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Advanced Hamstring TreatmentsYears of Hard Work Building on Fundamental Treatment Concepts Have Resulted in Improved Treatment Options for Hamstring Strains and other Soft Tissue Injuries A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE of our Clients Have:
...they simply decided to try our home treatment recommendations and committed themselves to a daily treatment protocol. Before you decide on a hamstring treatment path, an understanding of the three major stages of the healing process is critical. With the right knowledge and the right treatment options, you can accelerate your recovery without the fear of re-injury or setbacks (which unfortunately, happens a LOT with hamstring injuries - we will explain why further down the page). The 3 Stages of HealingStep 1: Reduce The Initial Inflammation![]() Inflammation is the body's natural response to a soft tissue injury and is a normal part of the healing process - helping to reduce tissue infection in the early stages of injury. Swelling, pain, heat sensation, redness, and loss of function are the main symptoms experienced and it is your body's way of telling you there is something wrong. The combination of rest, topical pain relief cream and the use of a Cold Compress or Ice Pack (when there is swelling) is the gold standard in medicine for minimizing tissue damage and reducing inflammation after injury or activity. It serves as a critical bridge into the next phase of the healing process. There are certain cases where inflammation is very minor or even non-existent. This behavior is often found in tendinosis and osteoarthritis injuries. If there is no swelling, then there is little need for cold - and as such, treatment should proceed directly to step 2. Step 2: Enhance Blood Flow to the Injured Soft TissueTendons,ligaments, cartilage, and some muscle fibres are considered dense tissues. As a result, they naturally receive limited blood flow and this is precisely why injuries to these tissues take so long to heal. The challenge is, how do you effectively increase blood flow to these tissues in leg?
![]() It is through the blood the body carries the oxygen, nutrients and water that injured tissues rely on for recovery.. It is well known that increased blood flow helps your body accelerate the healing process. When you have a muscle injury, there is reduced blood flow to the injury site - inflammation and reduced movement (lack of activity or on-going immobility) will reduce the flow of blood - and if you think about it, this makes sense. If you are moving your injured hamstrings, you run a risk of increasing the severity of the injury which is not good at all. If there has been some healing, you could re-injure your muscle all over again, and even injure it worse. ![]() Step 3: Recognize That Healing is a ProcessWith dedication, the right tools, and the right information - you will achieve your goal of a sustainable recovery. A combination approach of cold, TShellz Wrap® treatments, and functional movements will make it happen much more quickly. In our experience, soft tissue repair rates via conservative home treatment methods using a dedicated, comprehensive approach have surprised many of our clients, but will differ from person to person. In nearly all cases, however, it is very important to stop whatever you were doing that created the injury in the first place (ie. running, yoga). ![]() If you have questions, we welcome you to call our office toll-free at 1-866-237-9608 (Continental US), or Internationally at +1-705-532-1671. What Exactly IS the Hamstring?Most of you are reading this because you suspect you have a hamstring injury, or perhaps you have already received a confirmed diagnosis. Either way, you are most likely interested in learning; what are the steps I need to take to properly heal it? We receive questions like this on a daily basis. The approach we take is based on years of experience and based on sound, scientific principles. We discuss these approaches in-depth further down the page and throughout the rest of the website. Before getting into that however, it is important to understand the characteristics of the hamstring muscle group and the role it plays within the leg. ![]() The hamstrings refer to 3 long posterior leg muscles, the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. These muscles start at the bottom of your pelvis extending down the back of your thigh and along either side of your knee, to your lower leg bones. The lateral hamstring is the biceps femoris (made up of 2 parts - a short head and long head) and the medial hamstrings are the semitendinosus (joins the sartorius muscle and gracilis muscle at the pes anserinus on the tibia) and the semimembranosus (the largest hamstring muscle). The tendons for these muscles begin at your ischial tuberosity, or ischium (the bony bump under each buttock), and attach on the outer edges of your shinbones (tibia and fibula) just below the back of your knee. Your hamstring muscles control movement of your torso, hips and knees, help turn your legs in and out, and are involved with power activities that include