Most commonly the pain is from overuse of the quadriceps muscle. This is a powerful muscle in the thigh, essential for walking and exercising. Strain of this muscle is common following exercise when the muscle or tendons (tendons attach muscles to bone) are overstretched or not warmed properly before and after use.

Thigh pain can feel like tightness in the muscle and can sometimes cause leg cramp. Cramps are when muscle involuntarily contracts tightly resulting in pain. Cramps can also result from overuse of strain of muscles and tendons. Thigh pain can also be the result of a knee of back injury and the pain can due to abnormal posture and excess strain on the thigh muscles.

If you suffer from shooting pains down the thigh that start in the back of hip then the pain might be that of sciatica. This is due to slight compression of the nerves coming from the spine. If this type of pain occurs you should consult your GP for advice.