Hamstring injuries are common among athletes due to muscle strain and tears. This is often caused by weak hip muscles and stiff hip joints that cause poor firing sequences when they move, according to physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Movement." This means that the hamstrings compensate for the work of the buttocks and other hip muscles that are weak or stiff. Thus, hamstring therapy may not only help you recover from an injury, but also restore proper movement patterns to prevent the injury from reoccurring.
Cold and Heat Treatment
Many people get confused about whether they should use cold or heat therapy to treatment muscle or joint injuries. The treatment you use would depend on the type of injury you have. Use cold therapy, such as an ice pack, for acute injuries with inflammation. This reduces the swelling and constricts the blood vessels to limit internal bleeding in your tissues. You should apply the cold to the injury for about 20 minutes. Repeat the therapy as many times as needed every two to three hours.
Heat therapy should be used for chronic pain and injuries that gradually worsen over days, weeks or even years. Such pain and injuries are often caused by an acute injury that has has healed improperly due to poor treatment and intervention. Heat therapy increases blood flow to the muscle tissues. It relieves tight and sore muscles and improves tendon and muscle elasticity. You can use a hot water bottle or sauna, or you can get a hot, wet towel and put it on the affected area.
Active Stretching
Active stretching involves moving your hamstrings and the hip and knees together in their full range of motion. This method improves tissue elasticity, hip and knee mobility, and movement coordination, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. In a sample active stretch, lie on your back on the ground, and grab the back of your right knee with both hands. While keeping your left leg still on the ground, straighten your right leg and flex your foot toward your face as much as you can. Hold this stretch for two deep breaths, and bend your leg down toward your body. Repeat this movement pattern 10 to 12 times per leg.
Self-Myofasical Release
Self-myofascial release, or SMR, is a self-massaging technique to alleviate muscle and tissue adhesion in your body that causes stiffness, pain and sensitivity. One way you can perform SMR on your hamstring is to use a massage stick that has several links of rollers between either end. Grab the stick on each end with each hand facing toward you, and stand with your feet slightly apart. Roll the stick up and down your hamstrings in a smooth manner along the muscles' length. Continue to roll until the tenderness subsides.
Corrective Exercise Training
Many physical therapists and fitness professionals use corrective exercise as a way to improve movement patterns and reduce or eliminate musculoskeletal pain associated with poor posture and poor movement patterns. This training method re-establishes proper movement control by integrating your hamstrings with the rest of your body. The hamstrings not only flex or extend the leg at the knee joint, but also assist the hip to extend and flex the joint and to decelerate and control the speed of your movement, such as during a squat, run or jump, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Therefore, corrective exercise training must incorporate full-body movement patterns to prevent the injury from reoccurring.
References
- "Movement"; Gray Cook; 2010
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training"; Michael Clark; 2007
- Sports Injury Clinic; Hot Vs. Cold
