how do i rehab a pulled hamstring

How long does it take for a pulled hamstring to heal?

Recovery from a hamstring tear or strain Mild to moderate (grade 1 or 2) tears or strains can heal within three to eight weeks with diligent home therapy. For a grade 3 hamstring tear or strain, recovery may be as long as three months.

Is walking good for a pulled hamstring?

Gentle exercises and stretches To avoid this, you should start doing gentle hamstring stretches after a few days, when the pain has started to subside. This should be followed by a programme of gentle exercise, such as walking and cycling, and hamstring strengthening exercises.

What should you not do with a pulled hamstring?

Dont'sDo not force exercise on an injured hamstring. Professional athletes are out for 4-8 weeks with hamstring injuries so running or any intense exercise on the injury is a big mistake.However, don't sit around too much unless it is considered a grade 3. Movement helps to encourage blood flow into the area.Aug 9, 2015

How do you rehab a grade 1 hamstring pull?

Hamstring Strain RehabGrade 1 – Mild muscle/tendon pull or strain. ... REST – Immobilize your leg, avoiding any/all physical activity. ... ICE – Apply a cold pack (a frozen bottle of water thinly wrapped in a towel will also work) directly to your hamstring for +/- 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.More items...•Oct 20, 2020

Rest

Allowing time for the muscle to rest is the first step in the treatment of most hamstring injuries. Rest allows the swelling to subside and inflammation to settle down. In order to sufficiently rest the muscle, sometimes crutches are needed to relieve the stress of the muscle. 2 

Stretching

Stretching can begin soon after the injury, but must not be done aggressively or the stretching may exacerbate the injury. Stretching should be gentle and not painful.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can help guide an athlete with appropriate treatment. Many people find relief with modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and therapeutic massage. 4  Most athletes should begin therapeutic exercise as soon as possible. These types of exercises may include low-impact activities including cycling and pool workouts.

Ice the Injury

Apply ice to the injured hamstring in the acute phase, and then after activities. Ice will help limit the swelling and inflammatory reaction and may help to stimulate blood flow to the injured area. Ice can also be an effective pain-relieving treatment for these types of muscle strains. 6 

Heat Applications

Before activities, heating the injured muscle can help loosen the tissue. Applying a heat pack to the hamstring prior to stretching or exercising may help to warm up the injured muscle. As a general rule, remember to heat before, and ice after. 7 

Anti-Inflammatory Medications

Anti-inflammatory medications (such as Aleve, Motrin, or ibuprofen) can help relieve pain. These also calm the inflammatory response from the injury. 8 

Surgery

Surgical treatment is rarely necessary for the treatment of a hamstring injury. When the injury occurs within the central part of the muscle, it is almost always best to treat these injuries non-surgically.

28 Aug The Ultimate Guide to Hamstring Strain Rehabilitation

A hamstring strain can be one of those stubborn injuries that far too often become recurring injuries or a more chronic strain. Their high rate of recurrence is usually due to a lack of careful rehabilitation and training following the injury.

Acute Phase Considerations: Did you just injure your hamstring, or is it currently painful?

The first step in rehabilitating insulted muscle tissue is to find ways to use this muscle without causing further injury. Isometric exercise is defined as a muscular contraction where the muscle length is not changing. In other words, the muscle is being flexed, but it is not creating any movement.

Isometrics for Analgesia: Direct Load Progressions for a Hamstring Strain

Isometrics have numerous applications in strength training as well as rehab. They are an effective way to warm-up and prime muscles for movement as well as decrease sensitivity and pain after injury.

Are you stretching your hamstrings too much, too soon?

One very common misconception is that tight feeling muscles need to be stretched. Muscles can feel tight for a variety of reasons, and it is not always necessary or even beneficial to stretch a muscle. Sometimes, it can even be detrimental to its recovery. During most muscle injuries, the fibers or microscopic cells are slightly torn.

Good Pain vs Bad. Stretch Vs. Pull

Hamstring rehabilitation involves feedback and monitoring of pain and feeling in the hamstring. The more in tune you are with your body, the better your recovery and rehabilitation will go. It is important, to be honest with yourself and be disciplined here, as it is human and athletic instinct to want to constantly push yourself.

Hamstring Strain Exercise Progressions for Athletes

Athletes require more advanced ways to increase the strength of their hamstrings and move beyond the basic bridge and isometric progressions. Unilateral exercises can teach body stiffness, core control, balance, and controlled eccentric lengthening along with reciprocal hip movement.

Other Factors That Influence The Hamstrings

If we want to explore the “WHY?” question as to hamstring strains, we might want to look at two different areas: the opposite hip flexor and the same side glute. During gait or running, as the hamstring is lengthened, so is the contralateral hip flexor.

How Long Does It Take to Recover from a Pulled Hamstring?

Pulled hamstring recovery usually takes 4-6 weeks, depending on how quickly your body heals (different people heal at different rates) and the severity of the injury:

How to Speed Up Pulled Hamstring Recovery

For the first 2-3 days after you've pulled your hamstring, take the following steps:

Where Is the Hamstring Located on Your Body?

Your hamstring consists of three muscles in the back of your thigh – the semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris. These enable you to bend and flex your knee. To attach to bones, the muscle fibers gradually turn into tendon fibers at either end.

How Does a Pulled Hamstring Happen?

A pulled hamstring can happen anywhere within the muscle or tendon, but most often occurs in the middle of the muscle. There are many factors that increase the risk of hamstring injury, including:

How Can You Prevent Pulling Your Hamstring?

You can reduce your chances of any sports-related muscle injury, including strained hamstring, by looking after muscle strength and flexibility, so you won't need to go through pulled hamstring recovery at all. Here are some tips:

Diagnosis

During the physical exam, your doctor will check for swelling and points of tenderness along the back of your thigh. The location and intensity of your pain can help determine the extent and nature of the damage.

Treatment

To stretch your hamstring muscles, extend one leg out in front of you and then lean forward until you feel the stretch in the back of your thigh. Repeat with the other leg. Don't bounce.

Preparing for your appointment

While you may initially consult your family physician, he or she may refer you to a doctor who specializes in musculoskeletal medicine, such as someone in sports medicine or orthopedic surgery.

Tips

The hamstring is actually three separate muscles: the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris.

Warnings

If your leg becomes more painful, more swollen, or more bruised, call a doctor.

About This Article

This article was co-authored by Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT. Julian Arana is a Personal Trainer and the Founder of B-Fit Training Studios, a personal training and wellness set of studios based in Miami, Florida. Julian has over 12 years of personal training and coaching experience.

Loading the Hamstring Too Early

The first mistake I often see is simple. People often load the hamstring tissue too early.

Not Performing Eccentric Exercises

It has been theorized that hamstring strains are so common due to the large eccentric contractions observed during the swing phase of running as the hip flexes and the knee extends.

Not Performing Dynamic Hamstring Exercises

While it’s important to include eccentric exercises, I’m actually surprised at how little I read about people recommending dynamic exercises.

Returning to Sports Too Early

Several studies have been published showing that many athletes return to sport too early, showing signs of hamstring weakness and imbalances.