Hamstring strain rehab
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A “pulled” hamstring is a strain to the muscle of varying degrees. Hamstrings, the big muscles on the back of your thigh, are often injured in high energy athletic movements (running, jumping, kicking etc…). The hamstrings are a group of 3 muscles that cross the knee and hip:
* Semitendinosus.
* Semimembranosus.
* Biceps femoris (which includes a short head and long head)
Cause of strain:
Muscle strains occur due to overloading, meaning the muscle could not control the force of the required movement. .
Rehab strategies: Once you are diagnosed with a hamstring strain, how do you fix it? Strength the specific injured area and strengthen the whole muscle group. .
Phase I: Early strategies
1️⃣Gentle pain-free movement: walking, biking, swimming. Anything moving that does not hurt.
2️⃣Positional isometrics: Gradually slide your heel away from you and every 10 degrees test how it feels to contract your hamstrings. If there is a specific point that is painful then back off and start isometrically loading that area. Isometrics initiate the specific strengthening of the injured tissue and helps to reduce pain.
Phase II
3️⃣Bridging: When the pain from hamstring contraction lessens this is an intermediate loading strategy. The further your feet are away the more taxing it is for your hamstring.
4️⃣Bridging with slider: As pain continues to reduce a progress exercise involves slow eccentric loading of the hamstring. Only move your foot as far as you can control without pain.
Phase III: Advanced Strategies
5️⃣Single leg bridging with slider: Before returning to competition it is important that the injured leg can handle larger loads without assistance from the healthy hamstring.
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Make sure to see a healthcare professional to diagnose and treat your injury so it does not become a lingering problem.