Your hamstrings are tendons that connect the large muscles at the back of your thighs to your thigh bones. Because the muscles they hold are so large and are used in nearly every sporting activity, hamstrings take quite a beating. If they take too much stress, however, they can stretch too far. This is often called a hamstring strain or pull. One way to alleviate the pressure of a hamstring strain is to tape the area for extra support.
Instructions
Try to Avoid Hamstring Strain
1. Stretch before and after all strenuous activity. Your hamstrings are more likely to be injured if they are not properly loosened. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you, and bend at the waist until you feel a stretch. Hold for 30 seconds.
2. Warm up your legs before you exercise. Jogging or fast walking for about 5 minutes prior to heavy exercises can loosen the hamstrings to help prevent injury.
3. Slim down. Extra weight on your body creates more strain on your leg muscles, which rely on the hamstrings to hold your knees in place. Even shedding a couple of pounds can help.
Treat the Strain Before You Tape It
4. Get off you feet and stay off them. Sports medicine experts say that rest is the most important part of recovery from a hamstring strain. Resting allows the tendons to heal properly.
5. Apply ice immediately to reduce swelling. Place crushed ice in a plastic bag and wrap it in a towel. Place this on the back of your leg for about 15 minutes of every hour. Ice reduces the flow of blood to the injured area, thereby reducing swelling.
6. Try elevating your leg above your hear to further impede swelling. You can do this by resting your leg on a stack of pillows for support.
Tape Your Hamstrings
7. Wrap athletic tape around your thigh from just above the knee to a few inches below the groin. Taping serves to keep the leg from swelling further.
8. Adjust the tightness of the tape as time passes. Your tape should be snug, but not so tight that the part of your leg that is untaped swells from the pressure.
Tags: , back your, hamstring strain, your legs, your thigh