This is a tear in one or more of the hamstring muscles and is very common in the sporting population. Hamstring strains can be caused by various factors such as: poor hamstring muscle strength and neuromuscular coordination, poor running biomechanics, inappropriate training loads and warm up, and fatigue.
Symptoms of a hamstring strain vary dependent on the severity or injury.
Grade 1 – tightness and mild swelling in the hamstring muscle (back of the thigh), usually can walk normally but unable to run at full speed
Grade 2 – twinges in the hamstring with activities, walking with a limp, tender to touch
Grade 3 – severe pain and weakness in the muscle, may require crutches to walk, swelling and bruising will be noticeable.
If you suspect you may have a hamstring strain, it is important to be assessed by a physiotherapist or doctor to ensure you’re on the road to recovery as soon as possible. At Go2 health your treatment will usually be lead by a physiotherapist but we are able to utilise other forms of therapy such as acupuncture and exercise physiology to enhance your recovery and improve your outcome.
During assessment, your physiotherapist will perform specific tests to determine the severity of your injury. The severity of injury is graded between 1-3 depending on the amount of muscle fibers affected and impact on functional ability. From this information they will then develop a treatment plan, and provide you with information regarding time lines of recovery and return to sport. You can expect treatment to start straight away with a combination of manual therapy, advice and exercise prescription.
Unfortunately, there is a very high rate of re-injury for hamstring strains if not properly rehabilitated. Therefore, it is particularly important to seek professional advice to address the underlying cause.
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