Will my Torn Hamstrings Spell the End of my Sports Career?

Athletes are accustomed to a spectrum of sports injuries. Due to the nature of some games that require kicking, running, jumping or sprinting, athletesmay be subject to a combination of injuries due to overstretched muscles. Most athletes suffer from one or more hamstring injuries in their careers. This article will discuss hamstring injuries in detail and hopefully address the myth surrounding hamstring injuries and whether or not they cast an end to anyones sporting career.

What is A Hamstring Injury & How Does It Occur?

Let’s start our topic by understanding what the hamstrings are. Hamstrings are a group of three muscles that runs down from the back of your thigh directly to your knee. These three muscles are biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. A hamstring injury occurs when one of these three muscles is affected when performing physical activity. Your tendons could be stretched or ruptured due to this injury.

The majority of hamstring injuries occur when you are performing activities that include frequent movement of your hamstring muscles such as running, sprinting, jumping, etc. There are different severity levels of this injury. The grade one tears are usually less severe as compared to grade 2 or grade 3 injuries. Some avulsion injuries are so severe that the tendon insertion could become fully separated from its insertion at the hip bone, and It can pull even a piece of bone with the tissues.( when it comes off )

So, does A Hamstring Injury Spell the End of your Sports Career?

The answer is simply “No.” If you have a ruptured or torn hamstring, then it doesn’t mean that your sports career is ended. With proper medical attention, grade one tears or strains will only take up to six weeks or less to fully recover. If you have grade two or grade three tears, then it can take up to 3 months to heal completely, depending upon the severity of your injury. It also depends upon the treatment you are having and how effective it is.

What Are The Symptoms of A Torn Hamstring?

The symptom of a torn hamstring is usually a sharp pain at the back of your thigh. You may also have a popping and tearing sensation at the back of your thigh. Other symptoms that might accompany pain include swelling, tiredness, discoloration at the back of your thigh, muscle weakness, trouble in moving, difficulty in putting weight on a leg, etc. Some of these symptoms may be addressed at home with ICE therapy, activity modification and rest. However, if the condition progresses, it is better to immediately consult with your orthopaedic specialist.

Risk Factors Associated With a Hamstring Injury

The risk factors that are associated with hamstring injury are given below.

Participation in Sports

Sports that need frequent running and sprinting or activities that require a lot of stretching, such as dancing, can obviously predispose to a hamstring injury.

Muscle Fatigue

In players and athletes, most hamstring injuries occur at the end of the game. This is a clear indication that muscle fatigue plays a role in hamstring injury.

Previous Hamstring Injury

If you already had a hamstring injury, then there is a reaosnable chance you could reinjure it . If you have resumed the physical activities before your previous injury is fully recovered, this could lead to another hamstring injury.

Poor Flexibility

If your body and your muscles have poor flexibility, you can have a hamstring injury during some sports and physical activities due to over-stretching of your muscles, beyond its usual resting point.

Muscular Strength Imbalance

Many experts believe that muscle imbalance can also lead to a hamstring injury. For example, if the muscles present on the front of your thighs become stronger than the hamstring muscles, then there is always a risk of an imbalance, predisposing to a hamstring injury.

How To Avoid Hamstring Injuries?

Hamstring injuries could be very annoying ( and depressing ) for athletes, and they should work hard to avoid them. Rehabilitatingfully from a hamstring injuries is hard and takes time. Therefore, it is better to prevent them. You can follow the tips given below if you want to prevent hamstring injuries:

• Regular stretching and warm-up before taking part in any physical activities like sports.
• Do not increase the intensity of your physical activities at once. Make sure to proceed slowly, in a gradual & incremental fashion
• Do not exercise or take part in any physical activities if you are having pain on the backside of your thigh.
• Do special exercises that strengthen your hamstring muscles.

What are the treatment procedures you can follow for a faster recovery?

One of the most popular and most widely used methods for hamstring injury treatment and rehabilitation is RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method. You can apply this method at home to reduce the inflammation surrounding hamstring injuries and recover quickly.

Surgery is infrequently needed for the treatment of hamstring injuries. Surgery is typically only needed if one has a complete muscle tear. You can consult with a physiotherapist to know some exercises that can strengthen your hamstring and make things better for you. When you are recovering from a hamstring injury either with or without surgery, a physiotherapist can develop a custom rehabilitation program that can help you to gain your strength, balance and walking pattern in a more focused and strategic fashion.

Make sure to avoid any physical activities and unusual stretching until your injury is fully resolved or risk repeatedly re-injuring the damaged hamstring segment.

Final Verdict

Hamstring injuries are very common, and they can occur to anyone at any age. Atheletes are naturally more prone to these injuries, but these injuries do not spell the end your career. The recovery time of hamstring injuries can range from a few weeks to a few months depending upon the level of severity. If you have any questions or want to know more about hamstring injuries, then please contact Dr. Gowreeson Thevendran or visit: www.orthofootmd.com.