Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttccchhh NOT strain

Here we go again! My goal again is to blog 5 days a week for awhile. Maybe you all should take bets about how long I can keep this up, haha! I have to say I was feeling really defeated on Friday.  I had just finished that big long week of posts and find out that people have been using my blog for disgusting reasons.  It was enough to make me want to throw in the towel all together.  But I think I am made of tougher stuff than that.  I wish there was a way to block your site from being used for gross things.  If anyone knows about that let me know!

Today I am going to touch on something I have sort of talked about before but more in detail.  You may remember this post from many moons ago on a good stretching routine. And of course last week I mentioned how the hamstrings may have been one of my husbands biggest downfalls that led to his back surgery.  Well tonight we were working at the kids club at church and I saw one of my friends fall and pull his hamstring while running around playing capture the flag with the kids.  I know he is going to be sore tomorrow! It reminds me how much I need to educate people to STRETCH, people stretch.  Please.  I'm begging you!!!

Had a young patient who participated in the Girls On the Run program at her school AND THEY DIDN'T STRETCH!!! Shame on them.  Landed her in two months of PT at a young age. Had another patient who had been running marathons for twenty years and had chronic reoccurring hamstring strains, "Tell me about your stretching routine?" I asked.  "Oh." she shrugged, "I don't really stretch." Seriously.  This woman was a college professor too so it's not like she was uneducated.  I run into this ALL the time, people don't think they need to stretch UNTIL they have an injury!!! I shudder to think of how many injuries could be avoided if stretching was first and foremost a practice on EVERYONE'S mind.  (I am all about the capitalization and the exclamation points to get this through to you people!) And you can't always trust the "experts". As I have been doing Jillians Shred video for the last 2 weeks, the one area that I always struggle with, my feet and calves, and she doesn't do a calf stretch in her cool down!! I have been adding it BEFORE and after because if you have a problem area, twice is twice as nice!


Talking just about the hamstring today I am going to recycle those picture from before and talk about it again. 

 

These are two easy options, either sitting or standing. Your leg is out straight. YOUR BACK is straight, this is key! If you reach for your foot and round your back you put your hamstrings on slack, not as effective and not good for your back.  3 reps of 30 sec on each leg

 

If you need more help OR if (like my friend tonight) you strained your hamstring, I would recommend this...

 

 

Now keep in mind this is BAD flexibility! This was last summer before back surgery.  Most of you will be able to get a lot closer to the wall and get your leg a lot straighter.  Your ideal is to stretch using the wall to hold your leg up, spend 3-5 min in this stretch if you are injured or horribly tight like my guy.  Try different angles during that time turning the foot in or out and try gliding the nerve by pumping your ankle up and down.  This is very effective.

 

 

Some other tips for a strain: Ice, take over the counter meds that you can tolerate like ibuprofen, don't stay in one position too long ("Walk it off!") and if you can find someone who loves you enough to torture you have them do a deep tissue massage.  As I directed my friends that the wife had to stick her elbow in to the meat of her husbands hamstring and try to work it out for him(elbow side to side esp on any knots working your way up and down the length of the hamstring), they both looked a little concerned.  I told them my motto, "if he is not nearly crying, screaming or breathing like he is in labor, then you probably aren't doing it right!" It's brutal.  I know. I do it all the time.  And I have my husband do it to me when I am out of whack.  Why would I invite someone to inflict pain on me you ask? Because it helps!!

But the best advice is the original advice...stretch.  Then you don't have to torture your spouse with elbows in the leg. Unless you secretly want to, haha! Stretch, you may save yourself a lot of pain, having to annoyingly visit me in the clinic for a month, maybe even surgery.  Stretch. Every time. Teach others to stretch.  If your kids gym teachers aren't stretching them.  Send a note, ask that they please include it into gym time.  Stretch, stretch, stretch.

 

 

One more time: Stretch!