Kicking the footy with your kids or water skiing like you have many times before;…but then OUCH! You feel a ‘twang’ closely followed by shooting pain up your leg, you have hurt your hamstring muscle!!
With this blog we’ll delve deeper into the world of the ‘hammy tear’.
What is the hamstring?
The hamstring is the muscle in the back of your thigh, that crosses both the hip and the knee. The hamstring’s job is to bend the knee and extend the hip backwards.
What causes these injuries?
Most commonly injury occurs during sudden, explosive movements such as sprinting, lunging, jumping and changing direction while accelerating or decelerating. Sometimes injury can occur during slower movements that can overstretch the muscle.
The extent of the injury often determines how much pain you experience.
Mild strains (grade 1) are often not felt until after activity is completed and usually manifest as stiffness and tenderness in the back of your thigh. Moderate strains (grade 2) will be more tender and painful, often with associated bruising and/or swelling present. More severe strains (grade 3) are often accompanied by intense sharp pain and difficulty weight bearing. People often report feeling or hearing a” pop” at the time of the injury, in a grade 3 strain. Significant swelling and bruising may be present, where the bruising may cover the entire back of your thigh
There are many risk factors, which increase the chance of these injuries occurring including, past history of hamstring injuries, sudden change of direction, poor strength and flexibility, inadequate warm up and ageing.
Recovery
Initially post injury the common protocol is to follow the RICE principle (REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, ELEVATION), with the aim of reducing pain and swelling around the affected tissues.
An assessment with an appropriately qualified practitioner, such as an Osteopath, can help determine the grade of the injury, and if there is any need for referral for further investigations. Hamstring injuries can take up to 8-10 weeks to resolve depending on how extensive the injury is. Manual therapy, as well as an individualised rehabilitation program can aid in the recovery process.
Prevention
A suitable strengthening and mobility program can be useful to decrease the chance of hamstring strains from occurring.
Do you have a hamstring strain or a history of hamstring strains?
Contact Maroondah Osteopathy and Sportscare today to make an appointment with one of our qualified Osteopaths or Exercise Physiologists for an assessment.
