Steroid injections may initially help reduce the inflammation caused by hamstring tendonitis. However they are very controversial, as they can trigger a hamstring tear (this is influenced by the severity of injury and frequency of injections). Ask your doctor if any of these are options for your condition. Corticosteroids should be used with caution and only under the supervision of a medical professional.
Pain medications (analgesics) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be used if required to help manage your hamstring pain. However, these medications will not cure your condition; they will merely treat some of your symptoms.
These drugs aren't recommended for everyone or for long term use, as pain medications can cause liver damage, and NSAIDs can cause gastrointestinal difficulties (such as upset stomach, diarrhea, ulcers and intestinal bleeding). They can also trigger other serious side effects, and even inhibit the body's natural ability to heal itself. COX-2 Inhibitors (prescription NSAIDs block the COX-2 enzyme involved with prostaglandin production responsible for inflammation) have been linked with risks of heart attack, stroke and in some cases death. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) asked manufacturers to withdraw some COX-2 Inhibitors (Vioxx and Bextra) from the market as well as put a big black warning label on the packaging outlining the risks involved with use.
Some health professionals have also recommended natural supplements such as Glucosamine, MSM, Chondritin, Capsaicin, Devil's Claw, Arnica or Yucca Leaf to help relieve pain and/or strengthen your tissues. Hyaluronic Acid (Hyalgan) injections have also had some success.
Although medication can be helpful to reduce the pain and inflammation of a hamstring pulls and strains, side effects can be damaging overtime. Use of NSAIDS and pain medication is not recommended over a long period of time. The following home therapies can be used to treat your hamstring in a natural, non-addictive way that will not harm your organs or increase your risk of other diseases.
Below, we outline some natural conservative treatment options that many of our clients have had success with for hamstring pulls and muscle spasms:
Hamstring spasms are frustrating to live with especially when they occur during activity and sports. Keeping your body hydrated and replacing electrolytes during and following activities are positive steps toward preventing spasms. When a spasm occurs, there are home treatments you can use to relax the muscle and reduce the spasm. Proper treatment will get you back to regular activities sooner, stop your pain, and reduce the risk of hamstring muscle injury and further spasm.
If you are getting spasms due to a pinched nerve from a spinal injury, you really need to see your physician. You might be able to use conservative treatment methods to help reduce the frequency or severity of such spasms, but the underlying cause will remain without assistance from a physician or surgeon.
The most widely recommended conservative - yet effective - treatments for muscle spasm are:
Outside of change in diet, the remaining conservative treatments focus on heat (this temporarily increases flexibility and elongates muscles, tendons and ligament), an increase in blood flow and stretches. Cold compression IS NOT a good method to deal with hamstring muscle spasms, but can be used if you suffer re-injury of your hamstring due to the spasms or other activities. Anytime when your hamstring is swollen, inflamed or painful without experiencing the spasms, you should be using cold. The rest of the time, when you are suffering from hamstring muscle spasms, you should be using Circulation Boost to relieve your hamstring muscle spasms.
Promoting blood flow within a muscle or soft tissue injury to help improve muscle function and/or heal muscle strians/tears is a concept that has been utilized for centuries. This is where the focus has to be if you are seeking long-term improvement.
Oxygen and nutrients, carried within the blood, are critical for the body to heal itself. Without proper blood flow, recovering from an injury or condition will be delayed...sometimes for a very long period of time.
Have you seen what happens when you add water to a flower wilted from drought? In essence, your injured muscle is much like a "wilted" flower; your body wants to heal its injury, but needs lots of nutrients to do it. Blood brings new life to your tissue by delivering healing nutrients and oxygen that are vital for its survival. In addition, the blood carries away toxins and waste cleaning the area and healing it faster. Without a good supply of blood, your spasming hamstring muscle simply won't get the nutrients it needs and will continue to spasm.
Using a TShellz Wrap® will not expose you to the risk of causing further harm to soft tissue like you can when using rigorous exercise. The Leg TShellz Wrap® accomplishes the goal of enhanced blood flow without the need for intensive exercise and as such reduces your risk of re-injury.
We recommend the use of a Leg/Arm TShellz Wrap®:
TShellz Wraps® contain a unique Carbon Fiber Energy Pad which is flexible and will shape to conform to your body. This Energy Pad emits a uniform wave of perfectly safe energy over its entire surface. This energy is absorbed by soft tissue in the treatment area, opening blood vessels, resulting in an increase in blood flow. Increased blood circulation is what your body needs to accelerate the healing of soft tissue and this is why we recommend the TShellz Wrap®.
The Leg TShellz Wrap® is an FDA Registered Medical Device and is suitable for use in therapeutic clinics and FROM HOME. It is completely safe for people and patients to use for themselves.