a lot of propulsion, thrust and control (such as jumping, climbing, and running). They allow your knee to bend (flex the leg at the knee) and pull your leg backward while propelling your body forward when you move (your thigh straightens and extends the leg back at the hip). They are involved with eccentric movements, which increase the length of the muscle while it is under tension - instead of starting an action, the muscles act as a brake to stop an action. You can feel this when walking or running downhill, landing from jumps or performing squats, and when trying to stop quickly after sprinting. Hamstring strains are one of the most common sports injuries and have a very high recurrence rate. Approximately 12% to 16% of all injuries in athletes are hamstring strains and the re-injury rate is an eye-popping 22% to 34% (source: Journal Brandon Schmitt, M. M. Brandon Schmitt, Malachy McHugh. "HAMSTRING INJURY REHABILITATION AND PREVENTION OF REINJURY USING LENGTHENED STATE ECCENTRIC TRAINING: A NEW CONCEPT." International Journal of Sports (PT) 7.3 (2012): 333. Web. 10 July 2018.) What this means is that the high rate of injury, combined with the very high recurrence rate means it becomes very difficult to recover 100%. This is why it is critical to take a comprehensive approach when managing hamstring tears and strains. What it Really Means to have a Hamstring InjuryThe amount of pain you will feel from a hamstring strain will vary largely depending on the severity of the strain. The 3 grades of hamstring strain are as follows: Grade 1 Hamstring StrainThis is the mildest form of a hamstring strain, and is characterized by the feeling of a general ache in the back of the leg. A grade 1 strain should not hinder a persons ability to walk, but will prevent them from running at high speed. The feeling occurs during the activity and slowly disappears once the activity is stopped. If a correction to the activities is not made, then the condition will progress to a grade 2 level. Correction to the activity could include changing routines (RSI), the way the activity is performed (mechanics of form/performance) and/or more rest period length between activity periods. Grade 2 Hamstring StrainA grade 2 hamstring strain condition typically means that the pain becomes more pinpointed and tender at the back of the leg in the area of the injury. Edema (excess fluid build-up) may occur at this stage, and the symptoms continue to occur even after the activity is stopped. As a grade 2 condition progresses, swelling will progress as will sudden spikes of pain. Grade 3 Hamstring StrainIf you are suffering from a grade 3 hamstring strain, you really have undergone a major muscle tear or even a full rupture. You may need crutches to walk and there will be significant bruising and swelling within 24 hours of the injury. Further to this, you will now be involuntarily compensating for this pain by using your knees, hip and opposite leg rather than your injured leg when attempting to perform activities (overcompensation). How Long to Recover from a Hamstring StrainThe length of time to recover from a hamstring strain is very much dependent on the Grade of the strain, and can span from a couple days to 6 months. Many studies suggest that a fast treatment response during the acute (initial) stage of the injury will lead to a very significant reduction in rehabilitation time. Hamstring Re-injury RiskAs shown in studies, the recurrence rate for hamstring injuries is very very high (22% to 34%). This means that hamstring injury sufferers have at least a 1 in 4 chance of injuring their hamstring yet again - once the initial injury has healed. When dealing with significant hamstring strains, it's unlikely if not impossible to stop everything and rest the injury properly. We all have busy lives and when we are active we prevent the hamstring from healing properly, leading to a longer recovery time with an increased chance of re-injury. Hamstring Re-injury Must be Avoided at All Costs![]() Constant re-injury (you know when it's happening, you can feel the pain) needs to be avoided at all costs. Re-Injury is very common... why? Everyone wants to get back to their regular lifestyle once the pain has reduced. Here is where you have to be careful - often, much of the pain is due to inflammation - so, once you iced the area and the swelling dropped, a lot of the pain probably disappeared too. So then you start back at your regular lifestyle and then all of a sudden the old injury starts flaring up again - this is re-injury. It delays the healing process, but what's worse is that every re-injury increases the amount of scar tissue that builds up in the area of your original leg injury (the semitendinosus muscle for instance). This is applicable to tendons as well. (tendons connect hamstring muscles to bone) Scar tissue is a weak form of collagen; inflexible, and tough to get rid of once it begins to take hold. With excess scar tissue build up, the injured tissues and the hamstring in general will remain weak and very prone to re-straining and re-tearing. While you can go a number of days and even a few weeks without any major setbacks