Hamstring injuries are common among hurdle jumpers, sprinters, rugby and football players. That is because these people use the hamstring muscle more than ordinary people do. The hamstrings are a large group of muscles that stretch from the back of the thigh to the calves or the back of the shin. Flexing these important muscles too much may lead to muscle strain. Although athletes are the common bearers of sports hamstring injury, we too are not spared from having one or two hamstring strains in our everyday life because an injury may be caused by a strong hit on a muscle like being kicked or falling backwards.
Many factors could cause a pulled hamstring. First, we have the age element, which means that the older you get, the higher the chances for you to get a hamstring injury. Second, we have previous injuries, as these lead to further and future damage. Third, we have the strength and flexibility of your hamstrings. If it is flexible and strong, well and good, you have lesser risks of getting a hamstring injury. However, if you're hamstrings are not yet that capable of taking too much pressure, refrain from whatever activity that may strain the muscle. Last, if you're an athlete and after an exercise you feel that you have already reached your body's limitation, then better stop what you're doing. Of course, athletes should know this; the only problem is that sometimes, we forget to listen to what our body is saying. And yes, this does not exempt athletes.
You will know if it's a pulled hamstring when you feel a sudden painful at the back of your leg during an exercise or after serial strenuous movements or if you feel a swelling, bruising, and spasmodic feeling in your worked out areas. Sometimes, we need to pay attention to these bodily signals because most of the time, they serve as a stop sign while we're n the middle of our activities. A hamstring injury could comprise of minor tears in the muscle, a partial tear, or if gets worse, a complete tear in the injured area. So what can we do about this? Quite simple, and this is not only for athletes but for non-athletes as well. With the use of compression bandages, proper rest, ice, compress, and elevation on the injured area (what athletes refer to as RICE), muscle strains can be restrained. Still, if this does not work, it is always an option to see a specialist in this area. They are the ones who can help you understand your body and determine what to do with it.
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