Exercises for Athletes with Acute Hamstring Injuries

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Therapeutic Exercises and Modalities in Athletes With Acute Hamstring Injuries

Resource:

Sports Health: First published online August 22, 202

Background:

Hamstring strain is a common injury to the lower limbs. Early intervention in the acute phase aids with restoring hamstring function and prevents secondary related injury.

Purpose: to systematically review and summarize the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions combined with physical modalities currently used in athletes with acute hamstring injuries.

How?

The studies were screened, and the evidence was rated using the PEDro scale. Nine RCTs with PEDro scores ranging between 3 and 9 were included and extracted pain intensity, time to return to play (TTRTP), and reinjury rate in the study.

What did we learn?

Loading exercises during extensive lengthening were shown to facilitate TTRTP at P < 0.0001 but did not prevent recurrence (P = 0.17), whereas strengthening with trunk stabilization and agility exercise did not reduce the duration of injury recurrence (P = 0.16), but significantly reduced the reinjury rate (P < 0.007) at a 12-month follow-up.

What can we do to improve our practice?

Although strengthening with trunk stabilization and agility exercise cannot significantly reduce recovery time, the program can prevent reinjury.

Author

Dr. Catherine Logan, MD, MBA Catherine Logan, MD, MBA, MSPT, is a sports medicine orthopaedic surgeon specializing in complex knee and shoulder surgery at Colorado Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics (COSMO) in Denver, Colorado. As a former physical therapist & trainer, Dr. Logan provides a distinct expertise in sports injury, prevention, and surgical management.

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