during the injury.. inevitably, a certain movement or motion will happen that causes your injured soft tissue to strain and even tear once again. This is attributed to the scar tissue build up and will result in the buildup of yet more scar tissue and a further reduced range of motion (ROM). If you have strains or spasms in your hamstring it's very important to heal it quickly and completely. You must avoid the build up of scar tissue. If you don't, your hamstring injury may plague you forever. This is where pro athletes have the advantage. They use therapeutic tools to speed their healing so that they are 100% healed before they resume their sport. Even once they return to the sport, they use these tools constantly to heal any recurring tendon or muscle damage before it can build into something big. For professional athletes, having the right tools means all the difference. For the rest of us having the right tools should be just as important. The longer the injury remains, the more scar tissue is likely to build. This is why it is critical to treat your leg injury now rather than later. Continuous re-injury and build-up of scar tissue makes it more likely that you will wind up with chronic pain, a permanent change in gait (limp) or even arthritis (permanent damage). A Hamstring Muscle Strain Does Not Have to Persist for Months or Longer. Here is Why It Does For ManyRecovery from a muscle strain or muscle tear can take a long time, especially when some of the less effective, traditional methods are utilized. This is simply because many treatments either focus on masking of pain or are too inconsistent to provide sustainable improvement. 1: Visits to Physio (PT) Help - We Always Recommend It - But It Can Be Costly And InconvenientWhile we tout the benefits of PT and believe it to be integral for most sufferers of hamstring injuries, the problem is that people only attend sessions a few times a week. To truly provide a long term solution to your hamstring strain, you need to be receiving multiple treatments on a daily basis. Not just any type of treatments, but ones that focus on generation of new healthy tissue. Treatments for hamstring injuries are cumulative in nature...meaning the more the treatments are administered, the faster the benefits can be experienced. Who these days has time to visit a therapist on a daily basis? Not only is your time limited, but the cost of daily PT sessions is out of reach for most people. Therefore, the focus needs to be on adding treatment options that can be done frequently, from the comfort of your own home (and even the workplace if the opportunity presents itself). We will discuss these options later on down the page. 2: People Tend To Focus Too Much On Cold TreatmentsThis is the final reason for extended bursitis and soft tissue injuries. We see it all the time - people for weeks and even months only focus on using cold. Doing too much cold will actually inhibit the recovery because you are starving the injured tissues of the blood flow they need to repair and rebuild the collagen. Cold restricts the vessels - reducing the blood flow to the tissues that truly need it most. Cold treatments should be more focused on in the earliest stages of an injury with much less focus in the mid and latter stages.The truth is, there will always some mild inflammation associated with tissue injuries. However, some of that inflammation will remain UNTIL you begin to focus on healing the soft tissue (muscle). Once this begins to heal, the inflammation will then subside more permanently - not just temporarily like with cold treatments. As an analogy, think of a home with a leaky roof. You can place a bucket on the floor of the attic whenever it rains - and this will help temporarily, but does it truly address the situation? Obviously the answer is no. Not until you focus on repairing the structural issues with the roof - will the problem be actually solved. The same concept applies to injured soft tissue - you need to focus on reinforcing growth of flexible, strong tissue. To do this, you need more blood flow reaching them, not less. 3: Injections Can Cause Harm If You Are Not CarefulThis can be VERY helpful in alleviating pain and in many cases, pain relief alone can make a huge difference. However, some people get a false sense that their injury is healed because they are not experiencing the pain they once did. Some individuals even engage in activities they should not be doing because they "no longer feel pain". Once the effects wear off, people often find their bursitis persists . This of course, results in a prolonged recovery. Be very careful about your activity after the injection because there is little, if any, pain feedback to tell you that you're overdoing it. Merely masking the pain can be very helpful temporarily, but it is not a solution; it is just a temporary fix. Hamstring Injuries - They Certainly Are Life Changing Aren't They...If you've been living with the agony of a significant hamstring injury for some time now, it's almost a sure thing that you're feeling discouraged, tired, and worn-out. Seemingly simple chores are now impossible - like getting in