how to rehab a pulled hamstring

Medication

Feb 16, 2022 · Treatment for Pulled Hamstring Muscles RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) is done initially. Rest is important for healing. Avoid weight-bearing activities. Crutches may be used for support. Icing can be done for 15 to 20 minutes at the site of injury and pain.

Procedures

After a hamstring injury, there are some gentle stretching and mobility techniques for the hamstrings and posterior chain that can be helpful. Some gentle mobility is OK, but this should not be a rehab focus until basic movements like lunges, squats, and bridges are pain-free and mobility is seen as a limiting factor.

Therapy

Mar 11, 2022 · Lie on your back, knees bent and push the hips upwards to work the gluteal muscles and hamstrings. Use both feet on the floor pushing up, to begin with. Hold the position briefly and then lower. Begin with 3 sets of 8 reps building to 3 sets of 12 reps then progress the exercise to single-leg bridges.

Self-care

Mar 30, 2022 · You can also use creams and gels containing painkillers for pulled hamstring recovery. Stretching Exercises Hamstring Stretch: Lie down on the ground facing up. Raise your injured leg straight up to rest against a wall, pole, or doorway.

Nutrition

Apr 12, 2019 · Pulled Hamstring Treatment There is no shortcut for a pulled hamstring recovery. Athletes can only apply the RICE method and give themselves a few days to recover. Severe cases may require athletes to use crutches until the injury has healed. Most cases just need some time to rest and a little extra attention. How to Apply the RICE Method Rest

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Sep 29, 2019 · The Most Effective Approach to Rehabilitating Hamstring Strains. There are 3 types of rehabilitation exercises that assist in recovery from hamstring strains. Agility exercises involve changes of direction simulating sports movements. These exercises reduce re-injury rates. Always initiate these exercises early after your injury.

What can you do to help a pulled hamstring?

What is the best treatment for a pulled hamstring?

How long does it take a pulled hamstring to heal?

How long should I rest after a hamstring pull?

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 it good to stretch a pulled hamstring?

Gentle stretching of your hamstring is helpful for recovery. Aggressive stretching of your hamstring will delay your recovery. Hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds, and then lower your leg back down.Sep 29, 2019

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

Should you massage a hamstring injury?

Once a hamstring has been strained, massage can help loosen scar tissue and tight muscles, stimulate blood flow, and aid in gently stretching the injured muscles. Though massage can be an invaluable tool in healing, it should not be performed during the most acute stage of the injury when rest is the best approach.

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.

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.

Hamstring stretching exercises

During the acute stage immediately following a hamstring strain injury no stretching should be done at all, only rest.

Hamstring strengthening exercises

Below are a number of progressively more difficult hamstring exercises. They should always be done pain-free. Where you start and how fast you progress will depend on how bad your injury is and how long ago it was injured.

Aerobic fitness & running progressions

Being injured doesn’t have to mean training stops. This step by step aerobic fitness program to be used when recovering from hamstring strains. It is designed to be used in conjunction with a full hamstring strain rehab program consisting of healing, strengthening and stretching exercises.

Recommended products

A cold therapy and compression wrap is essential first aid. It reduces pain and swelling and can also be used to apply heat later in the rehabilitation program.

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:

The Most Effective Approach to Rehabilitating Hamstring Strains

There are 3 types of rehabilitation exercises which assist in recovery from hamstring strains. Agility exercises involve changes of direction simulating sport movements. These exercises reduce re-injury rates. Always initiate these exercises early after your injury.

Active Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back holding your thigh. Your opposite leg remains straight. With your upper thigh in a vertical position, slowly extend your knee. At the point where a mild stretch is felt pause and hold. The stretch should not be painful. Gentle stretching of your hamstring is helpful for recovery.

Cook Hip Lift

Begin lying on your back with your hips bent and feet lined up with your shoulders. Pull your knee of the uninjured leg up to your chest. It is helpful to place a small towel roll or ball in the crease of your hip. Lift your toes off the floor and perform a bridge from your other leg.

Bridge Walk-Out

Begin lying on your back with your hips bent and the feet lined up with your shoulders. Perform the bridge by lifting both hips from the floor. Hold the bridge position and alternately walk your feet out away from your body. It is important to maintain a level pelvis throughout the exercise.

Get Started Soon

Your rehabilitation after a hamstring injury should begin as soon as possible. Initiate pain-free agility and trunk stabilization exercises immediately. Also perform lengthening exercise soon after your injury, but be gentle. It is best to perform these under the supervised of a licensed physical therapist.

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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.