Hamstring

Hamstring Strain

This injury of Hamstring is not because of collision or contact with other players, but when players do sprints or acceleration and not warming up properly may add to the risk factor. Hamstring muscles are the structures that are often injured. The disorder can be a muscle tear or strain. Hamstring injuries most often occur in sports such as running, football, basketball, etc. Injuries can be mild to severe. In the mild injury, usually only had a small tear in the hamstring so just having a feeling like pressure on the back of the thigh. In the severe injury, occurs when the hamstring muscles is lost and even apart from the parts that will cause great pain to not be able to walk. A tear in the Hamstring muscle is referred to as a Hamstring strain by medical professionals and depending on its severity it is classified as a first, second or third grade strain:

·         1^st grade strain is damage to a few muscle fibres,

·         2^nd grade strain is damage to a more extensive number of muscle fibres,

·         3^rd grade strain is a complete rupture of the muscle itself.

Methods prevention of hamstring strain

Warm-up

One of the most important methods of preventing a pulled hamstrings is to warm-up correctly- this has been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of hamstring strains. Always warm up adequately before you’re doing sport. This will bring blood and oxygen to the working hamstrings and will maintain flexibility and aid performance.

Flexibility

Stretching is a great way to recover your Hamstring flexibility, decrease the possibility of straining your Hamstring fibres, and alleviate your low-back pain. Hamstring tightness is measured by flexing the hip as far as possible (lying flat on the back, raise the straight leg up). A normal range of motion for this movement is a minimum of 80 degrees at the hip (just short of a right angle). Movement less than this indicates tight hamstring muscles. Stretching needs to be performed at least 3 times a day to see a long-term increase in flexibility.

Hamstring strength

Similarly studies have shown that lack of hamstring strength is strongly linked to hamstring injury. Strengthening your hamstrings is important to keep your leg strength balanced. Many athletes have very strong quads but relatively weak hamstrings, which can increase the risk of knee injury and patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Products

Use products for reducing the risk of a hamstring injury are compression shorts. These are designed to increase the warmth, flexibility and blood flow of the muscles. As already covered, warm, flexible muscles are less prone to injury!

Always warm up adequately before your sport. This will bring blood and oxygen to the working hamstrings and will maintain flexibility and aid performance. Warm-up is very important, but if you want to avoid the risks, we can do stretching exercises in your daily routine, for example, hamstring kicks, squats, and lunges. Flexibility exercises can also increase the suppleness of the hamstring.

Treatment

When a hamstring injury occurs it should be treated in the following way using the PRICE technique. The acronym stands for: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

• Protection: The purpose of protection is to avoid further injury to the area by protecting the injured structures. The type of protection used varies depending on the injured area but may include an ace bandage, aluminium splint, sling, protective tape, or over-the-counter brace.

• Rest: It is essential that the muscle is rested as it is very easy to cause further to damage to the muscle if it is not rested. The purpose of resting is to allow the body’s own healing processes to naturally occur without being impeded by movement of the injured area.

• Ice:  Cold therapy should be applied to the muscle. This is best achieve using either and Instant Cold Pack or a Re-usable Cold Therapy Pack. Ice packs are made of crushed ice because the crushed ice is more comfortable for the athletes and conforms to the contours of the injured area better than cubed ice. A light barrier should be placed between the skin and the ice bag (paper towel) to prevent injury to the skin.

• Compress: When the ice pack is removed, a compression wrap should be applied the injured area in order to minimise the amount bleeding and swelling in the muscle.

• Elevate: Elevation is important to reduce blood flow to the injured muscle and therefore aid a reduction in swelling.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation from hamstring injury, particularly grades 2 and 3, the more severe injuries, requires the supervision of a sports doctor, physical therapist or trainer with expertise in sports injury rehabilitation. The exercises listed above are useful in strengthening the hamstrings for injury prevention purposes and may be used in rehabilitation, but you need to progress according to a plan under supervision.

·                      Warm up before activity. Leg swings front to back and alternate-leg bicycle action are two exercises to use and don’t do heavy stretching.

·                      Try to avoid intense running training while hamstrings are sore from weights work.

·                      Stretch lightly, and preferably dynamically, with exercises similar to warm up at the end of an exercise training session or at intervals in a prolonged competitive session.

·                      Don't even think about returning to active competition until you are advised by a competent medical authority that you are fit to do so.

Sources

http://www.commonsportsinjuries.com/upperleg/hamstring/

http://www.limetreelife.com/2012/02/10/tight-hamstrings-exercises-and-stretches-to-develop-hamstring-flexibility-and-strength/

http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/836/Ten_Ways_to_Prevent_Hamstring_Pulls.aspx

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/thigh-pain/hamstring-strain/rehabilitation-hamstring-strain

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/thigh-pain/hamstring-strain/prevention-hamstring-strains