Hamstring tear/strain ''pop'' 5 weeks ago

[HANSLIGG]

Hi,

Im a 26 year old who regularly plays sports and goes to the gym 3 to 5 times a week. Last year I had a spell injured due to a Sciatica issue with tight muscles in my glutes causing stress on my sciatic nerve which resulted in me being unable to play sports etc for roughly 12 weeks.

I overcame this with self-physio and exercise stretching in my hamstrings, calfes and glutes. Everything has been fine since up until my last pre season friendly for my Sunday league team 5 weeks ago.

I had a quick burst of speed off the mark to close someone down where I felt a twinge in my hamstring slightly to the left of my left knee.

I could play on for almost an hour but with it pulling when i would sprint. roughly an hour later I stretched for the ball and i felt a sharp pain in the middle of my hamstring, completely different location as i had originally felt.

I did a little research and diagnosed it as a grade 1 strain of the bicep femoris as i had no bruising and was able to walk without a limp.

I rested my hamstring for a week and i felt fine, could jog and walk with zero pain. So i played the following Sunday only to last literally 5 minutes as i ran for the ball, (again quick burst of speed) and i felt a ''pop'' in my left hamstring in the centre again and a sharp feeling to the left of my knee, It seems its the area where the ligaments are visable when you tense your hamstring to the outside of my left knee.

this seemed more severe as my first injury but not as severe as a grade 2 as their was no bruising and i was able to jog again 2 days after the injury.

Again, I researched on physio for hamstring strains and how to deal with them and 2 weeks of rest, Ice, compression, stretching and strengthening exercises, i felt 100% and decided to play this Sunday gone...

I warmed up and was able to sprint with ZERO pain so i decided to start. within the first 5 minutes, i done a tight turn moving the weight from my right foot to my left and i sprinted off the mark to stretch for the ball to feel i slight ''pop'' again, not as severe as it 2 weeks ago but still i couldn't sprint and the areas of pain was in the belly of my hamstring and again to the outside of my left knee in or around the ligaments of the hamstring that attaches to the knee.

when i went off, i sat down and tried to get up only to feel my calf feels like a dead leg on the outside of it, pain in my hamstring and i cannot walk without a limp.

I am unsure if i was clattered into someone at the time of impact when i ''popped'' my hamstring but it was a stretching tackle that caused my hamstring.

Is their a link with hamtring strains and calf injuries?

what exercises to strengthen my hamstrings would you reccommend?

EDIT: pic uploaded is my left hamstring. noticed a vain-like bruise at the area of pain after 4 hours of Iceing.

any other advice is welcome.

[Hidden]

Hello BOB here

Sports injuries have are more pronounced when we get older, the body begins its very slow ageing when we reach 24/28. Generally you may find that if you are doing strong exercise at this period problems with the tendons and shieves appear when we exercise, this happened to me when I reached about twenty five, I used to climb mountains in Scotland and was a youth leader /Instructor playing table tennis etc and a ballroom dancer.

What I am trying to say we can do too much exercise as well as doing too little. If you are warming up not enough the body does not get the oxygen to the muscles, I understand. Also it seems to me you are pushing too hard this can have problems just as doing to little, under these circumstances it would be advisable too see your GP who can give more advice on this as you will need too see a pysio who will specialize in sport injuries.

Initial advice can be obtained from the NHS CHOICES,where you can explain what is wrong better than our members as we generally deal in chronic pain.

I hope that I have helped here their is no weakness seeing the GP, they have the same problems

BOB

[HANSLIGG]

I have uploaded a pic of my hamstring 4 hours after initial 3rd incident of a suspected tear/strain.

[Bananas5]

My initial thought was too much exercise too soon after injury. Self diagnosis is not always a good thing. Professional help is far better equiped to deal with your course of treatment.

I also agree with Bob - we are good ish at helping chronic pain sufferers and this did not seem to happening in your case.

Good Luck though and hope GP and physio help.

Pat x

[missrat]

If you can afford it, I think that a visit to a sports physiotherapist would be good.

[HANSLIGG]

Update: Day 3

I have slept with a compression ‘tubigrip’ on my full left leg going from my calf to my glute. I folded it over and inserted an Icepack onto my hamstring for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights while sleeping.

I didn’t notice any swelling initially when i sprained my hamstring on Sunday for the 3rd time, but RICE is best option in the early stages of a tear/ Strain.

my calf pain has subsided which leads me to believe it was a dead leg when the initial impact happened to what i can only think of is the opponent landed on me at the time i pulled hamstring as it feels still like a 'dead leg'

My hamstring however is still sore to touch. Especially when turning my hips outwards and inwards, I can feel a slight pulling in 2 areas of my hamstring, the belly in the centre, and also 2 inches left and up from behind my knee.

The pain in both locations is different. the 1 in the belly of my hamstring feels like a scar has formed but with excessive stretching, I’m opening it up again which is what i think i have done the last 2 times I’ve felt it pull.

The pain slightly behind my knee is sore to touch like a bruise and feels a little weak and tight when contracting my quad.

I have a over-the-phone physio appointment tomorrow at 2pm which will lead to a phsio appointment each week.

I have set myself a target with stretching daily including a rehab programme I will be back to 100% in 3 weeks.

My Programme is as follows:

1-4 Days

RICE 20 minutes at a time every 2 hours, minimilising swelling and bleeding of hamstring, introducing walking and very light stretching on day 3 & 4.

5-8 Days

Walking progression from slow short steps to normal walking.

Stretching 20X reps 3 times a day of : hands to toes in various positions. stopping when the hamstring feels tight.

Days 9-16

progressive stretching including above, and Nordic curls with assistance. 20X reps 3 times a day

Slow progressive jogging progressing into 3/4 pace.

Day 17-24

progressive Jogging interval training including incline running to stretch the hamstring to normal function.

extensive stretching and sport specific movements Eg: stretching bicep femoris, semitendinosus and membranosus individually to get full function when turning in soccer and bursting speed.

Sprint short interval training

Nordic Curls unassisted 20X Reps 4 times a day

Day 25-30

maximum effort specific training. Sprinting short intervals and tight turning around cones.

Interval treadmill Incline training.

Exhibition match 45mins (half).

Day 31

Full 90 minute match 100% fll fitness.

Included in this programme will be some deep tissue massage from my Physio. I will update further as to how my progress is going.

NOTE: after researching Hamstring Strain, NORDIC CURLS reduces re-occurrence Hamstring strains in soccer players by 60%. Its just a shame i seen this after my 3rd strain in almost 5 weeks

[Hidden]

Hello BOB here

Hope all goes well

All the best

BOB