How to Heal Hamstring Injuries

Hamstring injuries are common among athletes, people who exercise casually and even people who do not exercise at all. A mild hamstring injury will result in a tight feeling or a pulling sensation on the back of the thigh, where this large group of muscles is located. The most common causes of hamstring injuries are working the muscles too hard, stretching too far or stretching too fast. Fortunately, hamstring injuries are fairly easy to heal; the recovery time depends a lot on how severe the injury is.

Things You'll Need

• Anti-inflammatory medicine
• Ice pack
• Elastic bandage

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Instructions

• 1

  Take an anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen as soon as you suspect you have a hamstring injury. Continue taking it up to five days after the initial injury, but do not take more than the recommended dose listed on the container.

• 2

  Apply an ice pack to the injured hamstring for 20 minutes immediately after it is injured. Repeat this every two to four hours.

• 3

  Wrap an elastic bandage around the hamstring. Start at the top of the thigh, work your way down to the top of the knee, and then wrap it back up to the starting point. Wrap it so it is snug, but not so tight that it restricts blood flow.

• 4

  Let the injured leg rest as much as possible. The less stress you put on it, the quicker it will heal. Keep the leg elevated while you are resting.

• 5

  Ease back into normal activity, and be sure to stretch before exercising.