A hamstring injury is common in athletes. When your hamstring muscles (the muscles at the back of your thigh) get strained, pulled, or torn, it’s a hamstring injury. Treatment and recovery can take from a week to six months, depending on the severity of the injury. You would want to return to play as soon as possible, but you must follow the advice of your sports doctor or orthopedic surgeon to recover fully before resuming sports. Otherwise, there’s a risk of a reinjury, which you will not want at all. Here’s how to recover from a hamstring injury.

Diagnosing And Determining The Severity Of The Hamstring Injury

The treatment and recovery depend directly on the grade or severity of the hamstring injury. A physio or doctor can help you determine the grade of the hamstring injury you have.

The doctor will perform a physical examination to check the swelling and tenderness in the affected area. They may also move the muscle in various positions, if required, to determine exactly which muscles are strained or torn and whether tendons and ligaments are also injured.

Moreover, the doctor will recommend imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRI, and ultrasound, as needed to precisely diagnose the issue. Based on the diagnosis, your hamstring injury may be classified into any of the three grades:

Grade 1 Hamstring Injury

This is a mild strain. The hamstring muscle is overstretched and might have micro-tears. You may be able to return to full activity in just 1-3 weeks. This can be healed at home.

Signs:

• Mild pain
• Tightness in the hamstring muscle (the back of the thigh)
• Tender hamstring muscle when pressed
• Little to no loss of strength
• Walking is normal but running or sprinting may cause pain

Grade 2 Hamstring Injury

Moderate strain. There may be a moderate or partial tear of the hamstring muscle. Recovery may take 3-8 weeks. You may need a doctor to create a recovery plan and suggest physical therapy if required.

Signs:

• More pain than grade 1
• Pain can become sharper suddenly
• Swelling and inflammation in the area
• Walking with a limp
• Reduced strength and flexibility
• Stretching and bending the leg can be painful

Grade 3 Hamstring Injury

Severe tear or rupture. The hamstring muscle or tendon is completely torn or ruptured. This condition often requires surgery and you will need to wait 3-6 months before resuming full activity. A surgeon will perform the surgery and a detailed recovery plan will be created afterward.

Signs:

• Severe pain, especially when the injury occurs. There can also be hip pain or lower back pain.
• A popping sound may accompany severe pain when the injury occurs.
• Clear swelling and bruising. Sometimes, it appears after a bit of delay.
• A lump or a deformity may be felt in the back of the thigh.
• Severe loss of strength and minimal to no flexibility.
• Walking may be very difficult or not possible at all.

How To Treat And Recover From A Grade 1 Hamstring Injury?

You can heal the injury at home, but doing it right is important to keep the strained muscle from getting worse. Here are the things to do.

First 2-3 Days

• Follow the tried-and-tested RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
• Stop the activity or sport that caused the injury. Also, stop other activities, like running, sprinting, jumping, squatting, etc.
• Apply ice on the affected area for around 15 minutes at a time, every 2-3 hours of your waking time.
• Use a compression bandage if it feels comfortable to you.
• Keep the leg elevated when resting.
• Use paracetamol or acetaminophen for pain relief. Avoid NSAIDs (ibuprofen, Advil, etc.) in the first 2-3 days.
• Only do movements that are pain-free or almost pain-free.

Day 4-7

• Focus on progressive strengthening without triggering symptoms.
• Begin mild exercises focusing on the hamstring, if pain-free.
• Add some pelvic exercises as well, if pain-free.
• Increase your walking duration or steps as long as it stays pain-free.
• During exercises or walking, avoid moving your muscles through pain. Stop movement if you feel pain.

Day 8-14

• Begin running. Start slow. Start running when walking for long isn’t painful.
• Gradually increase the duration of running.
• Later, add acceleration and deceleration, and then after that, sport-specific moves.

How To Treat And Recover From A Grade 2 Hamstring Injury?

A grade 2 injury can take from 3 to 8 weeks to recover and you need a podiatrist Woodbridge and physical therapist for help.

First 7 Days

• Protect the tissues when the injury is fresh. If you’re walking with a limp, use crutches for a few days. Plus, when resting, bend the knee slightly to keep tension off the hamstring muscles.
• Keep the leg elevated to the heart’s level when resting.
• Apply ice for 15 minutes at a time, every 2-3 hours when you’re awake.
• Wear a compression sleeve.
• Don’t stretch the hamstring. Just move the leg up and down gently to ensure blood flow.

Week 1-3

• Slowly leave crutches and put more pressure on the leg.
• Perform movements that are pain-free. Consider both active range of motion and early strengthening movements. Take help from a physical therapist for the movements. Doing anything wrong or too early can damage the muscles.

Week 3-6

• Now, you can focus on rebuilding muscle strength, so with the help of a PT, perform dynamic stretching, progressive stretching, eccentric loading, and other movements.

Week 6-8

• Prepare the muscles for the high-intensity sport movements and activities.
• Perform plyometrics, agility drills, straight-line sprinting, and your sport-specific drills.

How To Treat And Recover From A Grade 3 Hamstring Injury?

You may not be able to walk if you have a grade 3 hamstring injury or walking will be extremely painful. You must see a surgeon for treatment.

Day 1

• Surgical or non-surgical. Your surgeon will decide if you need surgery or not. Surgery is often performed for a grade 3 hamstring tear because it can help the athlete recover completely without any permanent loss of some power or strength.

Week 0-2

• Your surgeon will lay out a full plan to protect the surgical repair, if surgery is performed.
• Your leg will be immobile as you will have a hinged knee brace locked at an angle. It will stay for 2 to 4 weeks. In case of the nonsurgical method, the immobilization will be for 1 to 2 weeks, and the brace won’t be locked. It’s only to keep this in mind not to straighten your leg fully. However, you will be using crutches.
• No hamstring muscle movement at all. You can only perform ankle pumps for blood flow.

Week 2-6

• Your surgeon will unlock the brace, but the range of motion will still be limited.
• Your physical therapist may start passive range of motion, where they move the muscles without you putting any pressure.
• A few weeks into this, the therapist may gently massage the muscles to avoid stiff scar tissues.

Week 6-12

• Slow transition from the brace and crutches to normal walking.
• Your physical therapist will perform and suggest various active range of motion exercises, isometric contractions, pool therapy, and others to make the muscles slowly bear weight.

Month 3-5

• During these months, your therapist will recommend movements that will rebuild muscle mass, restore strength, and lengthen the healing/scar tissue.

Month 5-8

• With the help of your therapist, you will begin more high-intensity movements and your sport-specific drills.

Conclusion

Hamstring injury treatment and recovery depend on its severity. It could take from 2-3 weeks to 6-8 months. So, if you’re noticing pain in the thigh area, see a sports medicine doctor Woodbridge.

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