If you want to learn more about Hamstring Rehabilitation check out the 120 page comprehensive Hamstring Rehabilitation Manual.
Hamstrings are
the biggest cause of injury in the AFL. The
game goes for 120 minutes and has 4 breaks.
They will start warming up at 1.20 for a 2.10
game and then rest before running out. Then 1/4
time/1/2 time and 3/4 time. Game finishes at
almost 5pm! They kick on the run and also bend
over at speed. Just a recipe for injury. Also
they have to carry some bulk for contact needs,
but still run and run. Thus more hamstrings
than soccer and rugby for instance.
In 1997 a group of Essendon coaches, fitness,
medical and management people went to the AIS
to examine training methods. With respect to
injury management it was an important trip for
me. I changed my training methods a lot then.
Proprioception circuit before weights.
Screening of biomechanics of players. Core
stability screening. Core stability and core
strength circuits. Specific unilateral training
for the lower extremity. Specific attention to
gluteal and hamstring strength work. Lots of
running drills and faster running. More
individualized training. Full time massage
therapists. Full time physiotherapists, Full
time training. Databases of loads and education
of coaches to manage training loads and kicking
loads in season a bit better. Pre- training
meetings to plan training with medical staff.
What I saw in the 1998 was a big drop in soft
tissue injury after those initiatives,
especially hamstrings.
I had done comprehensive isokinetic testing a
few times in the 90’s but this multifactorial
approach seemed to work better.
I went to Geelong in 1998 with a brief to
reduce injury. I implemented the same
initiatives. I used Mark Sayers the
biomechanist to screen every player. Employed
more masseurs. They did lots of core stability
and core strength work and they trained faster.
It really seemed to work. We had a huge drop in
soft tissue and hamstring injury rates. There
seemed to be some consistent line to all this.
One year we got to round 18 and not having lost
a player to hamstring injury, Then fatigue hit
with a player and we lost a few games to
hamstrings. So, these initiatives as a whole
seemed to work. Which one helped most? Now that
is a tough question. Massage or core stability
or running faster? Difficult! I always lean to
fast running in the preparation block as a key.
But perceptions can become reality in elite
sport.
Now every club gets hamstrings. One must look
at trends and overall rates over years with the
same staff in a club.
More importantly the take home message is to
use a multifactorial approach to hamstring
injury prevention and rehabilitation. Make sure
you have ticked most boxes. I will soon be
putting some information out on a strength and
conditioning program for hamstring injury.
SOME THINGS (JUST A FEW!) THAT NEED TO BE
COVERED FOR PREVENTION OF HAMSTRING INJURY.
1. Core Stability. Is the inner core
functioning properly?
2. Core Strength: Has the athlete got
sufficient strength to cope with the forces
required in fast sports.
4. Pelvic Stability: Is the athlete unbalanced
or does the athlete have a weakness in gluteus
medius for example.
5. Overstriding: Is the athletes running
technique a disaster? Combined with lack of
pelvic stability do they over-stride and tire
the hammies out.
6. Hamstring and Gluteal Strength: Does the
athlete lack the ability to switch the glutes
on or have little strength both concentrically
or eccentrically or the whole lot?
7. Lower back problems; Do they exist? Gluteal
referred problems?
8. Previous history of injury.
9. Has the athlete prepared themselves for fast
running and adapted to high eccentric loads in
pre-season.
10. Is the athlete fit enough? Can they last?
11. Is the athlete too tired from training?
12. Has the athlete trained hard the day before
and is doing fast running today and thus will
be more prone to injury?
13. Are you too old?
AND SO ON AND SO ON.
That is why there is no cookbook recipe to
preventing hamstrings.
Just need to keep ticking those boxes
Hamstring Rehabilitation and Running Programs
Hamstring
Rehabilitation and Healing
