| Pulled Hamstring Home TreatmentsConservative Treatments for Hamstring PullsThere really is no difference between a pulled hamstring and a hamstring strain. Generally speaking - a muscle strain happens when a muscle is pulled too far and microtearing happens in the muscle tissue - but not enough to really classify the injury as a substantial tear. As such, conservative treatment protocols for a pulled hamstring are identical to treatments for strains and small muscle tears. First and foremost, a hamstring injury should be given the rest it needs. You will need to take a break from the activity or sport that caused the strain until it has healed to prevent further injury. Treating your hamstring strain correctly is essential to getting rid of your pain and restoring function to your upper thigh. Proper treatment will get you back to regular activities sooner, stop your pain, and reduce the risk of future re-injury. To restore strength and range of motion in your hamstrings, treatment should focus on preventing scar tissue formation and muscle atrophy (shrinkage and weakening of the muscle). This requires rest and the appropriate therapies at the right time. Almost all types of hamstring pulls and tears (except a complete hamstring rupture) can be properly treated with trusted therapies that are available for use at home. Complete ruptures usually require surgery. However, using these home therapies after surgery can help speed recovery, improve function, and increase range of motion in your hamstrings. Patient education and self-management are very important in recovering from a hamstring injury or pulled hamstring. Evaluate how you use your thigh muscles in daily activities to determine if you can decrease stress on your tissues. This may involve changing your technique and/or using correct or supportive equipment (proper shoes, mobility aids) to help you perform them more effectively and safely. Taking more frequent breaks during your work or activities can also alleviate stress. Speak with an occupational therapist or a professional in your specific activity or work setting to get the proper information. Gradually Increase ActivityOnce the pain from your pulled hamstring starts to decrease, a physiotherapist or athletic trainer can set up an individualized strengthening, endurance and stretching exercise program for you to strengthen and improve flexibility to your hamstring and leg muscles. A gradual build-up to your regular activities is essential during your rehabilitation to restore strength, fitness and co-ordination. Your PT will almost always start you off with passive range of motion and isometric exercises (strength building exercises that involve contractions against resistance without moving your joints). Once you complete these with minimal pain, you will be able to participate in more dynamic movements and strengthening activities (like hamstring curls, squats, lunges, deadlifts, elastic tube exercises, water exercises, stationary cycling, walking, elliptical training and/or weight training). When tenderness is gone and you are able to fully tense the hamstring without any pain, you can gradually return to jogging or higher impact activities for short periods of time. It is important to stop if you feel any twinges of pain. Aggressive stretching (yoga) too soon may stress your hamstring muscles and cause more aggravation. However, gentle stretching will be essential to regain normal tissue flexibility and prevent against scar tissue development (straight leg seated or standing stretching). Daily stretching (a few times a day) in which you hold stretches for 15 to 30 seconds each is recommended once you are ready. Use pain as your guide whether you are ready to move on to the next level or not. Avoidance of aggravating activities (any activity that involves repeated bouncing movements or "stops and starts") and activity modification (pursuing less strenuous, weight bearing routines) are recommended. It is suggested that you start at 50% of what you would normally do, and increase gradually as you see improvement in your condition. Warm up, with light jogging or a Circulatory Boost treatment and cool down your leg after your activity. Individuals will often exercise or lift weights on their own to try and build up their strength; however in doing so, they can do more damage. A medical or fitness professional will help to ensure your rehabilitation process is effective. For best, long-term results use a TShellz Wrap® at home in conjunction with an exercise program. Use Supportive DevicesTo increase your comfort and prevent further damage you may want to use an upper thigh support (neoprene sleeve or brace), strapping, tape, or compression short which will help support the area, eliminate pulled muscles, and reduce stress on the injured tissue. Some of these are also designed for heat retention to prevent further strain. They can be used until your injury is gone or during active sports for additional stability. However they should not be worn at all times, as they can limit muscle development, cut off circulation and impede healing of your muscle tissue. Pulled Hamstring Treatments for HomeYour initial treatment should involve decreasing any swelling, relieving any pain and stress on the hamstring, correcting any bio-mechanical dysfunction, and then restoring strength and mobility to your injured hamstring. It's also very important to follow any instructions you receive from your physician. Allowing your hamstring to rest is recommended following injury, however, some careful movement is required to prevent the knee and hip joint from freezing and losing range of motion. See your doctor or physical therapist for stretches that will not cause further injury to your hamstring. Avoid activities that may have caused the injury or irritation and begin cold treatments as soon as possible via use of a Cold Compress or Ice Pack. The trick to healing your pull and getting your hamstring back in