Give your leg a couple of more days before you start sparring on it. The chronic stage of inflammation begins 72 hours after the injury has taken place. The tissues' response at this time will be maturation and remodeling through connective tissue. The symptoms are pain and dysfunction, both of which decrease over time as you gradually increase your activity until healing is complete. Depending on the severity of the injury, as the healing starts to take place and the inflammation has reached the chronic stage, the body sends fibroblasts to compensate for the injury.
Fibroblasts form scar tissue and adhesions.
Once that occurs, the muscle will have a decreased range of motion. This is where massage therapy helps a great deal by reducing the formation of scar tissue and adhesions, thereby maintaining range of motion. Once an injury has reached the chronic stage the tissue response can be realigned in the proper direction. Massage also stimulates the circulatory system, helping blood flow reach the injured area taking away the toxins resulting from trauma and making way for fresh oxygenated blood. Another basic type of martial arts injury is muscle strain or tear.