Hamstring Rehabilitation

1. RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)- During this period you should be icing 10min on/10 min off (repeat 2) every hour for the first 4 hours. Then continue to ice every 4-6hours in the first 72hrs. Your leg should be compressed with either compression tape or a bandaged or tubigrip. If you are limping when walking you should be on crutches to maintain a close to as normal gait.
2. ISOMETRICS: Exercise whereby you don’t move through joint range. Goal is to just load the muscle & tendon.
3. ECCENTRICS: lengthening the muscle tissue whilst increasing tensile load on tendon & joint
4. ISOTONICS: Moving through joint range
5. PLYOMETRICS – Begin with plyo preparation exercises and progress to true plyometrics
6. PLANNED REACTIVE STRENGTH
7. UNPLANNED REACTIVE STRENGTH

ISOMETRIC Exercises Hamstring Double Leg Elevated Bench Hold- start with15sec on: 15 sec off. Progress to 40sec before moving to single leg holds.

ISOMETRICS Exercise: Hamstring Single Leg Floor Hold 15sec progress to 40sec before moving to Eccentric exercises

ECCENTRIC Exercise: Hamstring Nordics with Hip Flexion 6 reps x3 sets progress to 8 reps x3 sets

ECCENTRIC Exercise: Hamstring Double Leg Slider – Start with sliders close to bottom, lift hips and slowly push sliders away. Lower bottom to the ground once leg are extended. Reset to starting position & repeat. Once you can achieve 15reps progress to moving the sliders in & out (Isotonic exercise).

PLYOMETRIC PREPARATION EXERCISE: Hamstring Switch on Bench. Lying down between two benches, holding your bodyweight with a single leg. Switch feet quickly whilst maintaining high hips.

PLYOMETRIC Exercise: Hip Switch. Whilst maintaining a hip lock position, double bounce through your mid foot, switch legs by driving into the ground with one side and driving your hip up on the other. Start by practicing movement on the spot & then progress to moving in a straight line.