Why you should pay attention to this: Muscles can be strengthened through shortening or lengthening contractions. Hamstring lengthening exercises done in the preseason have been shown to reduce in-season injury in soccer players. Lengthening (or eccentric) exercises have a higher potential for muscle soreness, since they are causing what is essentially controlled microdamage of the muscle. This study looks at the application of lengthening exercises to the hamstring in a physical therapy setting, after injury has already occurred. The study population was elite Swedish soccer players with an MRI-verified hamstring injury. These players were randomly assigned into one of two groups: Traditional hamstring rehabilitation or an eccentric (lengthening) program. The time from date of injury to start of therapy was similar for both groups. This study showed that athletes in the therapy program that emphasized muscle lengthening returned to sport more quickly – an average of 28 days as compared to 51 days in the standard rehab protocol. Patients who were MRI negative returned in an average of 6 days. In all, this provides strong evidence that lengthening exercise protocols are not too much for an injured athlete to tolerate, and do result in a more rapid return to play that usual rehab.
If you have injured your hamstring, or simply want to start an exercise program that should reduce your risk for injury going forward, give us a call at (515) 221-1102. We’re happy to help.
Make sure your hamstring injury is treated properly. Lengthening exercises (used at Stadia) perform better than standard ones in PT. Want to read the article? http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/810996
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