SOMA Living March 2022

FROM THE DOCTOR

HAMSTRING STRAIN

A hamstring strain is a very common injury and can happen in a variety of sporting events. The most common athletes that will get this injury are runners, skaters, and football, soccer, and basketball players. The simple definition of this injury is an overload of the muscle however the hamstring is made up of three separate muscles so depending on the severity of the strain one or more of the three muscles can be affected. In the most severe cases the muscle can actually tear which is a more severe injury than the strain. You’re likely to get a hamstring strain during activities that involve a lot of running and jumping or sudden stopping and starting without warming up. The warm up is very important to avoid this injury and others. When you experience a strain there are many different sensations that a patient could get such as, a sudden and severe pain during exercise, along with a snapping or popping feeling, pain in the back of the thigh and lower buttock when walking, straightening the leg, or bending over, tenderness and bruising. Bruising can also be seen with muscle tears as well so depending on what the patient was doing at the time of injury a MD or PT can differentiate between a strain and a tear. Tears will be confirmed via diagnostic imaging (MRI). Once you have a tear there are a variety of treatments to help speed the process up to heal and get back in the game. A patient can put ice on the leg and elevate it along with compression to avoid any swelling. Some patients will avoid putting weight through the leg to avoid further injuring the muscle. A patient may seek care of a PT in which case this injury would be treated by stretching and strengthening by use of gentle exercise. There are also modalities such as electric stimulation and cold laser which can help the process as well. Patients are always encouraged to avoid severe stress and keep the strengthening exercises very light. In the most severe cases surgery is indicated. Recovery times will vary patient to patient however with the above tips that were mentioned that can greatly speed up the process. As your healing is underway, it is recommended you don’t return to high level activities right away. Instead try a different activity that is very low impact such as swimming or gentle biking. The way to know that you are completely healed and ready to resume prior levels of activity is the patient can move their leg as freely as the uninjured leg, the leg feels as strong as the uninjured leg, and there is no pain in the leg when walking jogging, sprinting and then finally jumping. The best way to avoid all of this is to follow these quick tips to prevent hamstring injuries. For questions or concerns, call to speak to one of the doctors at South Orange Rehabilitation and Wellness.

South Orange Rehabilitation & Wellness We provide professional, individualized and effective physical therapy. Our health and wellness interventions promote healthy living and enhanced quality of life for all athletes and patients.

Specializing in: • Post Surgical Knee & Shoulder • Spinal Decompression for Herniated and Bulging Discs • Cold Laser to Increase Healing

SouthOrangeRehab.com (973) 761-0077 177 Valley Street, South Orange, New Jersey 07079

Dr. Daniel Roig South Orange Rehab Wellness SouthOrangeRehab.com 973-761-0077

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