Hamstring Strain Rehabilitation

A 15 year old boy came to see Beth at our Horndean Physio-logical Clinic. He had a hamstring strain. This injury was caused one month ago during a football match where he was chasing a football. At the time he  described the pain as a ‘sharp popping sensation’ in the back of his upper leg which then turned into a deep dull ache.

Since the hamstring injury he was limping when walking and was unable to fully straighten his leg. He also noted some weakness in the leg when walking up and down the stairs; this weakness was often paired with a sharp pain when applying too much of his body weight on the affected leg. This meant he could no longer train or keep active.

When assessing, it was clear that there was a significant difference in strength of the hamstrings and a decrease in range of movement. There was still some minor bruising but minimal swelling around the area. After clearing the other structures around the knee and completing a full assessment, Beth diagnosed the injury as a Grade 2 Hamstring tear. This is where some, but not all, of the hamstring muscle fibres have torn, causing pain on contraction and stretching of the muscle.

As the patient had been unable to fully extend his leg, Beth performed some hands on tratment, including joint mobilisations on both his knee caps and lower leg to aid with this process. After treatment, an early stage rehab plan was then created. This included non-weight bearing exercises designed to target the      re-activation of the muscles. Also as the patient was worried about a decline in his CV fitness it included short and steady sessions on a stationary bike.

Exercise for rehabilitating a hamstring strain:

Glute Bridge

Hamstring Curls

 Single Leg Balance

Stand without any support and attempt to balance on your injured leg. Begin with your eyes open and then try to perform the exercise with your eyes closed. Hold the single leg position for 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times, 2 times a day

If you have a teenager or are a young athlete who is suffering from muscles strains, aches or pains then we can help them both in our covid secure physiotherapy clinics in Stansted Park, Rowlands Castle and Horndean or via our online physiotherapy and sports therapy service

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