Use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Your doctor may recommend that you use crutches to avoid putting weight on your leg. Take a break from the activity that caused the strain. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. The RICE protocol is effective for most sports-related injuries.

Most hamstring strains heal very well with simple, nonsurgical treatment. Following your doctor's treatment plan will restore your abilities faster, and help you prevent further problems in the future. The goal of any treatment - nonsurgical or surgical - is to help you return to all the activities you enjoy. Treatment of hamstring strains will vary depending on the type of injury you have, its severity, and your own needs and expectations.

A sudden jump, stretch, or impact can tear the muscle away from its connection to the bone. During a growth spurt, a child's bones may grow faster than the muscles. Hamstring strains occur more often in adolescents because bones and muscles do not grow at the same rate. Adolescent athletes who are still growing.Older athletes whose exercise program is primarily walking.Athletes who participate in sports like football, soccer, basketball.Anyone can experience hamstring strain, but those especially at risk are: Fatigue reduces the energy-absorbing capabilities of muscle, making them more susceptible to injury.Ĭhoice of activity. If your muscles are weak, they are less able to cope with the stress of exercise and are more likely to be injured. During high-speed activities, the hamstring may become fatigued faster than the quadriceps. The quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh are usually more powerful. This frequently happens with the hamstring muscles. When one muscle group is much stronger than its opposing muscle group, the imbalance can lead to a strain. Athletes should follow a year-round program of daily stretching exercises. 2020 19(4):681-689.Several factors can make it more likely you will have a muscle strain, including: Effects of tissue flossing and dynamic stretching on hamstring muscles function. Acute and short-term effects of dry needling in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain and hamstring tightness: a pilot study. doi:10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0270218īazzaz-Yamchi M, Naghdi S, Nakhostin-Ansari A, et al. A randomized within-participant clinical trial. Immediate effects of diacutaneous fibrolysis in athletes with hamstring shortening. Dynamic stretching has sustained effects on range of motion and passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles. Lower extremity stretching home exercise program.

The biomechanics effect of hamstring flexibility on the risk of osgood-schlatter disease. Influence of hamstring tightness in pelvic, lumbar and trunk range of motion in low back pain and asymptomatic volunteers during forward bending. Effects of flexibility and strength training on peak hamstring musculotendinous strains during sprinting. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. Hamstring strain injury in athletes: Clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. Effectiveness of hamstring stretching using a pressure biofeedback unit for 4 weeks: A randomized controlled trial. The immediate effect of kinesio tape on hamstring muscle length and strength in female university students: A pre–post experimental study. Hamstring muscle injuries.Īlbeshri ZS, Youssef EF. American Academy of Orthpaedics Surgeons.

Hamstring support brace