Hamstring Injury Treatments in Asheville
Options to treat hamstring pain & reduce injury
Hamstring strain is one of the most common injuries that faces athletes. It can occur in any sport, but an athlete is most likely to cause strain during activities like jumping, running, and sudden starts and stops.
What are the hamstrings?
The hamstrings are four muscles that run down the back of the thigh and help you bend your knee. A strain occurs when you overwork one or more of these muscles. In some cases, they may even tear.
How do I know if I have a hamstring strain?
Symptoms of a hamstring strain will depend on the extent of the injury. A mild strain will only cause mild pain or discomfort. A more severe strain, however, can cause the following symptoms:
• Severe pain in the back of the leg
• A snapping sensation (like snapping a rubber band)
• Tenderness
• Bruising
What causes hamstring strains?
Hamstring strains are most commonly caused by not warming up before exercising. Other common causes are weak or tight muscles in the front or back of your legs, which put extra pressure on the hamstrings as it works to make up for the weaker muscles.
How do you treat hamstring strains?
Fortunately, most hamstring strains heal on their own given time and proper treatment. This treatment includes:
• Rest: Keep your weight off your leg until the pain eases.
• Ice: Ice packs can help reduce pain and swelling. The general rule with applying ice to an injury is 20 minutes on the injury every 3 or 4 hours for the first couple of days.
• Compression: A compression bandage can combat initial swelling.
• Elevation: When sitting or lying down, elevate your leg on a pillow or a chair.
• Anti-inflammatory medication: OTC medications such as ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) will target swelling and inflammation
Full recovery is when the pain has completely gone and your injured leg has the same level of strength and flexibility as your other leg.
Preventing hamstring injuries
Since many strains are caused by tightness in the muscles, the most important thing you can do to prevent straining your hamstrings is warm up before exercise. During exercise, listen to your body—if something hurts, don’t continue.
Sports medicine expertise you can trust
At Carolina Hand & Sports Medicine, our team of board certified orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and physician assists specialize in multidisciplinary, comprehensive treatment of sports injuries. Our goal is not only to help you heal your injury, but correct the underlying issue causing the injury, so you can enjoy life pain-free.