Hamstring Injury Treatment & Physio Melbourne

Hamstring injuries are the leading cause of missed game time in the AFL (Australian Football League) and significantly impact athletes such as runners, skaters, and basketball players. Despite extensive research, these injuries are on the rise in sports. Recognizing the importance of hamstring physio and strain treatment is crucial to prevent and manage your injury effectively.

If you're dealing with a hamstring injury or looking to prevent one, at Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy we offer expert hamstring injury assessment and physio treatment to help you recover and get back to your sport. Book an appointment online or call one of our nearest clinics today to start your personalised rehabilitation program.

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What Is A Hamstring Strain Injury?

Despite the name, a hamstring muscle is not a muscle string in your leg. A hamstring muscle is, in fact, a group of three muscles at the back of your thigh - biceps femoris, semitendinosus or semimembranosus. Hamstring injuries are a tear or strain to the muscle or tendon structure in either of the three hamstring muscles. A hamstring injury usually occurs during deceleration while sprinting, most likely towards the end of playing time. If you experience a hamstring injury, it is important to seek professional treatment immediately.

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Causes & Risk Factors Of Hamstring Strain

Athletes are more prone to hamstring strains, with a previous hamstring injury being the most significant risk factor. These injuries are usually caused by:

• Formation of scar tissue 
• Reduced flexibility 
• Reduced eccentric strength 
• Altered movement patterns and lower limb biomechanics 

The high association with previous hamstring injury highlights the need for effective treatment and more focused long term rehabilitation plans. There has also been significant evidence for prevention programs that address modifiable risk factors for the hamstring muscle. 

Hamstring Strain Symptoms

Hamstring strains vary greatly. You could have a mild strain all the way up to a grade 3 muscle tear. You will experience pain but the other symptoms are variable. At Melbourne Sports Physio, our physiotherapist will first diagnose the grade of hamstring strains to prescribe the right hamstring physio treatment for perfect recovery:

Grade 1. Mild Muscle Strain: 

You may experience a sudden pain in the hamstring muscles and have a limited range of motion. With hamstring strain physio treatment it may take a few days to heal and relieve pain due to hamstring strains.

Grade 2. Partial Muscle Tear: 

In case of partial tear, you may experience severe pain, swelling, bruising and weakness or limpness in the hamstring muscles. Your injured leg may take a few weeks to heal.

Grade 3. Severe Hamstring Tear: 

You may experience severe muscle pain, tenderness, bruising, and swelling. The initial injury is sometimes accompanied with a "pop" sound. It may take 3-6 months to heal and in some cases, may need surgery.

Hamstring Injury Physio Treatment

We know you are looking to heal your injured leg as soon as possible with hamstring strain physio treatment. At Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy, we are committed to addressing these factors as part of your rehabilitation program, with a focus on: 

• Correcting abnormal movement patterns with hamstring physio treatment
• Building hamstring strength, specifically eccentric strength
• Developing flexibility in the hamstring and surrounding musculature 
• Exercises for hamstring strain rehabilitation and reduce swelling
• Preventing adverse neural tension via hamstring physio
• Correcting imbalance between quads and hamstring strength
• Treating altered biomechanics 
• Preventing overload in training programs 
• Returning to high speed running 
• Prescribed pain medicines to reduce pain alongside physical therapy

Hamstring Injury Recovery & What To Expect

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may have to come in for systematic review sessions or a follow up after your hamstring injury treatment. You should recover within 8 weeks for grade 1-2 injuries. Grade 3 (severe tears) may involve surgery and thus, recovery time could be upwards of 6 months.

For people with persistent hamstring pain and dysfunction who do not recover from hamstring injury in 4-8 weeks, it is important that you receive a proper sports physiotherapy assessment, as the symptoms in your hamstring may be referred to as pain, and not actually be the hamstring as the source. In these cases, it is usually the lumbar spine and neural tissue that are generating the pain and not hamstring injuries. Our expert team of physiotherapists can help you identify the right source of pain in your hamstring muscles.

Prevention Of Hamstring Injuries

An injured leg, particularly in the back of the thigh, limits the range of motion in the knee and diminishes your quality of life. To prevent having to seek hamstring injury treatment, it is crucial to incorporate a combination of proper warm-up routines, strengthening exercises, and gentle stretching into your training regimen to strengthen your hamstring muscle.

Athletes have an increased risk of getting a pulled hamstring and it is one of the most common injuries in contact sports and recreational sports. Thus, athletes should focus on gradually increasing the intensity of physical activity to avoid overstretching the hamstring muscles, which consist of three main muscle groups: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus.

A few steps you can take to prevent hamstring injuries:

• Engage in strengthening exercises like the single leg hamstring bridge to enhance muscle strength and stability
• Ensure adequate recovery time after training sessions to promote healing and prevent re-injury
• Recognize early signs of injury, such as muscle fatigue or aches, and call it quits for the day to avoid further strain
• Incorporate gentle stretching exercises, such as static stretches and dynamic stretches, into your daily routine to improve flexibility, gentle range of motion exercises and alleviate muscle tightness
• If an injury occurs, follow the R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice pack, Compression, Elevation) method to manage pain and swelling, and consult with an orthopaedic surgeon or sports medicine specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment

By following these guidelines and seeking professional guidance from physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons when needed, athletes can significantly reduce their risk of hamstring strain injuries and promote a quicker recovery if an injury does occur.

By Dane Monaghan , Physiotherapist

To schedule an appointment with a physiotherapist at Melbourne Sports Physiotherapy for hamstring physio and strain treatment, please book online or call your nearest clinic.