Glen AtwellSports Injury: Hamstring Strain and Tear
May 18th 2008 01:24
The dreaded 'hammy', how it happens and what to do
A hamstring strain, or tear, is most likely to occur in sports or activities where participants are running at, or close to, maximum speed.
Soccer, AFL (football) and NRL (rugby league) players are most susceptible to ‘pulling a hammy’ because they engage in strenuous running over a prolonged period.
But why the hammy? When a human being is running at full speed and at full stretch, the hamstring muscle group is only centimetres from injury.
The explosive nature of running and jumping requires maximum exertion from the hamstring.
A slight overstretch or quick stop is often enough to cause tenderness (strain) in one of the three hamstring muscles, or even a complete tear.
In severe cases, bruising over the site can eventuate, and you might even be able to feel a hole in the muscle.
Hamstring strains and tears are most common in 100-metre sprinters, accounting for more than a third of all injuries. Athletes can often feel their hamstrings tightening up and are forced to ease down towards the end of the race to avoid straining, or tearing, their muscles.
Immediate treatment of a hamstring injury should include RICE:
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
Icing quells muscular bleeding and should be done every few hours in the first two or three days. Surgery and rehabilitation may be required for complete tears of the muscle.
Most minor hamstring strains require 3-4 weeks to heal, but won’t be fully healed for at least 6-8. It is possible to return after only a few weeks, but the likelihood of reinjuring the muscle is high, and increases with every occurrence of the injury.
A hamstring strain, or tear, is most likely to occur in sports or activities where participants are running at, or close to, maximum speed.
Did I get shot, or is my hammy torn to bits?
But why the hammy? When a human being is running at full speed and at full stretch, the hamstring muscle group is only centimetres from injury.
The explosive nature of running and jumping requires maximum exertion from the hamstring.
A slight overstretch or quick stop is often enough to cause tenderness (strain) in one of the three hamstring muscles, or even a complete tear.
In severe cases, bruising over the site can eventuate, and you might even be able to feel a hole in the muscle.
Hamstring strains and tears are most common in 100-metre sprinters, accounting for more than a third of all injuries. Athletes can often feel their hamstrings tightening up and are forced to ease down towards the end of the race to avoid straining, or tearing, their muscles.
Immediate treatment of a hamstring injury should include RICE:
Rest
Ice
Compression
Icing quells muscular bleeding and should be done every few hours in the first two or three days. Surgery and rehabilitation may be required for complete tears of the muscle.
Most minor hamstring strains require 3-4 weeks to heal, but won’t be fully healed for at least 6-8. It is possible to return after only a few weeks, but the likelihood of reinjuring the muscle is high, and increases with every occurrence of the injury.
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