How to Heal a Hamstring Strain Fast
Your hamstring is made up of three muscles that run through the back of your thigh from the hip to just under the knee. Without these muscles, you wouldn’t be able to extend your leg straight behind your body or bend your knee. So, yeah, they’re important for your movement.
Active people know that when the hamstring is strained, mobility is difficult, and comfort is jeopardized. We work with several patients who suffer from hamstring strains; many are working toward an athletic goal, so getting them healed fast is essential to their training and performance.
At Tangelo Chiropractic + Rehab, we have the chiropractic treatments to ensure your hamstring strain heals correctly and quickly.
Today, we’re going to answer your hamstring strain questions:
• What is a hamstring strain?
• How did I get a hamstring strain?
• How can I avoid getting a hamstring strain?
• How do I safely heal a hamstring strain?
So, let’s get into those answers now.
What is a Hamstring Strain?
You may have heard a hamstring strain referred to as a pulled hamstring. Either way you say it, the experience is no fun. A hamstring pull occurs when at least one of its three muscles is stretched too far, and a tear begins.
A hamstring strain can range in severity and be extremely painful or slightly annoying. The more mild pulls can cure themselves, and the more aggressive pulls may necessitate a doctor’s support, crutches, or even surgery.
Chiropractic solutions can help strengthen and heal the affected hamstring muscles quickly, reducing your downtime using safe techniques. While every patient is different, most of the patients we work with see at least slight improvement immediately, with great success in as little as three weeks.
For more advanced tears, most of our patients can expect to see drastic results and complete healing in less than 12 weeks.
Symptoms of a hamstring strain
When the hamstring is initially torn, you may hear and feel a popping sound. This can be incredibly painful front the start, or your pain may increase over hours or days.
Hamstring strains offer various pain points, including:
• Sharp pain in the back of the thigh
• Continuous radiating aching sensations in the back of the thigh
• Loss of range of motion
• Swelling in the back of the thigh
• Tenderness in the back of the thigh
• And more
Determining a chiropractic care plan for your individual needs will help you get up and active again soon.
We know you want to perform at your peak and our Seattle and Portland chiropractors and rehabilitation experts want to help make that happen.
How Did I Pull My Hamstring?
Generally, the cause of a pulled hamstring is due to too much pressure on the muscle(s). So consistent or repetitive muscle use plays a significant role. That’s why, in most cases, hamstring strains occur in more active people.
When the leg is fully extended and the foot hits the ground with all the body’s entire weight upon it, the muscles stretch. This stretch may happen many times a day, but only when stretched too far do the issues arise in the form of a tear.
Reasons you may have pulled your hamstring include:
• If you work out regularly, participate in a sport, run, compete in athletic events, train regularly, etc.
• An old or chronic hamstring injury
• Improper warm-ups
• Poor flexibility or mobility patterns
• Poor habitual techniques when you exercise
• Return to physical activity before healing completes
• And more
The good news is that a hamstring strain can be fully recovered with the right care and support. Our teams have the insight and services to help your muscles heal, and we provide preventative care advice for the future.
How to Avoid Getting a Hamstring Strain
Because a pulled hamstring is the direct effect of a torn muscle, keeping your muscles strong and healthy is the best way to avoid harming them (this is good advice for any muscle, not just the hamstrings).
Some quality advice for avoiding hamstring strains include:
• Warm-up properly before any strenuous activity
• Exercise and stretch your muscles regularly for strength and flexibility
• Never over-do it; know your body and its limitations, gradual up-ticks in exercise intensity will help keep the body safe
• When in pain, recognize it and stop what you’re doing
• Wait until your body is healed before rigorous exercise
• Ensure you exercise properly and safely
• If competing in an event, give yourself enough time to train
• Put chiropractic care on your list for event preparation to ensure your body’s safety before, during, and after the event
How to Heal a Hamstring Strain Fast
If you didn’t get to this post in time and already have a pulled hamstring, there are plenty of natural and smart solutions to help with pain management and muscle healing.
It’s important to discuss your options with your chiropractor to ensure you take the right measures and perform your solutions correctly.
Some solutions to help cure your pulled hamstring include:
• Resting the leg
• Compressing the muscles
• Elevating the leg while at rest
• Icing the muscles
• Proper stretching
• Proper strengthening exercises
• Proper sleeping position- sleep with the leg straight, extending the injured muscle; this reduces the effects of scar tissue and promotes flexibility
Chiropractic treatments for your hamstring strain used at Tangelo include:
• Cupping
• RockTape
• Manual soft tissue manipulations
• Functional rehabilitation therapy
• Active Release Technique (ART)
• And more
Our team also offers guidance to proactively care for your body so it can function and support you today, tomorrow, and well into your future.
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Visit Us to Heal Your Hamstring Strain Safely
We’re ready to help you with your hamstring injury in the most non-invasive way. Let’s get you moving quickly so you can enjoy your active lifestyle. Your health should never be put on the back burner; make yourself a priority starting today.
Contact our Tangelo Chiropractic + Rehab team and visit one of our four convenient locations: West Seattle, Fremont, Green Lake, or Portland Slabtown.