Sartorius strain – muscle pain!

What is the sartorius muscle?

The sartorius muscle is the longest muscle in the human body and is part of a group of muscles called the hip flexors.

It starts at the outer thigh, crosses over the thigh bone, continues along the length of the inner thigh and then ends just below the inside of the knee.

What does it do?

The hip flexors allow flexing of the hip, so you can perform movements such as pulling your knee upwards, lifting the foot up and to the back and helps in rotating the hip. It is also in charge of keeping the pelvis stabilised, aligned and balancing the knee.

Keeping your hip flexors loose is vital for a well- functioning body. Imbalances in your hip flexors can create groin pain, low back pain, hip pain and knee and foot pain.

It can alter the way you walk leaving you open to numerous other imbalances throughout the body.

How do you strain the sartorius muscle?

This muscle can be strained or pulled during high impact activities such as sprinting jumping and running.

If you play sports such as rugby, football or hockey, you may be at a higher risk of injuring this muscle.

That being said it can also be damaged through trauma such as stepping in a hole, tripping whilst walking or slipping on ice!

Symptoms of sartorius muscle strain

• Inflammation, redness or bruising in the area.
• Weakness and tenderness in the muscles of the inner thigh.
• Pain felt in the groin area
• Difficulty bringing the legs together.
• Pain whilst resting.
• Pain when trying to lift the knee.
• Inability to use the muscle at all.

Prevention is better than cure!

Although the risk of muscle strains is highest among athletes, everyone should be mindful of their daily activities, as some could quite easily cause muscle strains. To help prevent injuring a muscle:

• Stretch in the morning, after you exercise and before bedtime to help increase your flexibility.
• Warm up before exercising or playing any sports.
• Practice good lifting techniques.
• Watch your posture – sit and stand correctly!
• Don’t try to overdo it!
• Maintain a healthy body weight to avoid putting extra stress on your low back and leg muscles.

How can Chiropractic care help?

Most people think that Chiropractors use spinal adjustments to treat misaligned joints, headaches and neck pain, and they would not be wrong. However, not everyone knows that Chiropractors can also treat muscle strains.

The good news is that with proper treatment, most people recover completely from muscle strains. Your Chiropractor may advise:-

• To begin with follow the RICE rules – rest, ice compression and elevation. They may advise avoiding the activity that caused the strain to begin with. Icing the sartorius muscle in 20 minute increments throughout the day. Using an elastic bandage and propping the leg up on a pillow.
• When the Chiropractor thinks it is time, then soft tissue adjustments will be performed. This will increase the blood flow to the sartorius muscle, providing pain relief and helping the muscle heal faster.
• The Chiropractor will also focus on the musculoskeletal system, realigning any misaligned joints to help speed up recovery and to make sure your body is ready for future physical activity.
• They may suggest professional massage which will improve blood flow, stimulating the injured area will improve your range of motion and will help prevent further pain and injury.

If you think you have strained a muscle and you don’t find relief within 24 to 48 hours, contact your Chiropractor for help and advice.

If you would like some further information or to speak to a member of our team please call us on: Hitchin 01462 420077 or Luton 01582 579687, alternatively e-mail us at: hitchin@healesclinics.com or luton@healesclinics.com.