Hamstring Strain

Hamstring Strain Causes

Hamstring problems aren't exclusive to athletes. The hamstring, an important muscle group in your leg, can become vulnerable through many kinds of activity, even normal everyday walking and jogging. The hamstring muscles are a primary element in helping your knee to bend. When these hamstring muscles become strained, walking or regular movement can become difficult or even impossible.

You might encounter a pulled hamstring in the following cases:

• Sudden stops and starts in your exercise routine or lifestyle placing undue stress on your muscles
• Working out without stretching or warming up properly beforehand
• Overexertion in activities that involve lots of running, jumping, or sudden changes in direction
• Stretching further than your body can handle during a warm up

While painful, a pulled hamstring can be treated with the right tools, rest, and rehabilitation exercises.

Hamstring Strain Symptoms

Because most hamstring injuries are caused by sudden movement or over-extension during activities, you will likely know immediately if you have injured your hamstring. It's common for the sufferers of hamstring injuries to experience varying amounts of pain immediately. Should you suffer a severe hamstring injury you should consult a doctor. 

If have a pulled hamstring, you may experience:

• Inability to walk or stand without severe pain
• Difficulty putting weight on your injured leg
• Spasms or tightness of the muscle
• Tenderness
• Bruising and swelling in severe cases

If you've injured your hamstring, you may find it difficult to walk or move your injured leg. As with many other types of muscle strain, rest and gentle rehabilitation exercises are the keys to recovery.

Hamstring Strain Treatment

Once you have experienced a hamstring injury, it’s best to rest and reduce inflammation to protect against a chronic injury. Crutches may be temporarily necessary. If the injury is minor, after a few days, mild activity and stretching can begin again, and prevention becomes key.

IMMEDIATE RELIEF

One of the first things you can do as muscle pain treatment is to stop doing what you are doing to give your muscles a rest. Apply ice to the sore area for 20 minutes, 3 times each day to reduce swelling and provide pain relief. Compression can reduce swelling, provide warmth, and increase circulation. Use compression sleeves to aid in providing immediate relief and support. Elevating the injured muscle can also help to reduce inflammation and swelling, thus reducing pain.

FOR LONG-TERM HEALING

Stretching and Strengthening Products:

Stretching and strengthening exercises are beneficial for hamstring strain pain. Firstly, targeted stretching helps improve the flexibility of the muscles and tendons around the hamstring, reducing stiffness and enhancing range of motion.

Recommended products:

CoreStretch® ★★★★★ Strengthen all your core muscles and gain flexibility for maximum injury prevention through proper stretching techniques with CoreStretch. Originally developed for physical therapists, the CoreStretch uses the body’s natural traction to achieve safe, effective stretches. It delivers a variety of key stretches to activate the entire interconnected chain of core muscles (hamstrings, lower back, hips, piriformis, and glutes) in order to alleviate muscle compensation and further injury. The CoreStretch delivers optimal stretching for 3 levels of fitness that can be used in seated, standing, or floor positions.

StretchRite® Stretching Strap ★★★★★ The key to StretchRite’s effectiveness is in the ergonomically designed handgrips that allow you to stretch comfortably, increase your range of motion in stages and visually monitor your progress.

Massage Products:

Massaging helps to relax tight muscles and release tension, reducing overall discomfort and promotes a greater range of motion. A targeted massage can address specific trigger points or knots in the muscles, contributing to pain relief and enhancing the overall recovery from golfer's arm pain.

Recommended products:

ProStretch® Pro Stick Massage Roller★★★★★ Is an innovative mulit-layer therapy roller with a range of possibilities. Provides deep tissue massage, allowing you to apply pressure directly to the muscles and soft tissues around the hamstring. Deep tissue massage helps relieve muscle tension and improve blood circulation.

ProStretch® Knot Bad Massage Cane ★★★★★ It has five massage knobs on the shaft and is the ideal tool for releasing myofascial trigger points for a deep tissue massage.

ProStretch® Nonagon Foam Roller The textured 9-sided foam roller design with a solid EVA foam core connects with the fascia with precision and allows for a deeper, stable, and secure roll.

ProStretch® Marble Massage Roller ★★★★★ The Marble massage roller is a hand-held roller massage tool designed to help relieve tight muscle knots, tension, and muscle soreness. It features three magnetic balls that stimulate optimal blood flow throughout your muscles.

ProStretch® Uno Massage Roller ★★★★★ Delivers targeted myofascial release, reducing muscle tightness and promoting flexibility. Its design allows for effective targeted self-massage.

ProStretch® Hexi Mini Foam Roller It is the ideal trigger point massage tool to help alleviate muscle soreness, tightness, and tiredness. Small and compact, the Hexi foam roller features a textured 6-sided design with a solid foam core and can be used just like a standard-sized roller.

In addition to the above mentioned techniques, you should always ice the area after you have exercised to reduce inflammation. Speaking to a physician about proper medication could also be an option to explore.

How to Prevent Hamstring Strain Pain?

One of the most important things you can do for hamstring strain prevention is to stretch and warm up any time you are going to exercise your upper leg and/or hamstring. Regardless of the activity intensity or duration, it is important that you stretch your legs well so you don’t cause strain in any area.

If you feel strain or pain at any time during play, or even during your everyday activities, stop what you are doing and give your leg a rest.

PLEASE NOTE: The information on this website and article is for information only and should not be used as a substitute for consulting your doctor. Consult your doctor for proper diagnosis and rehabilitation.