The hamstring is a group of three skeletal muscles Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus and Biceps femoris covers the backside part of the thigh extending from the pelvic joint to the knee joint. This is a two-joint muscle responsible for knee flexion and hip extension.
Any tear or injury in any of these 3 muscles is known as a hamstring strain or hamstring injury. Hamstring injury is one of the most common sports injuries that occurs when a sudden change in direction with Speed, or excessive force is exerted on the muscle while doing sports activity.
There are a few major factors responsible for the reoccurrence of hamstring strain/injuries
1- Incomplete recovery
If a person doesn’t follow the proper rehabilitation program and does not give enough time for a muscle to heal properly. This increases the risk of reoccurrence of injury.
2- Weak Muscle
After injury muscle gets weak. If the hamstring and surrounding muscle are weak then it will decrease the muscle stability and weak muscle cannot bear the excessive load which increases the risk of injury.
3- Muscles Imbalance
The imbalance between the prime movers and stabilizers muscle which is responsible for movement and other muscles responsible for stabilization during movement increases the risk of injury.
4- Lack of warm-up exercise
Lack of warm-up activity before starting any sports activities which need speed, strength and sudden change in direction will increase the risk of injury.
5- Fail to manage the load
Continuous intensive training and conditioning activity increases the load on the hamstring. Intensive training without rest or recovery time will increase the risk of injury.
6- Lack of Extensibility
Extensibility is how much a muscle can stretch under load or weight when the muscle is fully contracted. This is a unique muscle property, failure to stretch under load increases the risk of injury.
If you are suffering from hamstring injury then consult and get treated at the best physiotherapy clinic in Gurgaon, The Physio Experts.
How to prevent Hamstring injuries
1- Proper warm-up and activation
Warm-up exercises increase blood flow and flexibility. Activation exercise makes the muscles ready for sudden contractions. Proper warm-up and muscle activation before any sporting activity decreases the risk of injury.
2- Strength training exercise
Proper strength training will decrease the risk of injury including squats, lunges, hamstring curls, hamstring drop and catch etc.
3- Careful Assessment of muscle imbalance
Muscle imbalance like weak glute muscles and tight hip flexors will increase the load on the hamstring and risk of injury. Strengthening the glute muscles and hip flexor stretching will decrease the risk of injury.
4- Slow start and progressive training
It is important to start slow and progress to high-performance training. Gradual progression will allow the muscle to adapt to the load and reduce the injury risk.
5- Load managed
After a high-performance training session, proper rest is important for recovery. Without proper recovery, muscles will get overloaded and fail to regenerate. Load management is important for muscle recovery and regeneration.
Various other training programs, activities, cardiovascular strength, coordination and balancing exercise help to prevent Hamstring Recurrent injuries.
Every individual case is different and the prevention strategies may vary between individuals. Thus it is important to consult with a physiotherapist before taking any preventive measures. You can take appointment at the best sports injury clinic in Gurgaon, The Physio Experts.
The effectiveness of prevention depends on individual factors such as physical fitness, specific sports activities, and previous history of injury.
Thus, every injury is unique and so are its needs
