Senior Surgeon Explains Common Thigh Muscle Injuries in Athletes: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery

Dr. Niv Marom, a senior surgeon in the sports unit at Meir Medical Center explains that injuries to the thigh muscles are essentially injuries to the hamstring muscle group, which are the knee flexor muscles. These common injuries can include partial or complete ruptures of the connection between the tendon and the muscle, or an injury to the muscle itself. In more serious cases, surgery may be required if the injury is to the tendon or its connection to the bone. However, if the injury is in the area between the tendon and the muscle, surgery may not be necessary.

Treatment for these injuries primarily involves physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory medication, and rest. Physical therapy focuses on strengthening the injured muscle and nearby muscles, while anti-inflammatory pills and cold compresses can help reduce pain and swelling. Basketball players may notice this pain during actions such as running, diving, and landing.

For athletes looking to speed up recovery from sports injuries, biological injections like Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may be used. However, their effectiveness is not definitively proven and Dr. Marom cautions against returning to activity too soon as scar tissue forms during initial recovery period and premature activity can increase risk of re-injury. Instead he recommends taking a longer break from activity to allow tissues to heal properly before resuming physical activity again.

To prevent sports injuries Dr. Marom stresses that warming up before activity is crucial as well as performing relevant stretches to maintain flexibility in leg muscles and tendons. It is also essential to strengthen muscles around pelvis