Congratulations to the Tennessee Titans for making it back into the playoffs. Vince Young, the explosive quarterback, was knocked out of the game when he reinjured his quadriceps. This is a repeat of an injury he suffered earlier this year. Luckily, the Titans has Kerry Collins to come in and wrap up the game.

According to news reports, Vince Young should be able to practice with the team and will play in their playoff game. So what gives? If he was hurt enough to be pulled out of the game, how can he come back and play a week later?

What is the quadriceps muscle? Ah, you've been fooled. The quadriceps isn't a muscle, but a collection of muscles. These muscle run through your thigh and play a pivotal role in everything from walking to running to squatting. The muscles that are referred to as quads are as follows:

• Vastus medialis is off to the side of your thigh.
• Vastus lateralis is off the other side, opposite of the medialis.
• Vastus intermedius runs right through the middle of the two other vastus.
• Rectus femoris is the big dog of the quads. He runs through the thigh to the patella.

What are strained quads? It's a strain of any of the above muscles. A strain occurs when the muscle tears. It is usually smaller tears that occur. 

What causes a strained quadriceps? Stretching the muscle past where it should be will do it.  In the case of football, it happens mostly on running plays and overextension. 

What are the symptoms of strained quadriceps? It depends on the severity. There are three severities ranging from mild to extreme. In the case of mild there will be some pain when the muscles aren't being used, but it quickly amps up in pain when you try to walk or squat. Don't squat. It hurts. They'll be some inflammation and in extreme cases bruising. You may have trouble moving your knee in a horizontal fashion.  

How do you treat strained quadriceps? As with most strains the best thing to do is rest, ice, compress and elevate. You might find some relief with muscle massage. You should cut back hard training until the quads heal. It's important to keep your normal range of motion to avoid any further complications.

How long does a strained quadriceps take to heal? Good news! If you take care of yourself the mild strained quads will heal in a few days. This is how Vince Young, hopefully, will be back to play in the playoffs.