and out of seats (or your car), walking the dog or just standing and walking for significant periods of time. The constant pain has no doubt interrupted your sleep, just adding to the long-term misery that this condition can bring on. It is challenging to keep from re-straining muscles and tendons that make up the hamstring. It's just not possible to stop life's activities for weeks/months to rest. What ends up happening is we continually re-injure the hamstring through our daily activities - further setting back our recovery. Each time the hamstring is placed under significant stress, the chance of tissue breakdown is increased and the growth of more scar tissue is more probable. A Hamstring Strain Not Only Affects the Upper Leg - It Can Lead to Other Conditions and Injuries.Every time we use our injured hamstring, damaged and swollen tendons and muscle tissue move; when they are inflamed, every movement hurts. With injured tissue, pain happens - sometimes a LOT of pain, so we try not to move it. So, when doing something we need to use our hamstrings for (climbing stairs, getting up from the sofa, walking to the mailbox), we start to use the hip and knees more. If we can, we use our other leg instead even though it is inconvenient. ![]() A couple days later (after purposefully avoiding movement of our hamstring), the pain has gone down (as well as the swelling) and this is where the trouble begins! The pain disappeared with the swelling but we still aren't fully healed! Not knowing this, we start using our hamstring normally again and then the injury swells up again like it did before - all because the injury wasn't fully healed in the first place. Eventually, we use the other leg more and more - or even use our hip instead of our hamstring for a lengthy period of time. This is why the hip and opposite leg starts to hurt - they are being overused now. Soon, aches and pain can become commonplace in the lower body - all as a result of the original hamstring strain and the body's instinctive nature to "protect" the original injury - all because the injury wasn't fully healed in the first place! We continually re-injure the hamstring through our daily activities and now this injury has become a chronic injury. ![]() Muscle imbalances result, placing tension on bone and softer tissues - leading to a misalignment within the lower body. The extra stress on the opposite side of the body will also result in weakness and fatigue of soft tissue - increasing the chances they can eventually be injured or gradually degenerate. This is a textbook example of how you get an overcompensation injury. In some cases, physical therapists warn that overcompensation can be very dangerous as it will affect gait or alignment on a permanent basis. An injury to one hamstring muscle can easily lead to straining in other areas, making an overall recovery hard to initiate. For example, a serious hamstring muscle strain in the right leg can often lead to over-straining of the left leg. Most commonly, the injury occurs on the dominant side, so the risk of straining the other (weaker) side increases. The longer the injury (and corresponding pain) persists, the greater the chance that you will sustain more strain from overcompensation, eventually leading to issues in those areas as well. To minimize potential secondary injuries, know that it is important to deal with your muscle injury quickly and completely. Truly, hamstring muscle strains can become a vicious cycle - which is why it is absolutely critical to focus on methods that improve and strengthen the injured muscles in a timely manner. The faster you truly heal, the less chance you have of sinking into a downward spiral of re-injury, scar tissue growth and overcompensation injuries. Okay, So I Have a Hamstring Injury...What Should I Do Now?![]() If you suspect you may have a strained or torn hamstring injury, the first thing to do is consult your physician; only your physician can give you a proper diagnosis and from this, determine a course of proper treatment. After seeking medical advice, your physician will determine if your hamstring is in fact torn or strained. If you have a fully torn hamstring your physician will probably recommend surgery for re-attachment as there is limited options with complete detachment. If your hamstring is strained, spasming or minimally torn, your physician will almost always recommend conservative treatment options. Stage 1: If the Hamstring injury is very recent - use a good quality cold pack and Arnica Pain Relief Cream. If the injury has been going on for awhile, then skip to Stage 2 below.If you are experiencing pain and swelling in the very early stages of the injury (first 48 to 72 hours), the first step in a conservative treatment protocol would be to focus on reducing the discomfort by applying a Cold Compress or Ice Pack to the injured muscle along with a high quality pain relief cream such as our Arnica Infusion Cream. Not only will you use your Cold Compress or Ice Pack for the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury, but you should also use it during other stages of the healing process. Some examples include...
