If you’ve recently torn a hamstring, you might be wondering how long your recovery time might last. The answer depends heavily on how serious your injury is.
Hamstring tears are graded into three different levels. A level one tear is microscopic, and it will typically take around three weeks to heal. Level two tears are more serious and involve a partial tear of the hamstring. These tears often heal in four to eight weeks. The most severe hamstring tear is a grade three tear where the muscle affected is completely torn. These tears will often require surgery and can take up to three months to heal after surgery.
There are factors that can help you reduce your torn hamstring’s recovery time, and physical therapists can help you learn some of these factors.
Factors that can decrease a torn hamstring’s recovery time
People who play sports or are very active can be impatient to get back to moving as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are ways that you can reduce your healing time. Some factors to consider that can help speed up your recovery process include:
- Taking a break — You will need to rest your injured hamstring to allow it to heal. This might mean taking short breaks as you go about your daily routine. It might also involve taking a few weeks or months off from training or participating in sports. If you don’t give your injury the time it needs to heal, you’re more likely to end up with the same injury again.
- Staying as active as possible — You might need to use crutches to move around. However, staying as active as you can might also help your injured hamstring heal. Activity helps improve blood flow to the injured area. It can also help increase the levels of natural painkillers in your body, called endorphins.
- Keep your injury elevated — It’s important to elevate your injured leg if you want it to heal faster. Elevation helps reduce swelling in your leg. In turn, this allows the body to concentrate more on healing than reducing inflammation.
- Going to physical therapy — Physical therapy can help people return to their normal activities faster after a hamstring tear. It can also help speed up recovery after a hamstring repair surgery. Furthermore, physical therapists can work with you on how to avoid future injuries.
What techniques can physical therapists use to treat your hamstring tear?
There are many therapy techniques that can be used to reduce torn hamstring recovery times. A few of these techniques are:
Find treatment for your hamstring tear at Whatcom PT
Determined to decrease your torn hamstring’s recovery time? Our physical therapists at Whatcom Physical Therapy can help you meet this goal. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint how severe your hamstring tear is. Also, our specialists excel at constructing therapy plans that are customized to fit each patient’s needs.
Is your injury making it difficult to leave your home? No worries! Our team offers virtual therapy sessions that allow you to meet with us right from your own home.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help with a hamstring injury or to schedule an initial appointment.
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