the best possible condition you can is getting it to heal with minimal scar tissue - something our Leg-Arm TShellz Wraps® are great at! Even with optimum healing, there is always less elasticity in previously injured tendons, muscles and ligaments. However, if you heal your tissue properly and treat scar tissue build up, your chance of re-injury or chronic knee and hip conditions later on is much lower than average. Although steroid injections may provide temporary relief from the pain of tendinitis, bursitis, or other soft tissue injuries, they should generally be avoided as they weaken the tendon and may lead to a rupture. If you do opt for an injection, doctors usually recommend that you do not participate in strenuous activities for several weeks to reduce the risk of a rupture. Hamstring Strains Not Only Affect the Hamstring - But 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 hamstring for (getting off a chair, climbing stairs, driving, stooping), we start to use the knee and lower back 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 strain wasn't fully healed in the first place. We continually re-strain the hamstring through our daily activities and now this strain has grown into a chronic injury. Eventually, we use our knees and hips more as well as the hamstring on our other leg. This is why knees and hips start to hurt - they are being overused now and are under significant strain. Soon, aches and pain can become commonplace from the lower back down - all as a result of the original hamstring strain and the body's instinctive nature to "protect" the original torn area - all because the it wasn't fully healed in the first place! We continually re-injure the hamstring through our daily activities and now this tear has become a chronic injury. Muscle imbalances result, placing tension on bone and softer tissues - leading to a misalignment within the mid and 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. A tear or strain to one muscle or tendon can easily lead to straining in other areas - just due to the pain response in your biomechanics - making an overall recovery hard to initiate. For example, a serious muscle strain in the right hamstring can often lead to over-straining of the left hamstring. 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 injury quickly and completely. Truly, hamstring injuries can become a vicious cycle - which is why it is absolutely critical to focus on methods that improve and strengthen the strained 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 Pull ...What Should I Do Now?If you suspect you may have a torn hamstring tendon or muscle, 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. If you have a fully torn hamstring (known as a "rupture") your physician will probably recommend surgery for re-attachment as there is limited options with complete detachment. If your hamstring is strained or partially 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 The ONLY Way It Will Heal For the Long-TermEven 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? Energy emitted from the TShellz Wraps® increases blood flow in and around the application area - we call this "LEC Response" (Localized Enhanced Circulation Response). The objective of the TShellz Wrap® is to increase blood flow in these targeted areas, resulting 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. With a TShellz Wrap® application, more blood begins to flow effectively in and around the treatment area - for the length of the treatment and a short duration thereafter. Damaged soft tissue needs extra blood flow to heal as it is through the blood the body carries the oxygen and nutrients needed for proper and long-term healing. Now, on to recommendation number two in the journey to heal your injured leg... The Leg TShellz Wrap® - Maximize Your Body's Own Ability to Heal Your HamstringThe best option we came across in our research to accomplish blood flow to soft tissue in the upper and lower legs is the TShellz Wrap®. Use of this device results in a dramatic increase in blood flow to tissue in the treatment area - all in a non-invasive manner. Have you seen what happens when you add water to a flower wilted from drought? In essence, your injured muscle/tendon/ligament 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 tissue by delivering healing nutrients and oxygen that are vital to its health. In addition, the blood carries away toxins and waste cleaning the area and healing it faster. Without a good supply of blood, your soft tissue injury simply won't heal quickly, and as such increase your risk of reinjury and/or a chronic injury. 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 TShellz Wrap® accomplishes the goal of enhanced blood flow without the need for intensive exercise and as such reduces your risk of re-injury. Maximize Your Body's Healing Capability via Localized Enhanced Circulation ResponseThe intention of a 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 and nutrients to grow new 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 the wrap, you can feel the sensation due to the increase in blood flow within the area. During a treatment, and for quite some time after you finish, the treated area will feel relaxed and warm. It's a very soothing sensation and extremely effective. Who Should Use the TShellz Wrap®We recommend the use of a TShellz Wrap®:
Increased Blood Circulation = Increased Healing RateA Summary from Chapter 9 of "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. Generally it is accepted that heat on soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) provides the following desirable therapeutic effects:
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 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...quickly relieve pain and aid in the recovery from tendon, muscle and other soft tissue injuries. 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 Recap of the Benefits of the TShellz Wrap®..
