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My hamstrings really suck and I am willing to listen to any suggestions at this point on getting them better.

I've been having hamstring problems off and on for over 2 years now

They were pretty healthy last summer, but they started hurting last fall, and it was downhill from there. They would hurt most when I would start warming up, and once I got them warmed up enough the pain would go away. Over time I had to warm up more and more before they stopped hurting.

During indoors I had to start taking Vioxx just to make it through vault practice, and I managed to irritate my stomach pretty bad by outdoor nationals since I was taking vioxx 2-3 times a week.

I haven't jumped or sprinted or anything like that since outdoor nationals (4+ weeks ago). They're starting to feel a little bit better... but it's a slow process. I tried doing some slow striders last Friday, and that still hurt them

I've been riding my bike some, and jogging some, and doing some strengthening exercises. When I get back to Texas I am going to look into getting some deep tissue massage, which I am hoping will help. I've been trying to stretch more as well. I am fairly flexible, but not nearly as much as I used to be.

At the rate they're going I don't think I'll be jumping until September I have 2 more years of competing left, and I want to keep them as healthy as possible. It seems like once people get hamstring injuries, they seem to keep getting them. I've never actually pulled one, and I'd like to keep it that way!

So share your hamstring advice with me...

i dont know much about the hammy since ive had to deal mostly with quad injuries. but what has been my experience is that having a good athletic trainer that you trust. but if things are going slow it cant hurt to get a second opinion. but whatever medical help you pursue it is always important that the person giving you advise knows that you are an athlete and treats you like one. experience with athletes is important because most doctors will just say rest it and here is a prescription for some pain killers.

I still talk to my trainer at Georgia. I saw him before Nationals and he gave me some rubber tubing and exercises to do. I don't have much to say about the trainers at Lindenwood.

Have you thought about asking your MD to send you to a physical therapist that is familiar with sports medicine for some treatment. The therapist should be able to give you guidance in getting the elasticity back.

oldguy wrote:Have you thought about asking your MD to send you to a physical therapist that is familiar with sports medicine for some treatment. The therapist should be able to give you guidance in getting the elasticity back.

Yeah I saw a sports medicine doctor this week. He'd like to send me to a physical therapist, but the problem is I am moving a lot. I go back to Texas Monday, Florida in mid-August, Missouri in December or January, and then who knows after that

I have to be pretty self directed in my training and rehab for the next couple months I guess.

Where in your hamstrings does it hurt. Sometimes if it's closer up to your buttocks (ischiotuberosity), a corticosteroid injection will help. If it's further down, an intense rehab program will help you.

Part of the problem may be the mechanics of your run. If you are too much on your toes and reach with your step on your sprints, it places too much of an eccentric load on your hamstrings. Heel strike should occur, and you need to contact the ground under your hip or center of mass so that you are pushing down the runway with your legs instead of pulling. Trying to pull yourself down the runway will undoubtably exacerbate your hamstrings.

The problem with hamstrings are that most individuals have significantly weaker hamstrings compared to their quadriceps muscles. When the ratio of Quad to hamstring strength is too unbalanced, it makes hamstring injuries more common.

One simple exercise that may help is called a backwards bear claw. Brian Yokoyama swears that after he had implemented it with his vaulters, he has not seen any hamstring injuries. What you do is get on all fours (hands and feet facing the ground) trying to keep your center of gravity low, and walk backwards. I usually have my athletes go about the length of a football field. You can do this every other day, and then more often than that when you develop your strength. When you get better at them, then you start doing it up the bleechers or stadium, going up feet first. It gives a great upper body work out as well.

And thanks for the CD.

Aloha,

Dr. Spencer Chang
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Sports Medicine & Foot and Ankle Surgery

It's my upper hamstrings.

I'll have to try the bear claw thing, that's a new one!