chiroprator active release technique: Hamstring Strain

Your friendly Chiropractor in Chandler AZ, Dr. Dan Rae, is back at the computer as we are starting to warm up outside to talk about Hamstring Strains as runners start to get back out on the roads and so forth.  This is a condition that I see a lot in the spring months as people begin to become more active to try and get those beach bodies

In the image above by MendMeShop, we are able to to clearly see a Hamstring Strain of the biceps femoris muscle.  This condition call also occur in the semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles.  The reason this injury occurs is from an overcontraction of the hamstring while it is in a position of being stretched.  Tearing occurs most often at the junction of the muscles and aponeurosis (A sheet of pearly-white fibrous tissue that takes the place of a tendon in sheetlike muscles having a wide area of attachment). An Avulsion Fracture (An avulsion fracture is a bone fracture, which occurs when a fragment of bone tears away from the main mass of bone as a result of physical trauma) is possible at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) in younger athletes whose growth plates haven’t closed yet.

These patients are usually what we would call “weekend warriors” all the way to the serious athlete who feels a sudden pull or pop at the back of the thigh following some sort of forceful knee extension maneuver.

Treatment for this condition consists of rest, ice, use of crutches for several days, gentle stretching as soon as possible as well as soft-tissue treatments such as Active Release Technique (ART) and Graston Technique, and a long-term goal of restrengthening beginning when 75% of the normal range of motion is available.  Kinesiology Tape can be applied to decrease the amount of tension being placed on the hamstring.  Prevention of future injury should focus on preevent stretching, maintaining a proper strength ratio between the hamstrings and the quadriceps (0.6:1), and strength balance between the two hamstrings.

Kinesiology tape: Adductor Strain/ Groin Pull

Your friendly Chiropractor in Chandler AZ, Dr. Dan Rae, is back at the computer this afternoon to talk about the Adductor Strain also known as a Groin Pull or Pulled Groin.  This is an injury that happens quite often, and I would have to say I see it mostly in individuals who do not warm up properly.

The cause of the Adductor Strain is generally from a sudden contraction of the adductor muscles (the muscles that pull the leg back to mid line) from a stretched position where the hip abducted out away from the body or in a flexed position.  The most common site of this injury is at the junction of the muscle and the tendon of the adductor magnus muscle.

These patients usually come into my office complaining pain in the groin area after performing movements such as kicking, sprinting, water skiing, or jumping such as high jumps or hurdles.  They also say that the pain in the groin came on immediately after the movement and was incapacitating.

Treatment for this condition sometimes includes an elastic figure eight strapping around the hip with slight extension and internal rotation of the hip.  Kinesiology Tape is often applied to decrease the amount of tension being placed on the adductor muscles, and myofascial release techniques such as Active Release Technique (ART) and Graston Technique are utilized to prevent scar tissue formation and encourage proper healing.