Rehabilitation Exercises for a Hamstring Tear

A torn hamstring can cause impairment in your daily movements. The key to a speedy recovery is proper rehabilitation. Perform stretching and strengthening exercises to help heal your torn hamstring and prevent injury in the future.

Safety

• Seek medical attention when you tear a hamstring. A sports medical profession or doctor can determine how bad the tear is and what type of medication and treatment you might need. When performing rehabilitation exercises at home, use extreme caution. Start performing exercises as your hamstring allows you to bear weight and you see swelling start to decrease. Immediately stop any exercise if you feel pain. If the pain persists, see your physician.

Early Rehabilitation Exercises

• During the first week of recovery, start with static hamstring stretches. A static stretch involves stretching a muscle for 20 to 30 seconds. Do not bounce when you perform a static hamstring stretch. Apply heat packs or take a warm bath prior to stretching. This will improve blood flow and minimize any discomfort during the exercise. Try to incorporate these stretches three to five times a day.

  Seated hamstring stretch: This exercises is also called the sit and reach. Sit on the floor with your legs together out in front of your body. Reach toward your knees, ankles or feet. How far you reach depends upon your flexibility, fitness and level of injury. Stretch only until you feel a slight resistance. Never stretch further than you are capable of stretching.

  Standing hamstring stretch: Stand with your body facing a wall. Place your palms on the wall at about shoulder level. Bend your "healthy" leg and step back about two feet with your injured leg. Keep your injured leg straight throughout the exercise. You may need to adjust how far you step back. Keep your leg closer for less of a stretch or step back further for more resistance in the stretch.

  Lying down hamstring stretch: Lie flat on the floor with your legs together. Raise your injured leg into the air. Work to keep your knee straight. Wrap both hands around your hamstring and pull your leg toward your body. At first you may only be able to bring the leg in slightly with your knee bent. Over time, your flexibility will increase and you will be able to draw your leg closer without a bent knee.

Strengthening Exercises

• After the swelling has gone away and you are able to complete the stretches, move on to hamstring strengthening exercises. Complete strengthening exercises three or four times a week. Use heat on your torn hamstring, stretch your hamstring muscles, perform strengthening exercises and cool down with more stretching.

  Leg curls: Start without any weights or resistance bands. Stand with both of your legs together and support your weight with your hands on a table. Bend your knee and draw your heel in toward your rear. As you recover, perform this movement at the gym or with a resistance band. Adding weight will further strengthen the hamstrings.

  Bridge: Lie flat on the floor with your knees bent. Lift your hips off the floor to raise your lower body. Raise your hips as high as you can and hold the position for five seconds. When this exercise becomes easy, use only your injured leg. To do this, keep your uninjured leg straight and do not allow it to touch the floor.