pulled hammy ....again

dawgdude · July 28th, 2006, 08:45 AM

hey guyz ... looking for some advice on my hammy ... pulled it about a month ago ... severe enough to cause blood in my leg and calf a few days after ... i went on webmd it said 21 -28 days ... so of course after 21 days i was out playing again (softball) well it popped again .. no blood this time... the problem is i dont have a month to lay up ... the season is ending and all the big tournys are coming up ... what can i do to speed up the healing process ... arent anabolics supposed to help you heal muscle faster ??? what are some things i can do to just get threw the season ... thanks

**stephenlavin** · July 28th, 2006, 11:04 AM

you ..can rest properly ..you should have gone to a physio and gotten decent treatment instead of looin in the web..if there was blood you should have been out for six weeks and when you pull a hamstring you have to load the muscle again ...not go straight back into full scaled activity ......man ..get some sense will you . .... 3 weeks after a bad tear ....god i cant believe ....

Right ..ice the thing straight away if you have not already 15 mins every 2 hours and start taking anti inflamatory medication ..keep it elevated as much as possible ..dont start stretching it to see how it feels ..with proper rest and care you could be bcak fully within 21 days and be flying it
Also i found a technique called dry needling is extremely effective for pulled muscles but the chances of you finding a physio who practices that technique will be rare .. Next best thing is acupuncture
the next time dont try and be the doctor ..go and let a qualified sort it out for you

dawgdude · July 28th, 2006, 11:33 AM

thanks for busting my balls ; ) ... what do you mean load it up ??? how long after the injury should i still use ice ??? treadmill ok ????

**stephenlavin** · July 28th, 2006, 05:25 PM

ice for the first couple of days .......load the muscle up means you start joggin first and gradually increase the exercises to running sprinting turning etc ...i.e you are bringing the muscle back to where it used to be . it sounds like this time you haven't pulled it too bad ... the best thing you ca
n do is get to a good physio.
If you cant then with muscle injuries it is all about feel . if it doesn't feel right stop what you are doing straight away and rest .
Rest for 5 days icing for the first two . do nothing . Then from day 5 - 8 cycle and see how it feels . If it feels good and doesnt hurt for the three days start light jogging. ( again if it doesnt feel right stop) you can do some very light stretching at this point [u][b]very light [b]if it feels good after three days of jogging then start gentle running ..do this for 3 to four days once more if it feels good start running quicker and eventually sprinting and all form of zig zagging etc. . this should take about 18 to 21 days ...if it a slight strain you might be back even within 16 days ..if it feels sore after any exercise ice it and cut back .... i am not a physio but i have had a lot of injuries with my legs so id have an idea.

The only thing i dont know is how seriously you damaged the muscle ..if it didnt bleed its a good sign...just go by how it feels or go to a physio ...best o luck

**Insex** · July 28th, 2006, 06:45 PM

Basically, do everthing that stephenlavin mentioned.

To help you get through your games, wrap up and tape your injured leg before playing. I pulled my hamstrings many times in football. I always saw the trainer, and did R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, com-pression, and elevation). After about 2 to 3 weeks, I would only be about 75% healthy, but my trainer always wrapped my injured leg up with cloth, then wrapped it up again with tape (in that order). This would help me get through the day and play hard on an injured hammy. Don't wrap it up too tight though, you'll restrict blood flow.

Before you wrap up your leg and do any type of exercise, grab a heat pad and place it on your hamstrings for about 10 minutes. This will give your muscles a warm-up before you actually start warming-up out on the field.

**Vizigoth** · July 29th, 2006, 12:52 AM

21-28 days recovery time is for an average pulled hamstring. Having subcutaneous blood pooling is not a sign of an average pull. You may even have ruptured it. Get it looked at by a doctor who does sports medicine. If you pull it enough times, it will shred in an agonizing tissue failure, then you are really screwed. As it is, it may give you problems for the rest of your life. Want to be a cripple when you're fifty? Get some help that knows what they are doing.

