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Hey I am hoping somebody here can help me with this so here it goes. I pulled my quad recentlly playing soccer and than pulled it some more again last night. No matter how much I strech I always have this problem.

So now that it is bothering me, what can I do do ease the pain when getting out for the next practice which is tommorow? I have been icing it and compressing it nonstep since last night and it is gotten a little better but I can still feel the tear and I know if I got out on the field it would bother me.

Another question I have is while playing last night both of my calves got cramps. This came like after playing for 2.5 and I was really dehydrated and I don't know if that was the factor or the fact that it was my first real soccer practice in a long time and I might not have had the endurance for it.

Thanks

For the quad I suggest working a lot on hamstring and hip flexor flexability as well as warming up for 10+ mins before stretching (cold stretch does little). I really wouldn't practice if you want to recover in any reasonable time frame, odds are that you are going to continually reinjure it trying to play (I know it is HARD not to play, but you gotta give it some rest). Follow standard P R I N C E treatment (protection, rest, ice, nonsteriodal anti-inflamatories, compression, elevation) to aid recovery.

The calf cramping happens to me a lot playing basketball for extended periods of time. Most likely it is dehydration or electrolyte imbalance from sweating. One way I reduce the occurance of the cramps is to take a sports drink mixed 50/50 with water (they're usually far too sweet for me) and sip on it throughout the workout.

Sounds cool. I was trying to follow some kind of a R.I.C.E. program which stands for Rest Ice Compression and Elevation. I have rested, Iced, Compressed, but I don't know what the Elevation part means?

For the cramps I was thinking of bringing a bottle of gatorade along with water. The guys were telling me I was cramping up because I might not have had enough endurance to train for 4 hours but I though it was from dehydration because I was truely dehydrated to the point where my throat was dry and I was producing any siliva or sweat. I just brought 2 water bottles along and I am usually big on water consumption.

elevation = try and keep the injured area above the level of the heart.