Having a Cold Compress or Ice Pack available at home to use if and when the need arises is helpful. Many of you already do so. However, too many people over-focus on cold while ignoring the most critical aspect to healing - nourishing injured tissue with a strong blood flow - the body's healing capability is generally dependent on blood flow. This leads to the most important recommendation... Stage 2: Focus on Increasing Blood Flow To The Injured Tissue - As This is This is How the Body's Soft Tissue Healing Process is StimulatedEven though the concept is simple, improving blood flow to injured tissues can be difficult. When the injury is preventing movement, the challenges are even greater. Traditional methods require your muscle to move to promote blood flow (exercise), but that same motion that promotes blood flow can at times lead to making your pain and condition worse.
Most people we deal with tell us these scenarios have happened to them many times in the past. Perhaps it has already happened to you. Promoting blood flow within a muscle or soft tissue injury to help the body heal itself is a concept that has been utilized for centuries. This is where the focus has to be if you are seeking long-term improvement. Oxygen and nutrients, carried within the blood, are critical for the body to heal itself. Without proper blood flow, recovering from an injury or condition will be delayed...sometimes for a very long period of time. The real challenge is how do you promote blood flow to your hamstring without causing further injury? Now, on to recommendation number two in the journey to heal your injured leg... The Leg TShellz Wrap® - Increase Blood Circulation To Your LegThe best option we came across in our research to accomplish the all important blood flow increase to soft tissue in the hamstring is the Leg/Arm TShellz Wrap®. Use of this device results in a dramatic increase in blood flow to the soft tissues located within the treatment area - all in a non-invasive manner. Energy generated by the TShellz Wraps® operate by increasing blood flow within soft tissue in the treatment area. ![]() Once energy from the TShellz Wrap® absorbs into the leg and surrounding area, the metabolic response then kick starts the repair process.T•Shellz Wrap. More blood now begins to flow effectively to injured soft tissues within the body - the injured tissue needs the extra blood flow to heal as it is through the blood the body carries the oxygen, water and nutrients needed for proper and long-term healing. Heat effect on soft tissue result in relaxation of the vessel walls. The vessels then gently expand, allowing for more nutrient rich blood flow along with extra oxygen to reach the damaged tissues. Plus, the enhanced blood flow helps in flushing waste and fluid build-up from the injury site - further enhancing the ability of the body to heal. Have you seen what happens when you add water to a flower wilted from drought? In essence, your injured muscle is much like a "wilted" flower; your body wants to heal its injury, but needs lots of nutrients to do it. Blood brings new life to your tissues by delivering healing nutrients and oxygen that are vital to your tissue. In addition, the blood carries away toxins and waste - cleaning the area and healing it faster. Without a good supply of blood, your hamstring muscle simply won't heal properly. Using a TShellz Wrap® will not expose you to the risk of causing further harm to soft tissue like you can when using rigorous exercise. The Leg TShellz Wrap® accomplishes the goal of enhanced blood flow without the need for intensive exercise and as such reduces your risk of re-injury. TShellz Wrap® = Enhanced Blood Flow for Your Hamstring Strain or Hamstring Spasm![]() The intention of a Leg/Arm TShellz Wrap® is to ease pain by dilating blood vessels, decrease stiffness by elongating soft tissue, improve blood circulation, and boost metabolism and enzyme activity. In stimulating localized blood flow to damaged soft tissue, you provide needed oxygen, water and nutrients to grow and add collagen. In addition, you will experience a clearing of toxins and excess fluid build up from the injury site. Over the intermediate term, this helps to reduce incidents of swelling as trapped fluids will be whisked away - reducing pressure on blood vessels. Using the TShellz Wrap® is truly a unique experience. Within moments of applying a treatment to your leg, you can feel the healing sensation due to the increase in blood flow deep within the area. During a treatment, and for quite some time after you finish, the treated area will feel relaxed and less painful. It's a very soothing sensation and extremely effective. Who Should Use the Leg/Arm TShellz Wrap®We recommend the use of a Leg/Arm TShellz Wrap®:
