Acupuncture for Hamstring Strains
Climbers, snowboarders, soccer players, runners—I have seen hamstring strains in a variety of different activities and sports. So how does you get a hamstring strain and what can you do about it?
The hamstrings, located on the back of the thigh, both flex the knee and extend the hip. They are big powerful muscles, but are also one of the most common injury sites across a variety of sports. They have the ability to create explosive movement during sprinting, jumping and kicking, however, because they cross two joints (hip and knee) they are more susceptible to injury. Ofter, the injury will happen during a kicking motion when the leg is straightening and extending in front of the body (the hamstring contract in a lengthened state to decelerate, or slow down, the lower leg). This is an eccentric, or lengthening, contraction, which is the typical mechanism of injury.
The most common locations for a hamstring strain are:
In the center of the muscle in the middle of the thigh
A “high hamstring strain” at the attachment of the muscle high on the leg near the glutes and close to the “sits bone”; this can sometimes be mistaken for a gluteus maximus strain.
Closer to the knee, which can often be an area of persistent, recurring injury
Most people will feel a sharp pain in the back of the thigh when they sustain a hamstring injury and sometimes will have to stop activity immediately.
Acupuncture can help treat hamstring strains by addressing the inflammation in the area as well as increasing blood flow to aid in healing. It also addresses muscle spasms that will happen within the injured tissue as well as in muscles nearby that might be spasming in a protective manner. Because of acupuncture’s global effect on the body, the needles can interact with pain centers to decrease pain as well as effecting the nervous system to decrease stress related to the injury and/or time out from your favorite sport or activity.
With less severe injuries, a hamstring strain should heal within 4-8 weeks, but it can take up to 3 months with more severe injuries. Acupuncture paired with a strong rehab plan (PT or strength training) post injury can have a dramatic effect and help decrease the likelihood of recurrent injury and help re-establish optimal movement.
Resources:
Callison M, Schreiber A, Ryan NT, Livermore M, Scoggins A. Sports Medicine Acupuncture : An Integrated Approach Combining Sports Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine. San Diego, Calif. Acusport Education; 2019.