**bbabb22** · July 29th, 2006, 01:11 AM

doctor ASAP. that sounds like a grade 2+ strain. Ice its 15 min on 15mins off and repeat that 2 times about 3 times a day. stay off of it. hammys can take up to a year to heal. i sprained mine in may and i still feel it when i go heavy on squats.

**bbabb22** · July 29th, 2006, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insex

Basically, do everthing that stephenlavin mentioned.

To help you get through your games, wrap up and tape your injured leg before playing. I pulled my hamstrings many times in football. I always saw the trainer, and did R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, com-pression, and elevation). After about 2 to 3 weeks, I would only be about 75% healthy, but my trainer always wrapped my injured leg up with cloth, then wrapped it up again with tape (in that order). This would help me get through the day and play hard on an injured hammy. Don't wrap it up too tight though, you'll restrict blood flow.

Before you wrap up your leg and do any type of exercise, grab a heat pad and place it on your hamstrings for about 10 minutes. This will give your muscles a warm-up before you actually start warming-up out on the field.

great advice, didnt see it for my first post

RICE is always a good thing to follow. good call on the warm up but his sounds worse that just a casual pull. for wrapping all you need is an ace bandage wrapped from the knee up i believe. then go over that with th stretchy tape. i ran with that on for over a month at the end of track.

**Vizigoth** · July 29th, 2006, 08:07 PM

Congratulations! You now have one of those injuries that will likely nag you forever and is one step on the road to growing old. As this injury matures, scar tissue will develop in the damaged area and in the muscle groups around it. If your injury is severe enough, your body will generate enough scar tissue to immobilize it. That is a normal response, but eventually the damaged area is as healed as it is going to get and you will find that your muscle/tendon/joint is still locked up by that scar tissue. It is important to get rid of that tissue as soon as you can after healing. Failure to do so can create problems of its own in terms of atrophy in the areas that cannot be used or exercised due to being immobilized.

Deep tissue massage or Accupressure therapy can do a lot to break down the scar tissue and restore mobility to your injury. It can be quite painful and I know some that only have it done under the influence of strong pain killers. Grin and bear it, as it is a sacrifice worth making. I have a leg that was reduced to less than 15% mobility that now is at 90+% mobility. It took weekly sessions for about six months to correct my problems. Acupuncture can also aid in this process. See my other posts about the Wonders of Acupuncture.

dazzler · October 24th, 2006, 08:00 AM

As vizigoth mentioned, deep tissue massage can make a huge difference. Find a good massage therapist and they will be able to keep scar tissue formation to a minimum, also massage can help the scar form more akin to muscle tissue, rather than a random shambles which will inhibit flexibility and blood, therefore nutrient flow. It will also speed up the healing due to the huge increase in blood flow and keep the other two hamstrings (and the 3 on the other leg!) from overcompensating and breaking down themselves.
Also, make sure your glutes are in good condition, as they can place additional stress on your hammys.
Warm up well, don't pre static stretch, do progressive dynamic stretch, stay hydrated, cool down for long enough, ice baths can make a difference (1 min cold, 1 min hot - about 5 or 6 times each, start and finish with cold), rehydrate.
Quite easy really hahaha....

sapos · November 25th, 2007, 12:35 PM

Just tweaked or pulled my left hammy last night playing softball.

Not sure what I did to it but had to pull myself out of game.

I'm 48 in pretty good condition ran to third, but before reaching the base my left leg sort of gave up as I pulled into the base.

Been icing it since last night and am wondering if it's ok just to go walk around normally on it?

How do you know if you pulled your hammy or you tore your hammy?
I have no bruises or anything showing on my skin.

I can walk with a mild pain but not much beyond that.
When can I start mild stretching?

Thanks for any help .

94jedi · November 25th, 2007, 08:17 PM

^ I'd say keep ricing it for 2-3 days after. Then when you have no more pain, you can begin stretching. as others have warned, don't try to come back too early or you'll have one of those nagging injuries for a loooong time that never heals. you should be fine walking on it normally but I wouldn't run on it for at least weeks.