Eden Hazard’s Thigh Muscle Injury

Eden Hazard, a well-known Belgian footballer, is in the news again because of an injury in the thigh muscle. This powerful big muscle has knocked him out of the competition again. He was recently in the news because of his repetitive problems in training and competitions.

The new injury appears to be unrelated to the previous one. However, the athlete’s medical history tells a different story. He has previously suffered nine injuries that prevented him from playing much since becoming part of Spanish club Real Madrid, so this is his tenth.

Let’s take a look at the latest past muscle and joint disorders. What do they mean by Hazard injured his thigh muscle? What are the anatomical consequences of this muscle?

Hazard’s thigh muscle injury happened due to other issues

Eden Hazard’s latest injury was a muscle tear of the left anterior rectus. This is one of the parts that make up the quadriceps, on the front of the thigh. There are powerful and organized fibers in the space between the hip and knees that allow a person to exercise.

The tear of the left anterior rectus is not the same in all people (Spanish Link). There is a greater risk to athletes because of the overexertion that comes with training and strenuous seasons of competition and competition. There are four degrees of severity of muscle tears in clinical terms:

• First grade. No more than 5% of the affected muscle is affected here and sometimes it is even impossible to locate the damaged area with an ultrasound.

• Second degree. The fibers tear up to 4 centimeters.
• Third degree. The tear is larger than four centimeters and there is damage in the tendon leaf, the fibrous layer that surrounds the muscle tissue. There is usually a hematoma, a collection of blood that takes up space and causes pressure and pain.
• Fourth degree. This is the most severe form of all. This is because the tear is complete over the entire width of the affected muscle and the hematoma is usually of considerable size. It is disabling and requires surgery.

We don’t know the size of Eden Hazard’s quadriceps tear. However, he has been injured again despite following the indicated rest and rehabilitation techniques (Spanish link). This time it is the thigh muscle, which we are going to describe.

What is the thigh muscle?

The thigh muscle is actually part of a larger compound muscle called the iliopsoas. This mass of fibers extends between the diaphragm and spine above it to the pelvis and thigh bone below and is responsible for flexing the hip.

So we can say that it is best to describe each section separately, always remembering that Hazard injured his thigh muscle on the right side:

• The iliac portion attaches to the iliac crest of the hip, touches the sacrum, filling part of the internal iliac fossa and forming the iliolumbar ligament. It then exits the pelvis through the crural arch, below the inguinal ligament and reaches the femur.
• In addition , the thigh muscle originates in the last thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, attached to the vertebral column, and then descends to the iliac fossa, where it joins the part we described above.

It makes sense when analyzing the size to consider the interactions that the iliopsoas has with various other structures of the organism. It has a connection with the abdominal organs and with a series of nerves and plexuses that transmit sensory information.

This link with the central nervous system led to techniques of approach and meditation in traditional medicine. These aim to stimulate a supposed channeling of energy between the abdominal organs, the renal system and the vital balance.

Function of the thigh muscle

Of course, these are anecdotal features based on the muscle’s superiority for posture. Strictly speaking, the function of the thigh muscle is to:

• To activate when we walk. He helps us to walk on two legs, unlike other animals.
• Supporting the normal curvatures of the spine, especially the one going forward in the lumbar region.

• Stabilize the sacrum so that it does not lose its central axis.

Could Hazard’s latest injuries be linked?

We could also attribute Hazard’s thigh muscle injury to overuse. The possibility of muscle fatigue or repeated micro-injuries was considered with his previous injury, so it shouldn’t be surprising that this new injury has the same causes.

In any case, the injuries occurred on the contralateral sides. The quadriceps tear happened on the left and the thigh muscle injury on the right. So it doesn’t take away any possible link. This is because the body tends to compensate with more effort on the healthy side when there is a problem on the other side.

One hypothesis is that an injury to the left lower limb could cause an overload on the right to compensate during training and physical rehabilitation. The extra contractions and overexertion would certainly cause increased sensitivity.

Of course, we’re in the realm of assumptions here. The only clear thing is that Eden Hazard’s thigh injury means he can’t play. Again, rest is the usual treatment, along with anti-inflammatory medications and a rehabilitation process that includes kinesiology and physical therapy. In the meantime he has already made minutes at the European Championship.

Can this injury be prevented?

Through good training and correct execution of movements, an overload of the thigh muscle, as may be experienced by the football player, can be prevented. This can also be done by regulating the number of exercises and giving the muscle fibers a break.

Sometimes there are early signs that warn of things to come. There may be a vague pain in the thigh or lumbar region (Spanish link), as well as extreme fatigue in the lower extremities in athletes who do not tire easily (Spanish link). In those cases, professionals recommend the following when there is a specific warning:

• Reduce the intensity of the exercises.
• Do specific stretches for this muscle more often than usual.
• Massage the lumbar and abdominal area, from top to bottom, towards the groin.

There are times when prevention is almost impossible and there is nothing to do but rest and put yourself in the hands of specialized professionals who can help you recover. It is possible, but requires patience.