Hamstring Injury Prevention

HAMSTRING INJURY PREVENTION Hamstring injury occurs when you strain or pull one of your hamstring muscles These muscles make it possible to extend your leg straight behind your body and to bend your knee When any one of the 3 muscles stretches beyond its limit during physical activity, injury can result You are more likely to get a hamstring injury if you play soccer, basketball, football, tennis or a similar sport that involves sprinting with sudden stops and starts. Hamstring injury can occur in runners and in dancers as well a group of 3 muscles that run along the back of your thigh Symptoms Sudden, sharp pain in the back of your thigh A popping or tearing sensation Swelling and tenderness that usually develops within a few hours Bruising or discoloration along the back of your leg Muscle weakness or an inability to put weight on your injured leg Muscle spasms behind the leg after the injury has occurred Risk Factors Sports Participation Prior Hamstring Injury Poor Flexibility Sports that require sprinting or running or other activities such as dancing that might require extreme stretching, make a injury more likely More likely to reoccur if you do not let your muscles have time to heal and rebuild strength Your muscles may not be able to bear the full force of the action required during certain activities Quadriceps Hamstring Muscles Muscle Imbalance Age Inadequate Warm-up Overtraining Older athletes are more and Cool-down Overextending yourself and your muscles can result in injury When your quadriceps become stronger and more developed than your hamstring muscles, you may be more likely to injure your hamstrings susceptible than younger ones You must stretch before and after your workout or physical activity Prevention x) 10% Stop exercising if you feel tightness in the back of your legs. Tightness may develop before an actual tear occurs Increase your flexibility of your hamstrings to improve your performance Stretch before and after workouts Do not increase exercise Allow extra warm-up intensity, frequency or duration more than 10% a week time in cold weather Recovery 8. 10% RICE Severe hamstring pulls may take week or months to heal When the injured leg is within 10% of the strength of the unaffected leg, and athlete should be able to return to competition Apply the concept of RICE > Rest > Compression > Ice Consult a professional such as a chiropractor for treatment > Elevation Sources • http://www.crossfit.com/cf-seminars/SMERefs/Mobility/hamstrung pdf • http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/836/Ten_Ways_to_Prevent_Hamstring_Pulls.aspx • http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hamstring-injury/DS01183 • http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/injury-pain/hamstring-strain.html • http://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni38a2.htm E hosmer I CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH hosmerchiropractic.com