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Recovery Time for Hamstring Injuries

Depending on the extent of the damage, a hamstring injury can take a few months to a year or more to heal completely. Obviously, the worse the damage the longer the healing will take. However, two other factors also can influence recovery time. They include your general health and fitness before the injury and your approach to healing and rehabilitation.

  1. General Fitness

    • If you were a healthy person before your hamstring injury, you probably will heal faster. If you were not very fit, your hamstring recovery time may be longer and harder. This is because rehabilitation requires exercise. Failure to follow through can result in further injury as your body compensates for your injured leg muscle. Sprained ankles and twisted knees are common during the recovery process.

    The Extent of Healing

    • Whether your injury is a pull, partial muscle tear or a full separation will determine recovery time. Pulls generally take 2 to 4 months to heal. With a partial tear, it can be up to 6 months before you run again and it may take as long as a year before you can sprint. Full separations (complete muscle tears) require surgery and generally take a year or more to fully heal.

    RICE is Your Friend

    • At the onset of an injury, RICE is critical (rest, ice, compression and elevation). A pain-relief medicine, such as Ibuprofen, is helpful as well. Regular compression and exposure to ice forces blood to the injured area and helps the repair process. Apply pressure for 15 minutes at a time at least twice a day. Rest and elevation allow the injured area to heal.

    Treatment Expectations

    • If surgery is necessary, you will have regular rehabilitation sessions with a physical therapist afterwards to speed your recovery. Next, you will need to begin stretching the hamstring muscle again. Stretching the scar tissue is key to the full use of your hamstring in the future. Don't wait for your health insurance to assign you to rehabilitation; it can take up to 6 weeks to schedule an appointment. Get started early.

    Early Exercise and Full Recovery

    • With a tender hamstring, the best exercises are low impact ones. If you were a runner, try using an elliptical machine instead. If you lift weights, add additional weight slowly, especially for squats and leg presses. Eat protein to speed your healing. And stretch at least twice a day.

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