A pulled hamstring can be a strain or tear in any of the three hamstring muscles — biceps femoris, semitendinosus or semimembranosus. In football, it can often occur during an explosive action such as sprinting or kicking, and you will feel a sharp twinge as you do it. While hamstring pulls can vary in their severity, you should be able to recover from a grade one or two pull without too much trouble, provided you treat the injury properly, and focus on the correct rehabilitation procedures.
Step 1
Cease performing any activity that puts extra strain on your hamstring. Whether the injury happens in training or in a game, you need to prevent any further damage, so ask your coach to take you out of the game or to let you sit out the rest of the training session. If possible, try to take all your weight off the injured leg and have a physiotherapist perform an initial assessment to get an idea of how severe the pull is.
Step 2
Apply ice treatment to your hamstring. This is part of the RICE protocol, which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. Continue resting your leg and hold an ice pack to it while applying pressure. If it doesn't cause any pain, then try to elevate your leg slightly, too. Do this for 20 minutes at a time, up to eight times every day. You can either use a specially designed ice pack or a bag of frozen peas or corn, wrapped in a towel.
Step 3
Start some light rehabilitation work once the pain has subsided. Ideally, you should work with your team's physiotherapist or trainer to do this, but there are some simple exercises you can do on your own. Lie on your stomach, with your legs straight, and attempt to bend both knees so your heels move toward your butt. This moves the hamstrings through their natural range of motion but doesn't apply any force to them. If you can do that with no trouble, try introducing some simple light exercises, such as stability ball leg curls, machine leg curls and glute bridge raises. According to Brad Walker, author of "The Anatomy of Stretching" and a contributor to The Stretching Institute website, hamstring injuries are usually caused by tight hamstrings or when your hamstrings are much weaker than your quadriceps, so work on strengthening and stretching them.
Step 4
Reintroduce football training and practice sessions gradually. Try to avoid any explosive movements because these are likely to cause the injury to reoccur. Try doing some technique work with your team, but don't partake in any practice games or do anything that places excessive strain on your hamstrings. Work with your physiotherapist and take his advice on when you are able to play again. Continue your rehabilitation, strength and stretching work.
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