Hamstrings? What can I expect?

[katarine]

I took a nasty fall off a mule in June of 2011. She bolted, ducked left, and I was thrown into the fence. In the process, I caught my left leg behind the cantle (western) as I came off, and pulled the snot out of that hamstring. It hurt so much it felt like my leg exploded. I couldn’t ride for most of the summer, it just hurt too much. Now I’m back riding, even showed a little in September (though I did ice therapy all the way to TN and back ), but now it’s January and when I dismount, I can feel it burning and it’s just sore. It’s also still pretty weak.

Is this going to go on forever? Who here has rehabbed a hamstring? Help! Suggestions, stretches, exercises, I’m in…

[grayarabpony]

I pulled a hamstring lunging the damn pony a few years ago, and several years before that running track. Not nearly as bad of injuries as yours though. It sounds like you still have a lot of unhealed damage, since it’s still weak. Are you doing any walking to try to rebuild the muscle or does it hurt too much?

I kept reinjuring my leg for months after the pony injury until I went on a 6 week course of Celebrex. There must have been some chronic inflammation there that the Celebrex took care of. Something like that may help you too.

[katarine]

I do some lunges as part of my move my carcass around the office routine, but no set walking pattern/workout. The new work schedule bites me 4 days a week.

I need some office friendly exercises. Lolling in the floor won’t cut it

[grayarabpony]

I don’t see where I suggested “lolling in the floor”, but I agree that you are going to have to move your carcass if you want to rebuild the muscle fibers. Walking is one of the best ways to do it.

Good luck.

[grayarabpony]

Sorry can’t suggest office friendly exercises other than walking at lunch maybe? But personally I wouldn’t do stairs rather than taking the elevator. Hills and stairs made my leg worse while it was injured.

Good luck.

[cowboymom]

My shoulders, your leg… we aren’t getting old, are we? :eek:

For my torn/recovering shoulder, adhesions are a risk so I’m supposed to take a high steady dose of NSAID and while they are in effect, stretch and go through range of motion exercises to keep the tendons from tightening up.

This link has some ideas:

http://www.commonsportsinjuries.com/upperleg/hamstring/

While you’re sitting at work you can stick your leg out in front of you and point the toe back. Rotate it, back down. I do that compulsively while I’m sitting just b/c it helps my back too.

When you fill those feed tubs and set them out, take a minute to touch your toes. Same with shoes, ect. When you head up the stairs take a minute to put a foot out there and stretch for just a minute.

As you know, I’m no doctor and my hamstrings are one of the few parts of me that haven’t been damaged the last couple years, but through all my problems the words “advil” and “stretch” keep reoccuring.

[Simbalism]

I’m having a similar problem after a fall last August. Didn’t hurt right away, but a few weeks later, I was experiencing burning pain when I was riding, and weakness when walking on uneven surfaces. Have a hard time going up and down stairs. I would take some Motrin when it really bothered me and I put wide endurance type stirrups on my endurance saddle. I was totally unable to ride in my english saddle. Finally after several months of it not getting better, I went to a sports medicine ortho doctor. I was worried that I had torn my achilles. No tear, but I had tendonitis. I had to take a larger than normal dose of Naprosyn for a week and they gave me a theraband(stretchy) to do some exercises with. It’s been about a month since I went to the doctor and been doing the exercises. I am still having some pain on and off, but it is not as bad as it was. I too have been obssesively stretching my leg when I am at work. The exercises they gave me were to stretch the foot(flex )it is as far up as it would go, and then point toe out as far as it would go. Another exercise is to use the band and turn the foot out while the foot is up as far as it will stretch, and then in towards the other leg. Each exercise 30 times.

[katarine]

I spoke to one of our Athletic Trainers (duh, Kat, you have sources here) and she said that she bets I have scar tissue so I need to bust that up with some aggressive poking and prodding. I did have xrays so I know there is no fracture. I also need to lie on the floor, point my toe up/heels down, and do straight-leg lifts on the bad leg. Finally, using weights, I am to do a leg curl w/ my good leg to determine what ‘normal strength’ is for me, say 100 lbs. Then, see where the bum leg is…probably 50 lbs, I bet. So, do full range of motion leg curls on the bum leg over weeks/months… aiming to build strength toward that 100 lb goal.

I’m glad to have a plan and I’m putting it here so I don’t forget what I am supposed to do!

[KathyR]

I severly pulled my left hamstring last May-field day at school-was running the 100 yard dash against 8th graders (yes, I know-stupid is as stupid does), but, I run 2 miles every morning, so thought this would be easy. Field was wet, right foot slid, left planted. I was face planted on the ground. I could not ride for at least 2 months-to help I swam. Swimming let me exercise my leg and muscles without putting weight on it. Really helped.

[katarine]

Yeah, I don’t have a life style that can fit in swimming this time of year, but she definitely suggested it!

[Equine_Adhesive]

Yes, I tore mine as well. It happened with other injuries to the same leg, so it is hard to say how long it went on for, but it was extremely painful, burning, searing, etc. I stopped driving my stick shift car and sold it. I had trouble going up stairs and could not push off that leg. I could not raise my leg off the ground more than a few inches. I could not sit a buck or a jump a horse without a lot of pain/re-injury.
I would say the total time it took to heal was about a year. But I had other injuries going on and I re-injured it due to it being misdiagnosed the first time.

I did a few months of PT. I rode during this time, but no jumping, and no riding any buck-y horses. Riding was painful at times and hard to get my leg around, with obvious differences in my strength.

Things I did to treat it:

1. ICE, Elevation, ICE. I cannot stress icing enough and get it good and cold. I would plop the ice right on my skin. I know they say not to do it, but it worked for me. I would also do ice baths in the tub. My pain was searing and this was the only way to make it go away for a little bit.

2. Be aware of your limitations. Accept them and do not re-injure yourself.

3. Google search physical therapy exercises for hamstring tears. I did TONS of these for months on end. There are endless videos and online tutorials; I did some of those in addition to formal PT.

4. Massage. Break up scar tissue and prevent new scar tissue from forming. Yes, this may hurt. Ice massage works great! This goes hand in hand with endless stretching! I would stretch & massage it for a few mins regularly- sometimes every hour.

5. If you or your PT’ist have access, use an ultrasound machine to flush fluids from your muscle.

6. I took up cycling & kickboxing & went back to swimming, to strengthen not just my hamstrings, but the muscles surrounding my knees so that my quads and gluts would be stronger and put less stress on my hamstring. Mistake I made: clipping into my road bike too early put too much strain on my hamstring. You might want to remain unclipped for a while. I did feel sore when I started kickboxing, but stayed within my limits and after 4 weeks of kickboxing, my soreness went away.

I am now back to riding buckers and jumping and doing all sorts of activities. I don’t think about the injury frequently, but posts like this one remind me to be careful to not reinjure myself again. I have read that re-injury is common. Good luck! I found this to be a maddening injury because it cripples you. But hopefully some of these tips will help you heal!