Treating Hamstring Strains The Fitness Forward Way
We have been seeing quite a few hamstring strains in our Minneapolis physical therapy clinic recently, so it seemed to be a good time to write about how these often present and how we can best prepare or possibly prevent hamstring pain from happening!
To begin, the hamstring is the large muscle group in the back side of our thighs. It is in charge of bending our knee and a secondary muscle in extending our hip. Since the hamstring works at both the hip and the knee, it has very important functions through many movements we do in our daily life and in fitness. With how dynamic the hamstring works, there are numerous factors we consider in physical therapy to help train the hamstrings to avoid pain or injury.
The way hamstrings are most commonly strained are when the hip is flexed and the knee is straightened at the same time (think of a hurdler in track going over a hurdle). Now of course this isn’t a common movement we all do in our life, but motions where we bend forward from our hips with our knee straight or walk/run/climb up hills are other ways we can see hamstring strains occur.
Since these positions are often the ways we see people strain their hamstrings in the physical therapy clinic, these are also the positions we know we need to build strength and resiliency in! This is where we believe we can make a MASSIVE change in the world of recovery and rehab at Loon State Physical Therapy :) utilizing appropriate resistance training principles! You can read about that in a former blog from us here (https://www.loonstatephysicaltherapy.com/movebetterblog/why-we-love-load-at-lspt)
We would be happy to discuss further how Loon State Physical Therapy can be a teammate in getting you back to moving and feeling your best! Dealing with a hamstring strain or hamstring pain and live in the twin cities area? Our convenient Minneapolis physical therapy, Edina physical therapy, and Stillwater physical therapy locations will happily welcome you to get you back to moving at your best. Call us at (612) 405-8503 or book with us online at www.loonstatephysicaltherapy.com for an in-person or virtual appointment.
We look forward to being your teammate through this journey!
Andrew Eccles
Owner and Physical Therapist at Loon State Physical Therapy
