Hamstring Strain Follow-up
- Author: Jeffrey M Heftler, MD; Chief Editor: Consuelo T Lorenzo, MD more...
Further Outpatient Care
- See Physical Therapy section for a discussion of further outpatient care.
Deterrence
Prevention of reinjury is dependent upon successful completion of the rehabilitation program and preactivity warm-up and stretching, although there is limited evidence to prove this conclusion.
In a cluster-randomized controlled trial with 942 male soccer players, the authors explored the preventive effect of eccentric strengthening of the hamstring muscles using the Nordic hamstring exercise compared with no additional hamstring exercise. The results revealed 52 acute hamstring injuries in the control group compared with 15 injuries in the intervention group. The additional eccentric hamstring exercise not only decreased the rate of new injuries, but the overall and recurrent acute hamstring injury numbers were also lower compared with the control group.[7]
Prognosis
- The prognosis usually is good for complete or near complete improvement in 6-18 weeks. Unfortunately, there are patients who develop chronic problems, possibly due to repeated stresses on the tendon that cause tendinosis. In this case, the tendon is not healing properly, and fibrotic changes take place in the tendon.
Patient Education
- Once the injury has healed and the rehabilitation program has been completed, emphasize the importance of proper warm-up and stretching before participation in vigorous physical activity.
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Sprains and Strains - First Aid and Emergency Center and Sports Injury Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education articles Muscle Strain and Sprains and Strains.
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