Hamstring Injury Rehabilitation

The rehabilitation of a hamstring tear is divided up into three phases to aid recovery.

PHASE 1: Acute injury (day 1 up to 7 days) Apply ice in a damp tea towel s#in. times a day for up to !" minutes with care not to burn the

Avoid stretching the hamstring muscle during this period. $ou may re%uire elbow crutches to wal# if wal#ing is too uncomfortable.

Exercises &ie on your front and bend your #nee bac#wards and forwards through a comfortable range. 'radually increase the repetitions as pain allows. $ou will notice that you can bend your #nee bac#wards and forwards further as the pain settles.

(ingle leg balance: Try to maintain your balance on your leg for a minute without putting your other foot down to restore your balance.

)nloaded static bi#e starting in a high saddle if uncomfortable.

*f wal#ing is comfortable attempt a (&+, jog. &ie onto your tummy and attempt isometric hamstring contractions at varying range of movements. -olding for . seconds and then release and repeat.

Progression to Phase 2 Criteria: /ormal wal#ing without pain (low jog without pain. 0ain free isometric hamstring contraction appro2imately ."3 of your ma2imal strength. at 1" of

Phase 2 -amstring flic#s in inner range with4without an#le weights. 'entle cycling4cross trainer4stepper for aerobic fitness. 5ridging level * to *** as pain allows. (ingle leg wal# outs in bridging. *ncrease jogging to around ."3 of your ma2imal speed6 incorporating bac#ward jogging. BEGI stretches to hamstring6 glutes and hip fle2ors.

Progression to Phase ! Criteria: 1 full isometric repetition ma2 without pain at 1"3. 7orward and bac#ward jogging of ."3 without pain. /o restriction of range of movement of your #nee.

Phase ! (upine single leg chair bridging. +uter range hamstring flic#s without4with an#le weights. ,indmill touches with weights. -igh #ic#ing e2ercises. *ncrease running speed graded as pain allows to 8"3...7"3 until 1""3 Accelerate4decelerate in a straight line increasing speed4distance as pain allows. *ntroduce cutting and figure of 9:;s gradually tightening up the figure of 9:;s. <ccentric hamstring curls starting with low repetitions and gradually increasing repetitions as your eccentric control improves. This is a very high level e2ercise and should be done once you are running 1""3 of your running speed without pain and all sports are pain free.

Return to s"ort criteria#

7ull strength through range. 0ain free functional abilities e.g. jumping6 running and cutting. = consecutive pain free isometric repetitions at 1.> and 1". ?easonable control with eccentric /ordic hamstring curl.