With the Soccer fever in the air, I dedicate this blog to a common injury on the field. Infact Team USA's striker Jozu Altidore picked up a hamstring strain in his match against Ghana on June 16th resulting in him sitting out of the 2-2 draw against Portugal.
What is a Hamstring Strain?
A hamstring strain is is characterised by partial or complete tear of one or more of the hamstring muscles as seen in the figure below. The hamstrings is made of 3 muscles:
- biceps femoris
- semimembranosus
- semitendinosus
Hamstring strains are graded according to severity and symptoms. The strain can range from a grade 1 to a grade 3 tear and classified as follows:
- Grade 1: a small number of fibres tear causing some pain, but allows full function.
- Grade 2: More of fibres are torn with moderate loss of function. (Most Common)
- Grade 3: Complete Tear of all muscle fibres resulting in major loss of function.
Causes
Occur due to a sudden contraction of the muscle often when they are in a position of stretch. They are commonly seen in running sports.
Signs and symptoms of a hamstring strain
sudden sharp pain in the back of the thigh, increasing with activity.
Swelling, muscle spasm, weakness, and bruising in the back of the thigh.
Diagnosis of a hamstring strain
A thorough examination from a physiotherapist is usually sufficient to diagnose a hamstring strain
Treatment
Your physiotherapy treatment will aim to:
- Reduce pain and inflammation.
- Normalise your muscle range of motion.
- Strengthen your hamstrings and other lower limb muscles.
- Improve your proprioception and balance.
- Improve your technique and function eg running, sprinting, jumping, hopping and landing.
- Minimise your chance of hamstring re-injury.
No comments:
Post a Comment