Hamstring Rehabilitation and Healing
If
you want to learn more about Hamstring
Rehabilitation check out the 120 page
comprehensive Hamstring Injury Treatment
Manual.
I have published an E Book on strength and
conditioning programs after a hamstring injury.
Specifically soft tissue and not back related
etc. One area that seems to cause problems is
athletes working too intensely too soon after a
muscle injury is diagnosed and taking gambles.
Jarvinen's review emphasizes the need for 3
days immobilization to allow healing as a
critical phase. Respecting the stages and
phases of healing in soft tissue injury is
vital. Some researchers categorize these stages
differently. From acute ( inflammatory) up to 7
days to proliferation ( 7 to 21 days) and
maturation and remodeling ( >21 days).
Not respecting healing dogma is fraught with
danger given that means trying to beat nature.
Programs in my e book are based on this dogma.
And Jarvinen is very clear about the processes
involved.
I was lucky to work in the AFL for 20 years and
since 1999 till April 2006 I was operating at
approximately half the average games lost for
hamstrings in the AFL. I coached sprinters in
the 80's and simply spent a lot of time
researching and working this area.
HEALING MUSCLE INJURIES
Muscle Injuries: Biology and Treatment:
Järvinen
The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol.
33, No. 5
This study emphasizes the need to immobilize in
the acute phase, which, as minimum from healing
studies, should be 3 days.
REST IS CRITICAL IN THE ACUTE PHASE!
According to Jarvinen even slight use of the
injured muscle in this Acute Phase needs to be
avoided. He also talks about re-ruptures at the
same site if mobilization is too soon. By
resting in this phase less scar is put down.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THIS IMMOBILIZATION PHASE ?
PARADOX: Use it or lose it!
The rest in the immobilization phase allows the
scar to get some strength. In fact after 10
days the scar is quite strong
After the immobilization phase is over then
active mobilization enhances the penetration of
muscle fibres into the scar tissue, limits the
size of the scar and aligns the regenerating
muscle tissue.
“If immobilization is continued past the acute
phase (first few days) of muscle regeneration,
the deleterious effects become particularly
evident during the remodeling phase of muscle
healing”
Hamstring
Rehabilitation and Running Programs
Hamstring
Injuries in the AFL. Perception becomes
Reality.
