Recent days lot of marathon events are happening in Navi Mumbai, happy to see more and more participant registering and the running community expanding.Thanks to Event organizers and participants for this healthy step to a healthy nation.

In this Article Let’s see what is hamstring pull and to prevent it.

A hamstring strain is the most common injury of the thigh due to extensive rapid contraction muscle or quick, extensive stretch of the hamstring muscle group cause tear in the muscle fibre. Symptoms are pain, tenderness, swelling, warmth and/ or redness of the hamstring muscles at the back of the thigh. The pain is worse during and after strenuous activity. The runner notes muscle spasms in the back of the thigh over the area of the strain. Runners feel pain and/or weakness during running, jumping or bending the knee against resistance. Occasionally there will be a loss of fullness of the muscle or muscle bulging with complete rupture. A hamstring strain may also occur from overuse, or from a sudden eccentric contraction of the muscle, as occurs during sprinting, sliding, and lunging. Other factors that increase the risk of the hamstring in athletes include tight or shortened hamstring, hamstring muscle weakness relative to the quadriceps muscles, and previous injury to the thigh, knee or pelvis. 

Classification

Muscle strains can be classified based on their severity:

  • Grade 1 strain is a “slight pull” without obvious tearing (it is microscopic tearing). There is mild pain, which may prevent the player from continuing to play. There is usually no significant loss of strength.
  • Grade 2 strain results in tearing of some of the fibres within the fibres within the substance of the muscle. There is significant pain, which usually causes the player to stop playing. There may be difficulty bearing full weight on the affected leg and there is decreased strength. Swelling and bruising may develop within 24 to 48 hours following the injury.
  • Grade 3 strain is a tear of all the fibres of the muscle. There is marked pain with difficulty or inability to bear weight on the leg. Swelling and bruising develop within 24 to 48 hours. There is a significant loss of strength and a gap in the muscle can often be felt at the site of injury. 

Grade 1 and grade 2 strains are most common. Muscle strains may take days to weeks to heal, depending on the severity of the injury. Ultrasound or MRI may be helpful, especially in high-level players, in determining the severity of the injury and estimating the time until return to competition. If the muscles are not rehabilitated till adequate strength and time there is a 20% chance that you will re-injure your hamstring in the same season!

Prevention:

  • Do Proper stretching for all muscle group (ideally 30 seconds hold and 3repetation is advisable)
  • Warm up and cold down is a must before and after raceStrength training is must (do equal importance for quadriceps and hamstring)
  • Give adequate rest between the races
  • Wear comfortable clothing
  • Take balanced diet, hydrate well
  • Run up to your capability
  • First Aid

The following action should be taken as quickly as possible, certainly within 48 hours.

  • Rest (immobilization). Stop running and avoid leaning on the leg.
  • Ice pack: Cool the painful area directly with ice or a cold pack for ten to fifteen minutes and repeat this several times a day. Do not place ice on the bare skin. Place a towel between the skin and the ice pack to avoid injury from the ice pack.
  • Apply compression bandage it will deter minor bleeding caused by the muscle tear.Immediate and effective first aid and is essential for a speedy recovery.
  • Have a physiotherapist examine if it looks serious or if any doubt.

How to ensure the best recovery?

As soon as the worst of the pain and swelling have subsided (several days to a week) you can resume training. Pain is a warning to stop and rest. Be careful exceeding the pain threshold will only prolong the healing process!

Consult your physiotherapist for more details.