thereby increasing blood flow to the muscle and preventing intense muscle spasms.