When Should I Use My TShellz Wrap During the Day?The most common question we receive from individuals prior to purchasing is - how many times a day should I be using my TShellz Wraps® and when should I be using them? While treatment plans will differ for each individual and their specific injury, there are general guidelines that should be adhered to.
The Leg TShellz Wrap® would then be used:
Stage 3 - In Between Treatments With TShellz Wrap®, Apply Our New Fast Acting Pain Relief Cream Called ARNICA INFUSIONDealing with aches and pains affecting the foot, ankle, leg, knee, hamstring, hip, back, arm, shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand? If so, then applying the Arnica Infusion to any of these targeted areas will bring about fast relief from the pain and sore tissues. Simply apply a small amount of cream to the body and moments later, you will experience a soothing and comforting sensation over the area. Arnica Infusion is specially designed to relieve pain due to sore muscles and joints associated with arthritis, backaches, sprains, strains, and bruises. No matter if you are dealing with an acute injury, chronic pain, or a general "flare-up" - you will experience fast relief from pain and inflammation. This is a product that many of our current MendMeShop customers asked us to develop. So we focused our time and resources over the past few years and came up, with we believe, will be one of more effective, fast acting, topical pain relief creams on the market. You are likely familiar with some of the standard topical agents on the market as most of our customers use them. The are mass marketed and even found in most department stores now. Well, we are here to say that Arnica Infusion goes many steps beyond what they offer. Made in the USA at an FDA registered manufacturing facility, you can be assured that Arnica Infusion is both safe and effective. We only source top grade ingredients while implementing strict quality control checks during every step of the production process. Expect the same high quality that MendMeShop customers have been accustomed to since we started the company in 2005. The "Cool Blue" formula is the perfect balance between the smooth application of a cream and the effective absorbing factor of a gel. It is not too thick and not too thin - just the right texture. Best of all, it feels very nice on the skin! Each application of Arnica Infusion feels so comforting and soothing, we are certain it will become an item you will not want to live without. Arnica Infusion IngredientsThe Arnica Infusion formula is based on a combination of scientific research and the use of high quality ingredients. The properties within the formula were chosen for their pain relief, anti-inflammatory, and soothing qualities. The acting ingredients within the formula include ones many of us are familiar with; along with ones that have not received a lot of publicity (only in research circles). Extensive testing resulted in a blending of ingredients that provides the most synergistic of benefits. The notable ingredients in the Arnica Infusion formula include:
Extensive quality control procedures during the manufacturing process ensure the ingredients and final product are both safe and effective. We would not stake our reputation on anything but the best. When Do I Apply the Arnica Infusion?While At WorkApply Arnica Infusion at work to help reduce acute discomfort associated with overuse of muscles and joints. No matter if you are in a physical demanding job or work within an office environment, you will be placing stress on different parts of the body and aches and pains will result. Before Or After Work, Sports, & ActivityIf you suffer from a sprained ligament, pulled muscle, strained tendon, or even bruising - apply Arnica Infusion for quick relief of the pain. Chronic Pain SufferingApplication of Arnica Infusion can be done up to a maximum of 4 times per day on a consistent basis to help bring about relief from various pains and aches. In-between Treatments With the TShellz Wraps®Follow up your T-Shellz and Cold treatments with an application of Arnica Infusion. Combine the pain relieving benefits of Arnica Infusion along with the healing benefits of the wraps to make your recovery go much more smoothly. Do not apply Arnica Infusion within a 2 hour timespan before a TShellz Wrap® treatment. Whether you decide to use the Arnica Infusion in conjunction with the TShellz Wraps® and/or other treatments - or if you decide to use the cream as a stand-alone product - you will not be disappointed with the results. We guarantee it. A Note On OverCompensationSince you are reading this, you probably know that serious muscle injuries do not just disappear. Over time, they usually wreak havoc on you due to lack of movement and over-compensation. It will also wreak havoc on your hip, knees and opposite leg due to overcompensation. Recovery takes a longer time for such chronic (long term) injuries, but proper healing is essential to regain strength and get you back to the activities you enjoy. The longer your strain endures, the greater the risk of running into serious overcompensation injuries. To Stop Re-Injury & Reduce the Risk of a More Serious Overcompensation Injury, You Need to Heal Quickly & Completely!Anyone in need of rapid recovery and complete healing must consider a comprehensive treatment plan that includes an effective means to minimize swelling and inflammation yet also stimulate healing and tissue elasticity. We have found no better set of tools that can be used at home than this:
What You Definitely Need to Successfully Treat |
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