The hamstrings are the muscles located in the back of your legs. When inured by a strain or a tear, they limit your ability to engage in pain-free athletic pursuits and may even impede comfortable performance of your daily, functional activities. Sprinters, football players and hurdler jumpers frequently injury their hamstrings, but anyone with a leg muscle imbalance may be susceptible to hamstring damage. Physical therapists prescribe recovery exercises based on the patient's muscles imbalances and typical movement patterns.
Identification
The biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus comprise hamstring muscle group. They attach at the bony prominence under each buttock cheek and at the back of each knee. Hamstring strains may occur at either attachment point or anywhere along the length of the muscle. Doctors identify hamstring injuries according to their severity. First-degree strains are mild and only involve a few muscle fibers. Exercise may decrease the pain and stiffness, explain specialists on the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma website, but pain may return with a vengeance a few hours later. Second-degree strains involve more muscle fibers and may cause limping. The injured area may be black and blue. Third degree strains involve a complete muscle tear and may take months to recover.
Function
The hamstring muscle group bends your knee and assists the gluteal muscles in moving your straight leg behind your body. Restoring these functions is the goal of any hamstring injury recovery exercise program, but the exercises will be less efficient while swelling is present. Doctors prescribe ice and elevation before beginning an exercise program. Others, like Brian Mackenzie, a coach for the United Kingdom's National Governing body for Track and Field Athletics, combine ice treatments with movements. On his Sports Coach website, Mackenzie explains that while ice may be nice, he believes that motion is the ideal potion. He uses ice treatments to numb the area and then has his client perform simple range-of-motion exercises.
Time Frame
Since a hamstring injury may affect your gait, many early stage recovery exercises are not weight bearing. Some therapists prescribe stretching exercises in the early treatment phases, but Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine therapists warn that aggressive stretching may exacerbate the injury. A typical, early phase stretch involves lying on your back, resting your straight leg against the wall and holding the stretch for as long as possible. This serves two purposes: it provides a gentle stretch while elevating the leg to reduce swelling. Hamstring injury recovery programs progress to include strengthening, and in some case, plyometric exercises. Therapists at the University of Delaware Sports and Orthopedic Clinic prescribe walking knee lifts and walking hamstring stretches, which involve taking a step and kicking one leg out if front of the body. Their strength-training program uses ankle weights and strength-training equipment. Since this clinic works with college athletes, their patients include a plyometric phase to prepare them to return to their sports. Exercises may include depth jumps, which emphasize the landing, or leg-flexing, phase of the jump.
Types of Equipment
Simple household and office items complement the selection of equipment used for hamstring injury recovery exercise. An office chair is an example. Sit in the chair, extend your injured leg in front of you and bend your knee to pull the chair toward your foot. The stability ball provides effective hamstring therapy in the later phases of treatment. Lie supine with your feet on the ball. Lift each vertebra until your spine forms a bridge. Remain in the bridge as you straighten and bend your legs. As range of motion improves and pain diminishes, patients use resistance bands, ankle weights and leg curl machines for hamstring flexion exercises.
Warning
Therapeutic exercise always requires an accurate diagnosis, which should only be performed by a doctor or a physical therapist. Some hamstring strains share symptoms with more serious injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament tears. This type of injury has a different rehabilitation protocol. Discuss concerns about exercise sets, repetitions and intensity with your physical therapist.
References
- Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma: Physical Therapy Corner: Hamstring Pull
- Sports Injury Clinic: Hamstring Injury
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Hamstring Muscle Inuries
- University of Delaware Sports and Orthopedic Clinic : Hamstring Rehabilitation and Prevention Protocol
- Brian Mac Sports Coach: Hamstring Injury Rehabilitation
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