Moons over My Hammy....... (Read 1191 times)

My favorite Denny's breakfast. Unfortunately, I'm here to report my first ever hamstring injury. I didn't do it running but did it playing softball. Playing center field. Some guy hit one deep, I took off in a sprint and about 10 strides into it felt a nice strong twinge. Even when I walk slowly, it's a little uncomfortable. I've never pulled a hammy before. 38 years old and was extremely active in sports up until about 2-3 years ago. I took up running 2 months ago and am wondering if maybe that has something to do with this injury. I was never a runner before. I ran 5 miles on Sunday. In my post-run stretch, I do recall a strange feeling in my hamstring almost like it was about to cramp up but it didn't. So, a few questions I hope can be answered... 1) How do I treat this? It doesn't seem too severe...definitely not a tear or major pull. (at least I don't think) 2) What could have caused this? -- relative inactivity for 2-3 years and all of the sudden I'm running 10-11 miles per week? -- it was a little chilly tonight but definitely not cold. -- i'm getting old? 3) When I do come back I reduce the miles for a while to give my legs a chance to adjust? Also, I'm wondering if I'm stretching enough after my run. Hope this heals quickly. I get to go to Dodger Stadium next Wednesday and take batting practice and shag fly balls in the outfield. I was totally psyched. I can still swing the bat but I have a feeling running around in the outfield may be out of the question. Thanks everyone....

Check out some of the previous threads on hamstring injuries and recovery. One Two Three

As the not-so proud owner of two of the three threads that Bonkin cited, I can tell you he is right on the money with the no-cold-stretching thing. You also shouldn't try to stretch the muscle until after it heals. I've made mild hamstring problems much worse by stretching the injured muscle. My current hamstring problems are mostly due to old injuries -- hamstring pulls playing flag football and running a corporate challenge 4x400 relay come to mind. Hate to say it, but recreational sports like softball are pulls waiting to happen -- you're probably not warmed up, and your legs aren't used to suddenly sprinting from a dead stop. Some other recommendations: 1) Ice after you run 2) after you've healed some, get a good sports massage 3) Use stretch bands, such as the ones found here so strengthen your hamstrings. 4) Move to right field. Fewer balls to shag. Bonkin is also correct in saying that you can run though hamstring soreness (but not pain) so long as you take it nice and easy.

I just learned a lot from this thread! Sorry to hear about your pain Moondog. I can totally sympathize with you as I'm dealing with a hamstring issue at the moment. I have been super foolish and have been stretching a lot and mine is taking a long time to get better. Now that I know, I'll quit with the stretching and see what difference it makes.

If the hamstring starts feeling sore (close to the knee, if that makes a difference) while I'm running, I can put some pressure on it with my hand. It got me thinking, is there anything out there to use for pressure while I'm running--like a knee brace, but for hamstrings? Would using something like that be a good idea?

You can buy compression sleeves for hamstrings, but they're designed for the meatier part of the hamstring as opposed to down near the knee. When I'm having problems, I wear one and find it to be very helpful. Not only are strains less likely, but the sleeve (usually neoprene, so no breatheability) helps keep the muscle very warm. Along those lines, compression shorts are also recommended for giving extra support to the hammies and keeping them warm.