Muscle Contusions a.k.a. The “Corked Thigh”

If you’ve ever had someone’s shoulder or knee hit you hard in the thigh or the arm, you probably know all about how painful and limiting a Muscle Contusion or “Cork” can be!

It’s a pretty common injury for contact sports, as well as sports like hockey, cricket and baseball when a player gets hit by the ball.

Contusions in the muscle result from a hard impact which causes a tear or rupture in the deep tissue of the muscle – leading to bruising, swelling and inflammation. These nasty corks can often stop athletes from playing for weeks at a time, depending on how badly the muscle tissue is damaged.

What a Physio can do to Help:

• Soft tissue release – to reduce muscle tightness, increase blood flow into the muscle
• Dry Needling – to assist the inflammation-healing process, and reduce the muscle spasm
• Kinesiology Taping – to reduce swelling
• Stretching and restrengthening of the muscle

What you can do:

• RICER Protocol (Rest. Ice. Elevation. Referral) in the first 2-3 days
• No HARM (No Heat. No Alcohol. No Running. No Massage) in the first 48 hours
• Light stretching of the injured muscle
• Book in with a physiotherapist to help you get back on the field!

Want to know a bit more about muscle contusions? Check out the following link: Quadriceps Contusion (Cork Thigh)