Progression of a Pulled Hamstring
This can be classified into 3 grades of hamstring strain severity:
Minor - Grade 1 Hamstring Strains involve stretching of your hamstring muscles which result in slightly pulled or excessively stretched muscles, or very small tears in your muscles. You will generally feel some specific point pain, tightness or mild cramping in your hamstring which will be a little uncomfortable, but will involve no swelling or no major loss of strength. These may diminish with activity, but will return with a vengeance afterwards.
Moderate - Grade 2 Hamstring Strains are more painful and involve a partial tearing of the hamstring fibers in your muscles, tendons, or at the tendon attachment to your bone. You will generally experience some pain that radiates down your leg during activity, while bending your knee against resistance, or when you touch your hamstring. Swelling, stiffness, decreased strength and range of motion (may not be able to straighten knee) will be apparent and can also cause you to limp. You may also experience some bruising (ecchymosis) due to bleeding within the injured muscle.
Severe - Grade 3 Hamstring Strains involve a complete tear (rupture) of your hamstring muscle fibers where your muscle belly attaches to your tendon or where your muscle belly rips in 2 separate pieces. It is very painful and rarer than the other strains. You will tend to experience a burning or stabbing pain, a lot of swelling and minimal strength, which may prevent you from walking without assistance or make it difficult for you to move your leg. Discoloration and widespread bruising in the injured area as a result of bleeding in the muscle tissue can also happen. You may also notice a break in your normal muscle outline that makes a gap under your skin where the muscle has come apart. This can be seen or felt with your hands and looks like a knotting of the muscle that produces a bulge.
The majority of hamstring strains are grade 1 or 2 strains that involve partial muscle or tendon tears that occur near the musculotendinous junction, where your hamstring tendon and muscle meet.
Should you seek medical attention?
This is up to your discretion; however any continued discomfort in your hamstring should be investigated. If you continue to experience the hamstring injury symptoms and have tried the suggested conservative treatments for 2-3 weeks, it is recommended that you seek professional medical attention. It is recommended you seek immediate attention if you:
hear a "loud pop" in your muscle when injured
have immediate severe pain, swelling or discoloration in your hamstrings
experience severe weakness in your leg (compared to other leg) and have difficulty walking
have a temperature over 100.4º F (38º C)
notice blue toe nails, numbness or coldness below your injury
An Inferno Wrap is one of the most helpful tools for an injured tendon. Through the absorption of deep penetrating energy waves, 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 Inferno Wraps provide effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.
Our Cold Compression Wraps are recommended as the best by 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 an injured tendon, and having a portable ultrasound device at home can be a powerful and convenient treatment tool. If you have symptoms or are recovering from an injured tendon, using ultrasound on a regular basis before your activity or throughout the day will help relax your muscles, tendons and tissues, diminish pain and inflammation, soften scar tissue and contribute greatly to the healing of your injury.
If you suffer from mild inflammation or pain after certain activities or movements use ultrasound therapy when you complete the activity and then rest and elevate your area of injury. Limit the application of ultrasound to a couple of treatments per day (the manual will recommend treatment frequency depending upon the injury). In between ultrasound treatments, maximize your pain relief and injury recovery by using the Freezie Wrap and Inferno Wrap. Proven Performance, Proven Relief - only found at MendMeShop.com. If you have been given a treatment plan by your health professional, make sure you adhere to it to ensure pain free living. In general, people who are committed to their therapies and exercises will have the best medical outcomes.
Do you have more questions?
We encourage you to contact our office directly with any questions you may have treating your pain. You can be assured all your questions will be answered in a thorough and courteous manner by our trained staff.
Feel free to email us at contact@aidmypain.com.
Our toll free number is available during regular business hours - Continental US and Canadian 1-877-876-4588 or International Callers 705 445 3505
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We wish you a great day and we look forward to hearing from you.
