It’s not uncommon for people with hamstring injuries to ask this question. After all, they’re usually athletes who want to return to playing as soon as possible. Yet there are many factors that can cause your torn hamstring recovery time to go on longer than you want it to.
A hamstring tear is something that many athletes experience. One medical study estimates that up to 16% of all sports injuries involve the hamstring. Physical therapists are medical professionals who can educate you about hamstring tears. They can also help you learn why your recovery time is lasting so long and offer treatments that can speed up hamstring healing.
Three factors that can lengthen your torn hamstring recovery time
Hamstring tears can take anywhere from four to 12 weeks to heal. There are many reasons that your hamstring tear might be taking a long time to heal. A few of the factors that can affect your recovery time are:
- Tear severity — The severity of hamstring tears can vary. A grade one injury is when your hamstring is only slightly torn. More moderate tears are classified as grade two injuries, and severe or complete tears fall into the grade three category. A tear that’s more severe will take longer to heal.
- Tear location — The area of the hamstring that has been torn can determine how long your recovery takes. For instance, a tear in the thicker middle of the muscle can take four to six weeks to heal. Tears in the muscle near one of its tendons can take more time to heal, because the areas near the tendons receive less blood flow than other parts of the muscle.
- Not doing physical therapy — Some people who tear a hamstring may decide to avoid physical therapy. However, this decision can lead to issues like:
Increased pain.
Increased recovery time.
Higher risk of reinjury.
How can physical therapists reduce your torn hamstring recovery time?
There are many techniques that a physical therapist can use to treat a torn hamstring. One goal these techniques can meet is reducing your healing time. Some techniques that your physical therapist may use to meet this goal include:
- Aquatic therapy designed to reduce stress on the healing hamstring during therapeutic exercises.
- Manual therapy intended to improve flexibility in the injured hamstring.
- Blood flow moderation training that can help increase hamstring strength more rapidly.
Find treatment that can reduce torn hamstring recovery times at Border TS
Ready to find treatment that can decrease the recovery time for your torn hamstring? Our team at Border Therapy Services is prepared to help you find the top-notch care you’re looking for. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint where you are in the healing process. Our physical therapists can then construct a customized therapy plans for you that’s intended to:
- Speed up your healing process.
- Decrease your pain.
- Reduce your risk of future hamstring injuries.
Even better, you can use our at-home care or virtual therapy services to work with our specialists from home.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help address your hamstring injury or to schedule an initial appointment.