You’re jogging along your favorite running trail, and all of a sudden, you hear a pop from the back of your leg and feel a sudden intense pain. If this scenario sounds familiar, then you have likely pulled a hamstring. The hamstrings are three muscles that run down the back of your thigh, and their job is to help bend the knee. Physical therapists in El Paso, Texas, can treat a pulled hamstring using several techniques.
1. Aquatic therapy
One physical therapy technique that can be used to treat a pulled hamstring is aquatic therapy. This therapy often takes place in a warm pool, and it’s intended to help speed up your recovery and reduce pain. Aquatic therapy can offer these benefits for several reasons.
For one thing, water creates a force called buoyancy that helps reduce pressure on the hamstrings, and this can make performing physical therapy exercises much easier. Also, the warm water can help open up the blood vessels in your leg, which allows more oxygen and nutrients to get to your injured hamstring. Hydrostatic pressure also contributes to the benefits you can get from aquatic therapy. This pressure is what you feel pushing in on your body while in the water, and it can help decrease the swelling around the hamstring.
2. Blood flow moderation
Blood flow moderation is another physical therapy technique that can be used when treating a pulled hamstring. The technique uses a special straplike device to restrict the blood flow to your affected leg, and this device is typically placed around the thigh just below the hip. Although it restricts the blood flow, the device will not completely stop the blood from flowing into your leg.
Once the blood flow restriction device is in place, you’ll be asked to do several short sets of easy leg exercises. The combination of the exercises and less blood flow causes the body to produce more growth hormones and proteins than normal, and the higher level of growth hormones and proteins can then help speed up the repair and recovery of the hamstring.
For effective pulled hamstring treatment in El Paso, TX, check out Border Therapy Services
Border Therapy Services in El Paso offers personalized plans for pulled hamstring treatment, and our plans often include aquatic therapy, blood flow moderation and other techniques like:
Since our plans are personalized to each patient, we can also help treat many other types of sports injuries, too.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.