Recurrent Hamsting Injury

Footballers and sprinters – you must be wondering what you are doing wrong. What is causing you to have recurrent hamstring injury?

As with any injury, you should always consult your GP and/or physiotherapist before commencing any new exercise.

So a big mistake when rehabilitating the hamstring is the lack of eccentric work. People tend to stretch and concentrically strengthen muscles which do not protect the hamstring when it is under the most strain. Eccentric contraction involves contracting a muscle in a lengthened position- in the case of the hamstring, this would be from knee flexion through to knee extension. This is differs from concentric muscle activity. Muscles are contracted and shortened at the same time. This would be the equivalent of performing a hamstring curl.

Nordic hamstring exercises are found to be quite useful in strengthening the hamstring muscle to prevent hamstring injury.