The Ref Stop

hamstring injury

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Kent Ref

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A few weeks ago i started getting pain in my right leg hamstring. It's slowly got worse to the point of having to stop reffing now for a few weeks.

I've had a doctors appointment and it's definitely a hamstring problem so i got a physio appointment next week but i wondered if anybody has had this problen and what they did about it.

I've reffed over 30 years and never been injured for more than a week.

The pain sometimes is extreme and sometimes i forget about it. Bar physio is it just a time-related scenario to get better?

So frustrating to have this but annoyingly i don't remember getting an injury.

Thank you.
 
The Ref Stop
Your physio will be your best bet.

As hammie injuries come in all shapes and sizes.

Usually you would know if you have a tear. So I doubt it is that. Probably a pull.

So stretches and a good amount of time off to let it reset.

Really depends on how intense your sprinting is also. If you're giving it beans on sprints. Then I reckon you might need to lay off for 5-8 weeks.

But if you're just cruising up and down (or can get away with cruising). Could probably get back much earlier. Use it as a good way to loosen the legs.
 
Physio is your only real option, hamstring injuries are ones that never fix themselves without rest, you never see a player run a hamstring injury off. They can vary vastly, sometimes it just takes a week or two, or you can get the kind that Kai Havertz has just done that will keep him out for 5 to 6 months.
 
What's more frustrating is not knowing how i got it in the first place!

It was just a gradual thing.
Hamstring is rarely a gradual thing, it is almost always an immediate reaction that means you can't carry on. If it is a gradual thing you need to stop straight away as soon as you feel it, like I said earlier a hamstring injury will never fix itself without rest.

The physio will assess you and put you on recovery exercises. The single leg dead lift will almost certainly be one of them, and if you are anything like me you will fall over the first few times you try it.
 
After getting nowhere with 8 weeks of physio i have paid privately for shockwave therapy. Not cheap but it feels effective.

I've been twice now and it certainly is making a difference.

I wish i had access to this treament via the GP but it wasn't made available.
 
After getting nowhere with 8 weeks of physio i have paid privately for shockwave therapy. Not cheap but it feels effective.

I've been twice now and it certainly is making a difference.

I wish i had access to this treament via the GP but it wasn't made available.
Problem is there is little evidence that shockwave treatment actually works. Its a bit like TENS and EMS, there's anecdotal evidence that they work for injury recovery, but other research shows they only work for pain relief and not injury healing. And for that reason there is zero chance any will be offered on the NHS any time soon.

I haven't had shockwave, but my experience is TENS / EMS definitely helps with pain relief, but equally I am fully aware that could just be the placebo effect. My physio put me in compression boots for 15 minutes and I felt great after, but 12 hours later the pain that she was treating me for was back. Whether that was placebo effect, temporary pain relief, I have no idea.
 
Problem is there is little evidence that shockwave treatment actually works. Its a bit like TENS and EMS, there's anecdotal evidence that they work for injury recovery, but other research shows they only work for pain relief and not injury healing. And for that reason there is zero chance any will be offered on the NHS any time soon.

I haven't had shockwave, but my experience is TENS / EMS definitely helps with pain relief, but equally I am fully aware that could just be the placebo effect. My physio put me in compression boots for 15 minutes and I felt great after, but 12 hours later the pain that she was treating me for was back. Whether that was placebo effect, temporary pain relief, I have no idea.
Not 100% sure on what your injury is, but I've found acupuncture to be a saviour when it comes to niggles. Especially my achilles.
 
Not 100% sure on what your injury is, but I've found acupuncture to be a saviour when it comes to niggles. Especially my achilles.
Combination of Achilles and calf, been going on for 8 months. But that’s off the back of a lot of other injuries and my real issue is body mechanics. I’ve had a significant improvement since I saw a podiatrist and that led to a change of footwear and exercises.

One good test is to stand on one leg, bring your other leg up so it is bent at 90 degrees, look forward then close your eyes. If you can’t last 10 seconds without falling over you’ve likely got an issue with your core balance and body mechanics. I could barely last a second 6 months ago, can now stay in that position easily for 20 seconds.
 
Combination of Achilles and calf, been going on for 8 months. But that’s off the back of a lot of other injuries and my real issue is body mechanics. I’ve had a significant improvement since I saw a podiatrist and that led to a change of footwear and exercises.

One good test is to stand on one leg, bring your other leg up so it is bent at 90 degrees, look forward then close your eyes. If you can’t last 10 seconds without falling over you’ve likely got an issue with your core balance and body mechanics. I could barely last a second 6 months ago, can now stay in that position easily for 20 seconds.
When you say last 10 seconds, are talking about balance or strength?
 
When you say last 10 seconds, are talking about balance or strength?
10 seconds stood still on one leg with your other bent at 90 degrees and your eyes closed.

It is known as proprioception, an unconscious sense that lets you understand where your limbs are. By closing your eyes you rely entirely on it.
 
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