After a hamstring strain it will be difficult and painful to walk and you’ll find that the upper leg will swell and be tender. To help in the healing process you can use a knee splint for a short time to give the hamstring muscle some support, crutches if you can’t put weight on the leg and compression bandage to reduce swelling and give the muscle some support.
The first goal is to reduce pain and swelling. You can not continue your athletic activities at the risk of permanent injury. Apply ice to the area several times per day and rest with the leg elevated above your heart to improve drainage from the leg. Each of these factors is part of the RICE protocol for sports related injury; Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
Early use of RICE in the rehabilitation of the area will increase the probability that the muscle will regain full function and a quicker return to your sporting event. A Grade 1 injury will often result in pain for a little less than a week, while Grade 2 or 3 may result in pain for a few weeks to a month.
Take care if the pain, swelling or bruising is close to the knee or buttocks because the muscle may have been pulled from the bone and you could require a referral to an orthopedic doctor for full recovery.
Once the pain has gone down significantly you can start with light stretching and light physical activity. It is VERY important not to resume your previous level of activity immediately and to address the reason why the injury happened in the first place. If it was a lack of flexibility or an imbalance in muscle strength, address those issues first.
A hamstring injury can recur or your hamstring can tear if you haven’t fully recovered and you return too quickly to activity.
Resources:
MedlinePlus: Hamstring Strain
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000551.htm
SportsInjuryClinic: Hamstring Strain
http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/thigh-pain/hamstring-strain
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Hamstring Mucls Injureis
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00408
MayoClniic: Hamstring Injury
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hamstring-injury/basics/definition/con-20035144
KidsHealth: Hamstring Strain
http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/bones/hamstring_strain.html
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