Pulled Hammy ... HELP!!!

[karatekid1975]

Hiya all. I need help here. I pulled a hammy tonight. Is there any advice anyone can give me about taking care of it or stretches I can do so it doesn't get really "stiff" would really help. What should I do in class to not re-injure it? If you knew me personally, you know I would go to class no matter what, but there's things I won't be able to do. Please help.

 

 

[Ti-Kwon-Leap]

The first thing you should use is what I called "the cold cure". It is something I learned when I was a hardcore weightlifter.

 

First, get some ice cubes and put them in a ziplock bag. Then, ice the hamstring until it starts to numb ( there will be an uncomfortable period while this takes place).

 

while numb massage the hamstring until the pain starts to return then replace the ice and start the process over again. after subsequent icings alternate massage with SLOW,LIGHT stretching. Believe me, this is practically a miracle cure. DO NOT do any violent movements while your muscles are iced!

 

you should return to workouts SLOWLY! Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to do light movements before class i.e. baby kicks or bicycle while lying on your back. Also, inform your teacher of your injury so that he doesn't yell at you for moving a little slower. Good luck!

[Ti-Kwon-Leap]

P.S.... no high kicks or strenuous stretching till the pain is gone. you don't want to develop gradual onset injuries! This occours when you don't let a muscle heal adequately and what ends up happening is the tendons and or ligaments bear the brunt of the load and end up getting damaged.

[KickChick]

Good advice ... same procedure I follow (only I use a bag of frozen veggies or cooler ice pack, anything I can find in freezer!)

 

Also, take an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofin if you have swelling. Finally, when doing your stretching, pay particular attention to the hamstring stretch. Be gentle, though, and don't force the muscle to stretch farther than it is willing; there should never be any discomfort when you stretch. it's a pull, the pain should be much relieved after seven to ten days of this regimen. If, however, the pain has eased very little, if at all, go to see an osteopath.

 

Hamstring Stretch: Lie down with one leg straight up in the air, the other bent with foot flat on the ground. Loop a towel over the arch of the lifted foot, and gently pull on the towel as you push against it with your foot. Push only to the point where your muscles contract. Stretch both legs.

 

 

 

 

[karatekid1975]

Thanks Ti-kwon and kickchick I'll try them.

 

If anyone else has any ideas, feel free to post. And Thanks in advance.

 

 

[shotochem]

I found that after I pulled my hammy it was nagging me for a couple of weeks.

 

The cure happened to be a weeks vacation with a lot of sun sand and time in the jacuzzi :grin:

 

Dont over do it the hammy can really be a pain....

 

 

[G95champ]

OMG I feel so bad for you. I tore min in 97 dong a split. Sounded like a gun going off. I was out more than 6 months.

 

However this is the time I made my biggest gains. I read everything I could get my hands on. I watched UFC's and other karate tournaments and learned from them. I watched fights over and over and over just to try and pick up things. Being a football player at the time I knew how to watch film. LOL.... I studied kata mentally. I would go to class and watch. I noticed what people did wrong and how other teachers approached the problem. As far as actuall training I did a lot of staning self-defense.

 

As far as rehab I hope you are not as bad as I was. Do leg curls as much as you can. Say like 4 sets of 12 each day. Buy some icy hot or something and keep on it. Stretch as much as possible but it hurts. Do straight leg deadlift as well.

 

However the biggest thing is rest. Dont do anything that will cause you to jerk it again. Rest is the best medicine the body has a way of fixing itself if left alone.

 

[ This Message was edited by: G95champ on 2002-04-26 21:53 ]

[karatekid1975]

Hiya G95.

 

I pulled my hammy when I did a jumping axe kick (during breaking). When my leg went up, I heard a "rip" and felt this sharp pain running from my butt cheek to the back of my knee. I dropped my leg (and broke the board without trying, because I was already hurting) and I just stood there. I was a dumb-arse and did another break with the same leg right after. THAT hurt. When I got home, I couldn't sit. No matter how I laid or sat, it hurt. So I guess that's bad.

 

I did very light stretching today. It helped. But if I sit too long, it gets stiff and it's hard for me to stand (straighten my leg). So, I lightly stretch my leg out first before standing up. It hurts like hell, but it doesn't hurt no where near as bad as it did last night. It's more of a dull pain now (instead of a sharp pain), except when I forget about it and stand up too fast ..... ouchy. I can sit without hurting now, and I can walk a straight line semi normal (as long as I don't turn lol).

 

 

[G95champ]

Yeah this is how mine was. I had a bruse from my butt to the back of my knee. I probably should have went to the Dr. but Im to hard headed. I found myslef not resting good either because like you said you can't lay or set on it to long. Its a dull pain like you said until you move and jerk it.

 

Be careful I tore mine in Oct of 97. Arround March of 98 I begin full training again. I still had some pain and much less flexability. However it was not really better because the next August I was running sprints with my football team and pulled it again. This was not as bad it only hurt a few weeks but they take a long long time to fix.

 

Almost any professional athlete you talk to say they would reather break a bone than pull and hamrstring because they take so long to fix. Good luck I really hurt for you because I was there.

[karatekid1975]

Thanks G95 I did take class today, but I didn't do anything with that (right) leg, and I kicked very low with the left, so I didn't stress my right leg. It worked out fine. Thanks again for the advice