Minimize Swelling

• As soon as you suspect a leg muscle pull, you should take steps to reduce the swelling as quickly as possible. Apply ice wrapped in a towel to the pulled muscle and leave it on for about half an hour. Do not apply ice directly on the skin. You should also elevate the leg to reduce the blood flow to the area, which minimizes swelling. Over the next couple of days, ice the injured muscles every three to four hours if there is still pain. When you return to sports, consider using a leg wrap, especially for quad pulls, to minimize swelling and continue to ice after physical activities.
  
  

Take Time Off

• Leg muscles are capable of recovering from minor pulls on their own as long as they are given time to rebuild after an injury. How long and what type of rest you must take depends on how badly your muscle is pulled. You may have to take a complete rest for more severe injuries, such as a partial or complete tear. For less severe injuries you can consider alternative forms of exercise that do not put as much stress on the affected muscle. For example, if you have pulled your hamstring, you could use a hand bike to keep up your cardiovascular fitness level while the hamstring recovers. If the injury is minor, or as you start to recover, you can continue regular activities in smaller amounts and intensity. For example, if you are a cyclist you may cut your distance in half and not do any sprint work until the muscle has recovered.
  
  

Stretch

• Stretching is a key part of recovery as well as preventing leg muscle pulls from happening in the future. When the muscle fibers recover, you need to stretch to line them up properly with the undamaged fibers. A good quad stretch is to stand on one leg, grab your heel, and gently pull it upward. For your hamstrings, toe touches are effective. A good calf stretch is to stand on the edge of a stair with your heel hanging off the back and use your body weight to press down on the heel.