With the footy season upon us, we are seeing many athletes come through our clinic with hamstring injuries which generally have occurred during some sort of running activity. We find hamstring stains are common injuries among footballers, netballers, sprinters, hurdlers and runners.
During sprinting the hamstring muscles work extremely hard to decelerate the tibia (shin bone) as it swings out. It is in this phase just before the foot strikes the ground that the hamstrings, become injured as the muscles are maximally activated and are approaching their maximum length.
Patients with a hamstring strain usually feel a sudden sharp pain or pulling sensation in the back of the thigh during the provocative activity. Hamstring strains tend to occur more commonly in the older athlete and particularly following an inadequate warm-up.
Physiotherapy Treatment
- After an injury it’s important to rest the injured muscle, sometimes for up to two or three weeks before you can return to sports after your injury.
- R.I.C.E- Rest, apply Ice and Compression. Elevate the leg if possible.
- An anti-inflammatory can be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation. A stretching program can be started as soon as the pain and swelling subsides.
- A strengthening program should be used to rebuild the strength of the injured muscle in order to prevent re-injury. Make sure you increase this gradually.
- A thigh wrap can be applied to provide support as the muscle heals.
Our therapists have had great results in dealing with this type of injury and firmly believe that the best recoveries are achieved by early intervention. If you find yourself with a hamstring injury and need more information on how to manage this don’t hesitate to contact our clinic on 03 9716 2250 and one of our experienced physiotherapists can work out a treatment plan and exercises for you.