The technology found in a TShellz Wrap® has been used for decades in the worlds of professional and amateur sports - a contributing factor as to why athletes seem to recover from injuries so quickly.
Have you ever wondered by an athlete can return to activity after 3 or 4 weeks following a tendon or muscle injury - while your average person takes much longer to return back to normal? The secret isn't really that much of a secret - it involves consistent treatments (meaning multiple times a day) using a treatment like the TShellz Wrap® to stimulate blood flow to the injured tissues. Most athletes have the luxury of using in-house facilities many times per day.
How many us can afford the time and money to visit a clinic multiple times a day? Very few indeed. This is how you can gain some of the advantages that athletes enjoy in their injury recovery - by using a device like the TShellz Wrap® two or three times a day on a consistent basis.
We believe the TShellz Wrap® to be one of the most effective home treatments to increase localized blood flow to soft tissue in and around the treatment area.
We can promise that you will receive a product that is designed to be safe and does what it is supposed to do... reduce pain (as stated in "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. - Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin) temporarily increase length & flexibility of soft tissue (as stated in "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition. - Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin) and aid your body in recovering from tendon, muscle and other soft tissue injuries via enhanced blood flow.
The unit plugs into a standard wall outlet to get its power. The nice thing about the power supply is that the same unit can be used in North America and overseas as well. It has the capability to operate between 110v and 230v.
The TShellz Wrap® has a special signal controller that can be set for 3 different power levels of application (3=High, 2=Medium, 1=Low). The cord is long enough that you can sit or lie comfortably and watch TV, read or surf the net while you're using it.
Treatments are max 30 minutes in duration and the device can be worn over clothing. This allows you to use the device at work, at home, or really anywhere you have access to an electrical outlet.
Directly below you will find some summarized points from Chapter 9 of "Therapeutic Heat and Cold", 4th edition.
(amazon.com link) Ed. Justus F. Lehmann, M.D., Williams, and Wilkin.
Generally it is accepted that heat on soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments) provides the following desirable therapeutic effects:
This, in turn, improves function of the immune system which increases the body's ability to eliminate toxins and other waste by-products resulting from damaged tissue in the hamstring. This allows the body to more easily stimulate the self healing process.
Many hamstring injuries are the result of trauma to a tendon or muscle, usually causing the tissue to tear. As a result of the tear, your body triggers a natural healing process resulting in pain, inflammation, and the creation of scar tissue, then eventually reinforcing that band-aid solution with flexible tissue (proliferation). Increased blood flow will make this process more quick and efficient in the majority of cases.
This is an important point. A pulled hamstring has the HIGHEST frequency of reinjury of any muscle in the body as it bears a huge load through most of our daily movement. A strained, partially torn or pulled hamstring is tight and range of motion in the joint is restricted, thus contributing to high risk of further injury. Even the most minor of activities can cause a recovering hamstring to strain, sprain, or even tear. Every time this happens, your recovery is delayed. This is why using the TShellz Wrap® not only now, but also into the future, is wise. The TShellz Wrap® warms tissue, and thereby increases it's elasticity...all without risk of causing further harm and greatly reducing your chances of re-injury.
TShellz Wraps® applied to muscles and soft tissue that surround the nerves should help them become more loose, as heat is known to increase the flexibility and extensibility of soft tissue. You may find this will alleviate tightness which may have led to nerve compression and the subsequent pain it produces.
Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage and meniscii degenerate. Over time, two bones in the joint rub together with little or no protection from cartilage. This leads to pain and inflammation in the joint as the space within the joint starts to decrease without the cushioning, and stiffness starts to become a bigger and bigger problem. The TShellz Wrap® is intended to generate warmth and an increase in blood flow - resulting in less stiffness and better range-of-motion.
Increased blood flow should result in a stronger immune system and an ability for your body to recover from soft tissue injuries more quickly.
Believe me when I say this; words alone cannot accurately describe what the TShellz Wrap® can do for you. It truly is something you need to experience first-hand.
The most common question we receive from individuals prior to purchasing is - how many times a day should I be using my TShellz Wraps® and when should I be using them? While treatment plans will differ for each individual and their specific condition, there are general guidelines that should be adhered to.
The Leg TShellz Wrap® would then be used:
AidYourHamstring advisors do not work on commission, so be assured you will only receive fair and objective information.
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During your recovery, you will probably have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort at the location of your soft tissue injury until the pain and inflammation settle. The more diligent you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results!
Please be aware that this information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider before using any of our outstanding products to make sure they are right for you and your condition or if you have any questions regarding a medical condition. Always see your doctor for a proper diagnosis as there are often many injuries and conditions (some very serious) that could be the cause of your pain.
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