Increased Blood Circulation = Increased Healing CapabilityTShellz Wraps® contain a unique Carbon Fiber Energy Pad which is flexible and will shape to conform to your body. This Energy Pad emits a uniform wave of perfectly safe energy over its entire surface. This energy is absorbed by soft tissue in the treatment area, opening blood vessels, resulting in an increase in blood flow. Increased blood circulation is what your body needs to accelerate the healing of soft tissue and this is why we recommend the TShellz Wrap®. The Leg TShellz Wrap® is an FDA Registered Medical Device and is suitable for use in therapeutic clinics and FROM HOME. It is completely safe for people and patients to use for themselves. The technology found in a TShellz Wrap® has been used for decades in the worlds of professional and amateur sports - a contributing factor as to why athletes seem to recover from injuries so quickly. Have you ever wondered by an athlete can return to activity after 3 or 4 weeks following a tendon or muscle injury - while your average person takes much longer to return back to normal? The secret isn't really that much of a secret - it involves consistent treatments (meaning multiple times a day) using a treatment like the TShellz Wrap® to stimulate blood flow to the injured tissues. Most athletes have the luxury of using in-house facilities many times per day. How many us can afford the time and money to visit a clinic multiple times a day? Very few indeed. This is how you can gain some of the advantages that athletes enjoy in their injury recovery - by using a device like the TShellz Wrap® two or three times a day on a consistent basis. Consistent Treatments = Consistent And Long Term ImprovementWhat Else Makes the Leg TShellz Wrap® So Special?We believe the TShellz Wrap® to be one of the most effective home treatments to increase localized blood flow to soft tissue in and around the treatment area. We can promise that you will receive a product that is designed to be safe and does what it is supposed to do... reduce pain (as stated in "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. - Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin) temporarily increase length & flexibility of soft tissue (as stated in "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. - Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin) and aid your body in recovering from tendon, muscle and other soft tissue injuries via enhanced blood flow. ![]() The unit plugs into a standard wall outlet to get its power. The nice thing about the power supply is that the same unit can be used in North America and overseas as well. It has the capability to operate between 110v and 230v. The TShellz Wrap® has a special signal controller that can be set for 3 different power levels of application (3=High, 2=Medium, 1=Low). The cord is long enough that you can sit or lie comfortably and watch TV, read or surf the net while you're using it. Treatments are max 30 minutes in duration and the device can be worn over clothing. This allows you to use the device at work, at home, or really anywhere you have access to an electrical outlet. A TShellz Wrap® application is intended to produce the following results:Enhance blood circulation and | ![]() Hamstring Injury Facts: Hamstring Muscles cross both your hip and knee, and help extend (straighten) the hip or bend the knee. A Hamstring injury is an injury to one of the three different hamstring muscles in the back of the thigh. The three Hamstring muscles name are: Biceps Femoris, Semitendinousus, Semimembranosus muscles. Continually using your Hamstring muscles while injured will lead to a worse injury; and yes, it is difficult to avoid using the Hamstring. Most Hamstring injuries happen while playing sports, such as soccer or football. Once you have suffered one Hamstring injury, there is a very good chance you will suffer another Hamstring injury. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |