Hamstring pain injury physiotherapy in Delhi.
The Hamstring muscle group comprises three muscles - biceps femoris, semitendonosus and semimembranosus. The action of these muscles is to bend the knee and extend the hip.
A Hamstring injury is common in sports. Hamstring injuries are sometimes known as a 'pulled Hamstring'. The term 'pulled muscle' comes from the description of how the injury takes place. Usually, the Hamstring muscle is forcibly stretched beyond its limits and the muscle tissue becomes torn. A tear in the Hamstring muscle is referred to as a Hamstring strain by medical professionals and depending on its severity it is classified as a first, second or third degree strain:
•First degree strain is damage to a few muscle fibres,
•Second degree strain is damage to a more extensive number of muscle fibres,
•Third degree strain is a complete rupture of the muscle itself.
Hamstring Injury Treatment
The immediate treatment of a Hamstring muscle injury consists of the RICE protocol - rest, ice, compression and elevation (never apply ice directly to the skin). This is aimed at reducing the bleeding and damage within the Hamstring muscle tissue. Resting may be the common sense approach, but it is one that is often ignored by competitive athletes. As a general rule, grade one Hamstring strains should be rested from sporting activity for about 3 weeks and grade two injuries for about 4 to 6 weeks. In the case of a complete rupture, the Hamstring muscle will have to be repaired surgically and the rehabilitation afterwards will take about 3 months.
After the early stages have been spent resting, more active rehabilitation can be started. Gentle resistance exercises and stretching are important as they help to align the scar tissue that forms during the healing process. By aligning the scar tissue along the normal lines of stress the tensile strength of the Hamstring is enhanced.
At first gentle resistance is provided by a physiotherapist, but as the muscle gets stronger then Resistance Bands can provide more of a challenge. The sets and repetitions are gradually increased. Eventually ultrasound and/or electrical muscle stimulation is prescribed, preferably prior to exercise. Core Strengthening can be started.
Core Strength and Core Stability exercises can improve muscle function across the trunk and pelvis and this can reduce the risk of Hamstring injury. Core strength exercises on a mat using a Swiss Ball and resistance bands are ideal. Once Core Strength and Hamstring strength are improved, then a return to functional activity is possible.
Maintaining good muscle strength and flexibility may help prevent muscle strains. Muscle strength allows athletes to carry out activities in a controlled manner and decreases the uncoordinated movements which can lead to injury.
