Firstmed Blog

Treatment of a hamstring strain is again dependent on the severity of the injury. The RICE method is the essential treatment for treating hamstring injuries in the early stages. Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate. Due to the bleeding and swelling, patients should stop the activity that caused the strain, rest immediately to allow healing to take place and prevent further damages done to the muscles. Ice should be used at once to control the swelling and relieve the pain caused. Heat should not be applied to the affected area since this may increase swelling and bleeding within the muscle. To assist with the swelling control, an elastic wrap or compressive stocking can be applied. Finally, lying down periodically with you leg elevated allows gravity to assist with your effort to control the swelling.

The RICE treatment described above can be performed by individuals or a trained professional; it can be used for first degree, second degree and third degree severity. However, both second and third degree require longer recovery time and there are possibilities that specialised techniques or treatments will be prescribed by doctors to enhance healing and recovery.

In the first phase of the recovery stage, some gentle stretching and light resistive exercises will help to prevent stiffness, improve range of motion, and restore the joint’s normal flexibility and strength. These exercises should be done several times a day, it is very important to stick to the exercises because they help reduce swelling, prevent stiffness, and restore normal and pain-free range of motion. The second phase consists of more demanding exercises to increase strength and regain flexibility as pain decreases and function improves. At the final stage of recovery, patients are allowed to return to full daily activities including sports. However, it is utmost important to return to full activity only when the problem is fully recovered, that is when the patients have gained normal range of motion, flexibility and strength. Attending to full activity with pain or muscle soreness will increase the chance of re-injury and may lead to a chronic problem.

A hamstring strain is caused by twisting or pulling a muscle or tendon and can be both acute and chronic. Acute hamstring strain associated with a recent trauma or injury, it occurs during an isolated athletic activity or it can also occur after improperly lifting heavy objects or overstressing the muscles. Chronic hamstring strain is resulted from persistent repetitive stress. Some examples of causes are shown below:

* No or a poor stretching routine before activities causing inadequate flexibility of the hamstrings which can result in injury.
* Inadequate strength or endurance of the hamstrings to sustain workload caused by athletic activities or repetitive stress.
* Returning to activity before full recovery, this can lead to recurrence of the problem.

Sports athletes are most vulnerable to hamstring injuries; sports for example require jumping, running and kicking. Many cases also suggested hamstring injuries increase with age, though they can occur in people of all ages.

What are the symptoms of Hamstring Strain?

The symptoms of a hamstring strain depend on the severity of the injury. The injury is usually very sudden and painful. Other common symptoms include:

* Bruising - It is caused by bleeding within the muscle from small tears. It usually begins in the back of the thigh and passes down below the knee and into the foot as time elapse
* Swelling – This is caused by the accumulation of blood within the muscle where the tears occurred. This makes further muscle contraction difficult and painful.
* Spasm – the stimulation of the muscle caused by confusion of contraction signals and subsequent spasm. People usually experience spasm when they have pulled their hamstring. It is very common and painful symptom of a hamstring injury.
* Difficult Contraction – it causes the knee to flex and if severe, it may even prevent the patient from walking normally.

In First Degree, patients might feel only tightness in the thigh and should be able to walk normally. It’s very unlikely that swelling will take place due to only moderate damage to the muscle. In Second Degree, patients might not be able to walk properly due to the difficulty of contracting. There might be noticeable swelling on the affected area and causes pain if pressed in. Finally in Third Degree, due to severe damage to the muscles, patients will be unable to walk without the necessary aid of supports. There will be continuing pain and bad swelling appears immediately after impact.

Watching Wimbledon this year, it occurred to me that the tournament acts as a good analogy for ED.

Suspended play is a common feature of Wimbledon. Experience from over the years, expert knowledge and weather forecasts all predict that it is somewhat of an inevitability yet players and spectators still feel frustration, anger and disappointment when it happens.

In the same way when ED hits, even the most prepared of sufferers can still feel shock and disappointment.

Erectile Dysfunction or impotence is very common in the UK. Estimates suggest that 33% of British men suffer from the condition to one degree or another. Its’ causes are varied but certain conditions are almost sure indications that ED will strike.

Conditions such as Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Prostate Cancer have ED as a side-effect. To continue the parallels with tennis, age also has a part to play. Even the most experienced of players can feel the effect of age and slow down on the court.

Much like a bad defeat, ED strikes at the very heart of a man’s confidence. But it is important to know that a set back doesn’t have to be the end. There are many effective treatments out there and with the right equipment you could be back on the court in no time.

Boys, you have a new reason to exercise: anything good for your hearts is good for sex. Girls, now you know what to give him at his birthday: subscription to a gym, because the more exercise he does, the better your sex life. All these have a scientific explanation that is, in fact, very logical: anything that improves blood flux, also improves erectile function. To sum up, exercising is a good medicine for those who have erection problems and an excellent prevention therapy for those who don’t have and don’t want to have them in the future.

This is the conclusion of a study published in the Journal of Urology magazine, which says that life style determines the possibility of suffering erectile dysfunction. In order to get to this affirmation, a study was developed between 22,000 North American men since age 14. From all of them, the ones that exercised most had 30% less possibilities of suffering erectile dysfunction.

But having a sedentary life can cause this problem; there are other risk factors, besides psychological. Anything that affects the blood flux affects erections: hypertension, obesity and diabetes can lead to heart problems and, as a consequence, to erectile dysfunction. This means that, besides exercising, men should stop smoking and start eating healthy.

If your boy arrives from work, turns on the TV and lies in the couch for hours armed with beers, French fries and snacks, tell him that his little “friend” is on the way to look like a deflated balloon. And if erection problems have already started, take him to a gym, cooking lessons, to the theater, anywhere, just make him move!

Do you think your boy should exercise more?