The vastus lateralis which is located on the outside of your upper thigh is one of four muscles in the quadriceps. It connects from your hip bone to your knee cap. Vastus lateralis pain can come in a variety of ways and it’s the number one cause of growing pains in young children. Let’s have a look.
Pain And Symptoms Involved With The Vastus Lateralis
- Locking of the knee
- Pain in the knee
- Pain located around the side of your thigh extending down towards the knee
- Pain located under your buttocks pointing towards your hip
What Does It Do?
The primary purpose of this muscle is to straighten the knee.
Common Causes Of Pain
- Overuse
- Running, walking
- Soccer
- Football
- Climbing
- Any activity where the legs are used heavily could potentially cause an injury
Treatment
The first thing to do if you believe you have injured the muscle is to simply rest and cease all strenuous activities that would place the muscle under unneeded stress. If you are experiencing swelling then you should apply an ice pack to the area to help bring the swelling down. You should also try to immobilize the muscle as much as possible to avoid potentially further injury to the muscle.
Many people report great success using massage therapy on the injured muscle. Massage works by releasing trigger points along the muscle as well as softening and stretching the muscle to allow for more blood flow into the muscle. A great massage in the muscle as well as the surrounding muscles can go a long way towards treating the pain you may be experiencing in the muscle.
Other Treatment Options
- Apply ice packs every few hours to keep swelling down
- Avoid activity for at least three days
- Make use of a compression bandage until the pain has subsided
- See a doctor
Below is a great video showing the various release points in the vastus lateralis. Massaging these release points can help alleviate vastus lateralis pain.