Treatments for a Pulled Hamstring

Early diagnosis and proper treatment are important to prevent a pulled hamstring from becoming chronic; it doesn't take much to change a grade 1 strain into a grade 2 strain. Injuries to the muscle belly are best managed with adherence to the conservative treatment methods, which includes modifying and/or eliminating the activities that cause tenderness or discomfort in your hamstring area, and performing gentle strengthening and stretching once initial inflammation has gone down. Scar tissue can often develop with pulled hamstrings, where your soft tissue has pulled away from the bone. As your damaged hamstring tissues heal this dead, fibrotic tissue will be produced instead of forming brand new healthy tissue.

This tissue adheres to your muscle fibers, tendons, ligaments, fascia, nerves, and joints causing pain and preventing them from moving properly (this limits your range of motion, flexibility and strength). Patience is required with a pulled hamstring, as it can take time to revert to your normal state. Hamstring injuries often heal on their own but without proper rehab, they may not heal properly.

Returning to your activities too early can lead to chronic pain, which becomes much more difficult to treat afterwards. Allowing your injuries to heal properly is critical. Impatience in healing is one of the main causes that change a minor hamstring injury into a chronic hamstring injury.

Treatment methods and recovery times are really based on the severity of your strain, whether you have an acute or chronic strain, the type of treatment you receive, as well as your commitment to proper rehabilitation.
Grade 1hamstring strains tend to take between a 1-3 weeks, and respond best to conservative home treatments, ultrasound and stretching/strengthening exercises.
Grade 2 hamstring strains tend to take between 4-8 weeks, and respond best to conservative home treatments, ultrasound and possible support aids, therapies and medications, along with a focused exercise program.
Grade 3hamstring strains tend to take between 2-6 months (depending on if you require surgery), and often involve immediate medical attention, supportive aids, therapies, medication and possibly surgery, along with a regimented exercise program. A good reference point for healing is once you've regained approximately 90% of your pre-injury strength, have full range of motion and are pain free, you can return to your normal activities.

Serious athletes may undergo isokinetic strength testing following a muscle injury and during rehabilitation to help set up a customized exercise program. This is an indicator of recovery that tests range of knee movement; concentric, eccentric and isometric strength testing; endurance testing; quadricep: hamstring ratio (ideally 60:40 or 100:75); and will identify areas of weakness areas.

URICE: This philosophy is used to decrease inflammation and relieve pain for a chronic or diagnosed pulled hamstring within the first 48 hours of a flare-up:

Ultrasound around your injured hamstring for 5-10 minutes, 3 times per day. This is best accomplished with a personal, therapeutic ultrasound device.

Rest your hamstring and leg and limit your activity; you may want to use a walking aid (cane or crutches) to prevent immediate weight bearing if severely damaged or painful.

Ice your hamstring area 2-3 times/day for approximately 15-20 minutes at a time to help reduce blood flow and fluid build up in your hamstring. Gel packs are a better option than frozen peas if possible, as they mold to your leg shape and are reusable. Our cold compression leg wrap is perfect for stabilizing those hamstring muscles and reducing inflammation simultaneously.

Compress your hamstring if possible by adding light pressure to minimize swelling (make sure the compress is snug, but not too tight as it could cause numbness, tingling or more pain).

Re-freezable cold therapy compresses are excellent because they provide ice therapy, compression and a protective covering to prevent skin burn from the cold. This combination drives the cold deeper into the injured tissue than regular ice packs, and speeds the healing process. These compresses are fitted to your thigh, easy to use, mess-free and re-usable

Elevate your hamstring above chest level to relieve the pressure and allow any fluid to drain from your injured area.

If you do not have access to ultrasound therapy or you have experienced an acute hamstring injury and/or have not been diagnosed, adhere to the RICE philosophy within the first 48-72 hours. Gentle massage around the hamstring area or small flexing or extending movements will also help increase blood flow, oxygen, nutrients, and will prevent stiffness.

An Inferno Wrap™ is one of the most helpful tools for a pulled hamstring. Through the absorption of infrared thermal energy, tissues are safely and gently heated - increasing blood flow within the treated area. Your body's natural response to this increased temperature is to try to maintain a condition of homeostasis - a balanced environment or state of equilibrium throughout the body. To do this, your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area (this is known as vasodilation), increasing the supply of nutrients to injured cells and flushing out toxins (including lactic acid, commonly found in trigger points) to promote healing. Our Leg Inferno Wrap™ provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.

Our Cold Compression Wraps are recommended as the best by the Cleveland Clinic, several professional sports organizations, and countless medical professionals. That's why we sell them, because they are the best. We have noticed over time that our customers are so fond of our cold wraps that they are frequently coming back and ordering a second one. The wraps are becoming very popular with baseball and soccer trainers, and the wraps can be conveniently stored in a cooler for quick application on the field when needed.

Ultrasound Therapy is also a helpful tool for pain prevention of a pulled hamstring, and having a portable ultrasound device at home can be a powerful and convenient treatment tool. If you have symptoms or are recovering from a hamstring injury, using ultrasound on a regular basis before your activity or throughout the day will help relax your hamstring muscles, tendons and tissues, diminish pain and inflammation, soften scar tissue and contribute greatly to the healing of your injury.