Hamstring Injury Recovery Time

Hamstring is a group of three muscles that are present in the thigh region. The hamstrings cross and act upon two important joints, the hip and the knee. These muscles play a very crucial role in many daily routine activities, like walking, running, jogging, jumping and controlling some of the movements in the trunk region. These are the most important muscles while walking as they help in knee extension. This is the reason why hamstring injuries are not only very painful but they also restrict day-to-day activities of a person. There are various factors that influence the hamstring injury recovery time, like the extent of the injury, how quickly treatment is meted out, type of treatment meted out, etc.

Types of Hamstring Injuries and Their Recovery Time

As mentioned earlier, the recovery time will depend on the type of injury that has occurred to the hamstrings. So given below are the different types of hamstring injuries and their corresponding recovery times.

Pulled Hamstring Recovery
A pulled hamstring is a condition where the muscle gets pulled to an extent that the fibers become sore and may even slightly tear. There are three grades of hamstring muscle pull. In grade 1, there is some tightness in the thigh with discomfort while walking. In this case, pulled hamstring recovery takes about a week to three weeks to completely heal. In grade 2 muscle pull, there is limping with severe muscle pain in the thigh and slight swelling. This type of sore hamstring recovery may take a month to two months to heal. In grade 3 hamstring injuries, there is severe throbbing pain, swelling and complete inability to walk. In this case, conservative approach in the form of hamstring injury recovery exercises may not suffice, so there may be need for surgical intervention. In this case, the hamstring injury healing time will be around six months.

Torn Hamstring Recovery
Complete tear of a hamstring may occur as a result of severe stretching of the leg muscles. In such cases, the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the muscle also get damaged, due to which there is visible bruising or the formation of a hematoma in this region. Due to this, the muscle does not get adequate amount of blood flow, which further delays healing. In such cases, there is often need for surgical intervention. Thus, in such cases, the recovery time will exceed six months.

How to Hasten Recovery Time

• Hamstring injuries are notorious for their recurrence rate. Thus, it is important to treat your injury on a priority basis. The first 48 hours are very crucial. Firstly, giving adequate rest is of paramount importance. There may be need for immobilization. For this, the person is normally advised bed rest and is asked to walk using crutches, so as to not put any strain on the muscle. This greatly increases the chances of a quick hamstring recovery.
• Application of ice on the affected area helps to control the swelling. Cold compresses help to control the swelling but do not completely stop them from occurring. They help the muscle to relax and also reduce the chances of muscle spasm.
• Use of bandage to compress the region help to further reduce swelling and scarring.
• Elevation and immobilization of the leg also helps to reduce swelling.
• There are certain hamstring recovery programs that have hamstring injury exercises that help in quickening healing.

As stated above, the hamstring injury recovery time depends on many factors. However, with meticulous care, it is possible to considerably reduce it.