A complete guide on hamstring injuries and the best ways to get relief 02nd January 2023
While YOLO (You Only Live Once) can be the mantra for many of us to enjoy and create beautiful memories, it is also important to remember that accidents come without warning. The slightest of injuries can make your life uncomfortable to an unimaginable extent. You can never be too cautious, and it does not harm to be careful and vigilant about the body against the potential dangers in the surroundings.
This blog is a complete guide on hamstring injuries and the best ways to get relief. If you are someone who has no information about hamstring injuries, their diagnosis, recommended treatments, symptoms, and causes, do not worry. Here we answer all your questions about hamstring injuries right from the meaning. So, without any further delay, let’s get started!
1. What is a hamstring injury:
Often, you might have noticed athletes and people who are into fitness and go to the gym regularly get their muscles pulled. A strain or a tear in the muscles or tendons in the backward portion of your thigh is described as a hamstring injury.
Athletes, gymnasts, and sportspeople who practice long jumps, high jumps, climbing, etc., are usually at risk of these hamstring injuries, which can make movement and daily chores and practice very difficult for them. In some cases, the severity of the damage and the induced pain can lead to getting disqualified from the competition or complete bed rest.
2. Let’s learn a little more about hamstring:
The hamstring joins the bone and the largest thigh muscle in your body and helps the leg bend and stretch easily. When you jump, climb a rope, jump, stretch, run or sprint, your hamstrings are used extensively.
The level of the injury is described by the extent of damage caused to the hamstring. A grade one injury involves a slight muscle pull, whereas a grade two injury indicates a partial muscle tear. The most severe grade three injury occurs when there is a complete muscle tear.
Note: if someone has suffered a hamstring injury, it makes them prone to it in the future if they do not take proper care.
3. How is the hamstring damaged:
The causes include overstretching, lack of rest combined with fatigue after a heavy workout session, a direct hit on your thigh, insufficient warm-up before athletic and sports activities or workouts, lack of a pre-conditioning program, and a history of hamstring injuries.
4. What are the symptoms:
You need to be aware of the symptoms of different grades of hamstring injuries (as discussed in the second point). If you have a grade one injury, you will experience sudden increasing pain in the backward portion of your thigh, leading to difficulty in movement. In this stage, your leg strength will remain unaffected.
If you have a grade two injury, you will experience some inflammation, redness, swelling, soreness, bruise patches, and a decrease in the strength of your leg. A grade three injury will worsen the pain, inflammation, swelling, bruise marks, and tenderness. A popping sensation occurs when you initially injure the hamstring.
5. Best ways to get relief:
The RICE method: rest, ice, compression, and elevation are essential to help you manage the injury and get relief from the pain and the soreness in your hamstring. Avoid excessive movement till the soreness goes away and the swelling goes down. Ice the area at fifteen-minute intervals for the next day or two.
A thigh sleeve (elastic, preferably) or a compression wrap is a wise choice to help support the area during the slightest movement. Subtle exercises like lifting your leg to a comfortable level while sitting on a chair or the edge of the bed help during the icing intervals. Crutches are advised if the movement is unbearably painful.
You must be careful and take the required measures to be watchful about your body. It is also wise to get personal accident insurance to avoid monetary stress in times of difficulty. You can explore all your options and purchase the best personal accident insurance online which suits your requirements.
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Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.