Pulled Hamstring Diagnosis And Treatment

It is sometimes known as a hamstring strain. A pulled hamstring is the tearing of the fibers of the hamstring muscle. A pulled hamstring is the result of a severe hamstring injury in most cases. The tearing of the muscle can be microscopic—the case with Grade I injuries. In other cases where the muscle tear is excessively severe then the muscle may rapture occurs—the case with Grade III injuries. Bleeding may also occur when the muscle stretches too far.

A pulled hamstring results due to an eccentric concentration. This occurs when a muscle, while trying to contract, is pulled by another force thus resulting in the tear of the fibers.

A hamstring injury is normally painful and causes discomfort. However, this depends on the severity. Therefore, the symptoms of a pulled hamstring determine the severity of the injury. Common symptoms include:

• Swelling of the Thigh- a swelling of the thigh occurs when there is an accumulation of blood from the hamstring injury. This causes a difficulty in contraction of the muscle hence pain. One way to control the swelling of the thigh involves wearing a compressive bandage.
• Difficulty in Contracting- it is normally difficult to flex your knee freely after a pulled hamstring. This often leads to difficulty in walking. In case the muscle can’t contract completely then it becomes ruptured in the end.
• Bruising at the Thigh and Knee Area- a pulled hamstring often leads to muscle bleeding and bruising due to the small tears in the muscle. Normally, the bruise begins at the thigh and then extends to the knee and sometimes far down to the foot.
• Muscle Spasm- this is a painful symptom of a pulled hamstring. The contraction signals become confused due to the trauma of the muscle leading to stimulation of the muscle. Spasms can be cleared with the help of muscle relaxants.

The good news with a pulled hamstring is that it has treatment and it is simple. Once you experience a pulled hamstring then you are advised to start the treatment process immediately. It doesn’t matter the level of strain. These are treatment tips:

• Rest- the first thing to do when you have a hamstring injury is to have enough rest. During this time you should ensure that you don’t exercise completely. This should last 2 to 3 days.
• Ice Pack- put an ice pack with some soft cloth as a layer on the pulled hamstring for about 20 minutes.
• Ace Bandage- wrap the leg with an ace bandage so as to reduce the swelling on the pulled hamstring.
• Elevation- elevate the leg on some raised surface such as a pillow to stimulate the circulation of blood in the injured leg.
• Massage- a gentle massage will rehabilitate the pulled hamstring as well as prevent reoccurrence of the injury. It is important to have a gentle massage because a vigorous massage will lead to an extra stretching of the muscle thus increasing the pain.

You can also contact a specialist in order for you to be screened. This will assure you of successful recovery and prevention of future hamstrings where possible.

A pulled hamstring is common in athletics and other sporting events. However, anyone can easily experience a pulled hamstring when walking or jogging especially due to improper warming up.