Pulled Hamstring Recovery - Buzzle.com

Pulled Hamstring Recovery

The process of a pulled hamstring recovery is a long one and requires quite some effort and patience. A great deal of care has to be taken during the recovery time. Keep reading to know more on that aspect.

A hamstring is a type of thigh muscle found at the borders in the area behind the knee. An injury to this muscle is known as a pulled hamstring or a hamstring strain, wherein the muscle fibers gets stretched or torn excessively. A pulled hamstring is known to be the most common type of leg injury and athletes and sportsmen are more prone to this type of leg injury. It needs immediate medical attention due to the pain that it causes, and also because the injury might lead to other muscle complications. As far as the recovery period is concerned, there are a number of factors that will determine the time required for this.

Pulled Hamstring Recovery

The most important factor determining the recovery time is the severity of the strain. Hamstrings strains are graded into three categories, grade 1 being mild, grade 2 being moderately severe and grade 3 being the most severe strain. Another important factor is the course of treatment administered and how well the body responds to it. A rehabilitation plan is an essential part of the recovery process and it can be chalked out with the help of your physician. There are a lot of things that you need to take care of during the healing period so that the injury heals quickly and does not occur again.

As mentioned before, the healing time largely depends upon the severity of the strain. So here's a description of the healing time required based on the pulled hamstring grades.

Grade 1: A grade 1 pulled hamstring is characterized by some amount of tightness in the thigh, discomfort while walking and a little swelling. This type of an injury will take a week to 3 weeks to heal completely and does not require much to be done for the recovery. A cold compress, administered within 48 hours of the injury should be sufficient to provide temporary relief and medical assistance needs to be sought.

Grade 2: A grade 2 pulled hamstring is characterized by limping, severe but occasional muscle pain in the posterior thigh area, swelling and inability to straighten the knee. This type of a strain will require around a month to 2 months to heal completely and a lot of care needs to be taken. Treatment needs to be continued for most of the time until recovery.

Grade 3: A grade 3 pulled hamstring is characterized by an inability to walk, severe throbbing pain and a considerable amount of swelling. Surgery and medical treatment may be required for this type of injury and it would take about 6 months to heal completely.

Care post and during the treatment is of utmost importance during the recovery time. Recovery and rehab should include medication, home treatments, stretching and hamstring strengthening exercises, ultrasound, support aids, different therapies, etc. Rest is very important during this time and people with grade 3 strains should refrain from moving around a lot without support aids. There is a philosophy, known as RICE devised for the purpose of its recovery time. It stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation which are the four most important things to be done while caring for a pulled hamstring. It is advised that ice packs be used for 20 minutes as many times a day as possible. Compression bandages must be used on the injured area and the leg should be kept in an elevated position to reduce the swelling.

Complete recovery will require you to remain committed to the rehab regimen and indulge in muscle strengthening exercises to avoid injuries in the future. The recovery entirely depends on how well you follow the regimen and aid the process of healing.

By Dhanya Joy

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