At Blackberry Clinic our practitioners see a lot of sports injuries, especially now there is a return to sport following lockdown. With unaccustomed exercise there can be injuries and trauma and if you play a contact sport such as rugby, hockey or football then it is likely you may have sustained a ‘dead leg’ at some point! It is important for any kind of injury to have a proper assessment and a treatment plan as, not only will this prevent the likelihood of further injury, it will mean that you are back to playing the sport you love in a much shorter time than if you try to manage the injury without any advice. All our practitioners, physios, osteopaths, chiropractors and doctors are fully qualified to treat musculoskeletal sports injuries in all parts of the body.
What is a dead leg?
A dead leg most commonly occurs in the upper leg and is also known as a corked thigh or a quadriceps contusion. A contusion is an injury caused by a direct blow or trauma that leads to damage to the muscle and surrounding tissues in the area. Often, the quadriceps muscle gets crushed against the thigh bone which causes an intermuscular or intramuscular hematoma. If the hematoma is intramuscular, this means the bleeding occurs within the muscle belly and therefore you are much less likely to see any bruising. It can also happen in the lower leg, in which case it is known as a calf contusion.
How do you get a dead leg?
This type of injury is often seen in contact sports as the direct impact is usually from the knee of an opponent. People who play sports with equipment can also be prone to contusion injuries as the impact can come from the equipment itself eg. football, cricket ball, hockey stick etc.
What are the signs and symptoms of a dead leg?
· There is usually instant pain in the leg after direct impact.
· The severity of pain can vary depending on the extent of the damage to the muscle.
· Depending on where the damage is to the muscle, there may or may not be visible bruising.
· It can restrict your ability to walk, run or play sport
How do you help prevent a dead leg?
Due to the nature of this injury, it is hard to protect yourself from a direct blow when taking part in team sports. The best way to avoid injury or reduce the severity of a contusion is to adequately prepare yourself for sport. This includes making sure you are well hydrated, complete the appropriate warm up and cool down routines for your sport and participate in strength and conditioning exercises. This will ensure your muscles are supple, strong and better able to respond to injury. You should also make sure you are wearing correct and well-fitting protective equipment, if appropriate, and have a full understanding of your sport’s rules to prevent unnecessary contact.
What sort of treatment should you seek?
In order to optimise your recovery and limit damage to muscle tissue you can follow a simple RICE regime in the first 24–48 hours. A lot of swelling can delay healing and cause further tissue damage. To control the amount of swelling, the RICE regime should be followed (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). This regime reduces blood flow to the injured area and, therefore, can reduce the amount of swelling and tissue damage.
Rest involves limiting the amount of weightbearing you do on your injured leg and crutches may be used if you are having difficulty walking.
Ice should be applied to the dead leg for 15–20 minutes every 1–2 hours. It should be applied using a bag of frozen peas or crushed ice wrapped in a damp cloth.
Compression involves the application of an elastic bandage around the injury site. It should be firm but not tight.
Elevation involves lying with your leg resting on a chair or pillows so that it is above the level of your heart.
You should continue the RICE regime until you have been assessed by a physiotherapist or other practitioner.
Physical therapy is important in the treatment of dead legs. Initially, your practitioner can determine the exact tissues damaged and the extent of the damage. This assessment will also be able to provide you with an indication of how long the injury is expected to take to heal.
Initial treatment is aimed at reducing pain and swelling, and enhancing the healing of the injured structures. This might include mobilisation, soft tissue massage and electrotherapy. As you recover a strengthening and stretching programme can accelerate your return to sports participation.
If you think you may be suffering with this type of injury we suggest you book in for physiotherapy, osteopathy or chiropractic treatment within 48 hours of the injury occurring and we can help you get back to playing your sport in no time.