Hamstring Injury Rehab Instructions
Oct. 28th, 2007 07:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
abracanabraPhysical rehab stretches/exercises/instructions for a repeatedly injured (in the belly of the upper thigh) hamstring, for my own future reference and also for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
pegkerr on my flist.
Note: this was for an old injury that kept on happening; it was only mildly sore when I first visited the rehab specialists. I just kept injuring it, so most of the focus is on realigning the muscle right (scar tissue had probably twisted it some, which was why it kept reinjuring) and strengthening it.
* Ice regularly for pain relief as needed.
* Do not strain the muscle, either by trying to stretch it out using splits or a more aggressive stretch (they were very, very emphatic about not trying the splits or runners stretches or anything), or by doing aggressive movement.
* Do exercises for about fifteen minutes, twice a day.
* Keep journal of pain/exercise. Keep track of pain on a scale of 1-10. Do not go up more than one pain level, and that only if it goes back down to previous pain level within one day.
Exercises for the first two weeks:
* 1 & 2 should not hurt. If they do, lower leg slightly.
1. Neural Glide, part I. Lie on your back, keeping your good leg bent and your other leg straight. Hook stretchy tubing over instep of foot and pull to apply pressure. Keeping leg locked straight and pushing the heel up, slowly circle your leg, rotating from the hip. Repeat for 3 min.
2. Neural Glide, part II. Cross leg over your body's midline, so that it is at about 10 o'clock. Keeping leg locked, pump the ball of your foot up and down (pushing heel on the down), as if wearing a very tall pair of heels. Keep stretch tubing hooked over instep. Alternately, if do not have stretch tubing, lock hands below knee to support leg. Repeat for 2 min.
3. Wall Sits Without The Wall. Take stretchy tubing tied in a short loop and slide around ankles. Stand. Bend as if sitting in a chair, keeping knees straight and out, not letting them go knock-kneed. Keep back straight and butt out, hands hanging down. May rest hand on something else to stabilize balance. Don't go below a 90 degree angle. Repeat 10-30 times.
4. Marching Bridge. Lie on the floor, knees up, head on a pillow, arms flat by your sides. Bridge up, but only to a flat board position. Lift one foot up about 2-4 inches off the ground. Hold for two seconds. Repeat on other side. Up to 10 times each side. Note: I've found this is actually a rather difficult exercise for me, injury aside. Good exercise, too.
After the first two weeks, or when there is no lingering pain.
* Incorporate these more strenuous exercises, and slowly ease back into regular stretching and exercise.
1. Neural Glide, part III. Use flat stretchy material that puts resistance against entire ball of foot and instep, otherwise repeat as Part I. Repeat for 3 minutes.
2. Neural Glide, part IV. Cover ball of foot and toes with flat stretchy material and pull against to provide resistance. Cross leg over your body's midline, so that it is at about 10 o'clock. Keeping leg locked, circle foot, rotating from the ankle. Repeat for 2 minutes.
3. Pumping Bridge. Lie on the floor, knees up, head on a pillow, arms flat by your sides. Bridge up, but only to a flat board position. Slowly lift and straighten one leg, pumping straight out on a line with the rest of your body, pushing heel out. Repeat on other side.
4. Slow Back-Kick. Bend over and rest your hands on the seat of a chair. Even if not necessary for your balance, this makes the hamstring actually get stretched better. Lock leg straight. Slowly do back kick to full extension, pushing heel out.
5. Door Pull. Take stretchy flat material, fold in half, and somehow slam loose ends in door so that it stays put in a loop at about waist height. Sit in chair in front of door. Hook ankle through loop. Pull slowly towards self, getting resistance. Note: I haven't actually been able to get this done, as none of our doors seal that tightly around the edges. Victorian house, eh?
The doctor basically said I should mix and match these exercises once I'm feeling pretty good, and slowly get back up to normal activities while maintaining these exercises as needed to keep good balanced strength and avoid future injury.
pegkerr on my flist.Note: this was for an old injury that kept on happening; it was only mildly sore when I first visited the rehab specialists. I just kept injuring it, so most of the focus is on realigning the muscle right (scar tissue had probably twisted it some, which was why it kept reinjuring) and strengthening it.
* Ice regularly for pain relief as needed.
* Do not strain the muscle, either by trying to stretch it out using splits or a more aggressive stretch (they were very, very emphatic about not trying the splits or runners stretches or anything), or by doing aggressive movement.
* Do exercises for about fifteen minutes, twice a day.
* Keep journal of pain/exercise. Keep track of pain on a scale of 1-10. Do not go up more than one pain level, and that only if it goes back down to previous pain level within one day.
Exercises for the first two weeks:
* 1 & 2 should not hurt. If they do, lower leg slightly.
1. Neural Glide, part I. Lie on your back, keeping your good leg bent and your other leg straight. Hook stretchy tubing over instep of foot and pull to apply pressure. Keeping leg locked straight and pushing the heel up, slowly circle your leg, rotating from the hip. Repeat for 3 min.
2. Neural Glide, part II. Cross leg over your body's midline, so that it is at about 10 o'clock. Keeping leg locked, pump the ball of your foot up and down (pushing heel on the down), as if wearing a very tall pair of heels. Keep stretch tubing hooked over instep. Alternately, if do not have stretch tubing, lock hands below knee to support leg. Repeat for 2 min.
3. Wall Sits Without The Wall. Take stretchy tubing tied in a short loop and slide around ankles. Stand. Bend as if sitting in a chair, keeping knees straight and out, not letting them go knock-kneed. Keep back straight and butt out, hands hanging down. May rest hand on something else to stabilize balance. Don't go below a 90 degree angle. Repeat 10-30 times.
4. Marching Bridge. Lie on the floor, knees up, head on a pillow, arms flat by your sides. Bridge up, but only to a flat board position. Lift one foot up about 2-4 inches off the ground. Hold for two seconds. Repeat on other side. Up to 10 times each side. Note: I've found this is actually a rather difficult exercise for me, injury aside. Good exercise, too.
After the first two weeks, or when there is no lingering pain.
* Incorporate these more strenuous exercises, and slowly ease back into regular stretching and exercise.
1. Neural Glide, part III. Use flat stretchy material that puts resistance against entire ball of foot and instep, otherwise repeat as Part I. Repeat for 3 minutes.
2. Neural Glide, part IV. Cover ball of foot and toes with flat stretchy material and pull against to provide resistance. Cross leg over your body's midline, so that it is at about 10 o'clock. Keeping leg locked, circle foot, rotating from the ankle. Repeat for 2 minutes.
3. Pumping Bridge. Lie on the floor, knees up, head on a pillow, arms flat by your sides. Bridge up, but only to a flat board position. Slowly lift and straighten one leg, pumping straight out on a line with the rest of your body, pushing heel out. Repeat on other side.
4. Slow Back-Kick. Bend over and rest your hands on the seat of a chair. Even if not necessary for your balance, this makes the hamstring actually get stretched better. Lock leg straight. Slowly do back kick to full extension, pushing heel out.
5. Door Pull. Take stretchy flat material, fold in half, and somehow slam loose ends in door so that it stays put in a loop at about waist height. Sit in chair in front of door. Hook ankle through loop. Pull slowly towards self, getting resistance. Note: I haven't actually been able to get this done, as none of our doors seal that tightly around the edges. Victorian house, eh?
The doctor basically said I should mix and match these exercises once I'm feeling pretty good, and slowly get back up to normal activities while maintaining these exercises as needed to keep good balanced strength and avoid future injury.