PROSPER Performance & Physical Therapy

So far, we have discussed the consequences of OVER STRETCHING and the role of the NERVOUS SYSTEM in treating and preventing hamstring injuries.  Now it's time to dive in to the ROTATIONAL component of our hamstrings.   We cannot treat the hamstring group in just one plane of motion.  Look at the diagram and notice that there are some hamstring muscles that attach to the inside (medial) side of the knee, and others that attach to the outside (lateral) side of the knee. When working together, the medial and lateral hamstrings will act in a coordinated manner to bend the knee and extend the hip.   Individually, the medial hamstrings turn the thigh inward (Internal Rotation or IR) and the lateral hamstrings turn the thigh outward (External Rotation or ER).  This means that the hamstrings are also a crucial player in side-to-side and rotational movements.  On the same lines, the hamstrings will act at the upper attachment at the pelvis.  The medial hamstrings will pull the p

THE ROLE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM This "epidemic" of recurring hamstring injuries is, in part, due to the under-valued role of the nervous system.  There is often too much focus on the structural "damage" and isolated limitations vs the overall dysfunction. I'm not saying that treating the damaged tissue is not important. But, in order to minimize recurrence, we must look beyond the isolated injury and seek to understand the integrated, "big picture" of the problem. IS IT ACTUAL DAMAGE OR SOMETHING ELSE? One interesting concept to understand is that the tension of our muscles are completely under the control of our nervous system.  Your brain is in constant awareness of the tension of all your muscles.  Unless you change your nervous system, you will continue to sense tightness.  As mentioned in Part 1, stretching isn't necessarily the answer to resolving tension. The relief felt by isolated muscle stretching only lasts for about 20 minutes.  

Ever noticed how often a hamstring injury tends to "recur" or never fully recover?  In the 2016 season, MLB saw it's highest rate of hamstring injuries since at least 1998.  A total of 53 applications of the MLB Disabled List were due to hamstring injuries last year, a rise from the average 34.5 occurrences in past years.  This does not include those injuries that did not require a trip to the DL.  Why the rise?  Why do they seem to recur?  I remember reading a quotes from a former MLB head trainer, simply stating that "hamstring injuries are tricky".  In some cases this may be true, however, I believe there is more to the story. A recent study found that pelvis stability may have a larger influence on hamstring injuries (particularly sudden injury) than a strong hamstring contraction in any single stride. Furthermore, the lumbo-pelvic region has been found to have more influence on hamstring tendon tension than muscles of the knee and ankle. Journal