Stretching Your Hamstrings - 9 different variations for you.

We often get asked at the clinic about how best to stretch the hamstrings. 

The truth is there is not a single method that is 'best' for all people and all injuries. 

Some stretches work better for certain problems. This is largely due to the fact that different stretches will bias (or target) different aspects of the muscle and different methods change the 'type' of stretch you get. 

In addition any experienced therapist will know that some individuals 'feel' a better stretch with one method when compared to another. This can vary from person to person. For that reason it's often best to try a few different methods of stretching, before deciding on which one to stick with.

Below are 9 different ways to stretch your hamstrings, try a few of them a 'feel' what works best for you:

For a full size printable copy of the stretches click here.

P.s. There are many more methods for stretching the hamstrings that are not included above, however this should be a good starting point.

P.p.s I have a couple of stretches that are my personal favourites. For example, the No1 stretch that I use is the second one from the bottom. There are a few reasons I prefer this stretch, but the reasons are a bit lengthy to go into on this blog post. Again this one doesn't work well for all people but it's one I use often. 

The best way(s) to ice an injury

So you have just injured yourself - you know you must ice the injured area, but have you ever thought about the best way to do that?

There are several ways to ice an injury, certain circumstances make some methods more appropriate than others. For that reason this blog post will outline a few of the best icing methods and give you some examples of when they are most appropriate to use.

Ice baths

This method is largely used after activity where it is believed that there has been wide spread micro-trauma to the muscle tissues of the legs (or lower limbs). I.e. running (distance), cycling, rugby, football, hockey, squash etc. This is a very general icing method, all areas of your legs will be iced equally, because of that this application is best used where there in not a specific injury.   

Micro-trauma, or tiny tears in the muscles, usually occur after intense or prolonged bouts of exercise. Everyone from elite athletes to your average gym goer can make use of this type of icing. The primary benefits of ice bathing include reduced muscular soreness, reduced metabolic activity (swelling) and flushing of 'waste' products in the muscles.

How to apply this type of icing (time required: 5-15mins)

Step 1. Fill your bath up to waist height with cold water (10-12°c). Depending on where you are and the time of the year your bath may run out at this temperature with the cold tap only, if not you'll have to add ice to get the temperature cold enough.
Step 2. Sit in the cold water, yes it will be chilly! From experience the first couple of minutes will be the most uncomfortable.  

Ice cube massage

This is a very direct method and one of the most aggressive forms of icing that can be used. It is great for use on small areas of inflammation (or tendinitis type injuries). Some examples of the type of injuries I'll often prescribe this for are Achilles tendinitis, golfer elbow, tennis elbow, patella tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and ankle sprains. If the area that needs to be iced is no more than about 3x the size of a 50pence piece this method is perfect.

How to apply this type of icing (time required: 5-7mins)

Step 1. Take an ice cube and grip it with a piece of kitchen towel (or something similar) leaving part of the ice cube exposed.
Step 2. Massage the inflamed area working in a figure of eight or circular fashion.

Gel ice packs (or a bag of peas) - available to buy here
Most people will be familiar with the method of icing. As with the other methods the primary reason for icing in this way is to limit localised swelling and to control pain levels. This type of icing is best used when the injury site is larger and more diffuse. The type of injuries you will want to use this method of icing with will be injuries such as a bruised quadriceps (thigh) muscle or a tear to the hamstring.

How to apply this type of icing (time required: 10-15mins) 

Step 1. Take your ice pack or peas out of the freezer and wrap them with a thin kitchen cloth or towel.
Step 2. Place the ice pack over the injury site, you can use tape or a bandage to lightly hold it in position. 

Instant ice packs - available to buy here
This application is essentially the same a using a standard ice pack or peas. These instant ice packs are more convenient because they do not need to be stored in a freezer. The can be stored anywhere and as their name suggests they can be used instantly. They do not start off cold, they contain to chemicals within the bag and once the two chemical are mixed the ice bag goes cold within a couple of seconds.

These are the ice packs I use if I'm working with a sports team on the touch line. They are useful as it means I have an instant 'ice' treatment available to me when I need it, without the need of having access to a freezer. These are ideal for putting in the boot of your car for a 'just in case' scenario. Although they are very useful there are two draw backs with these ice packs. Firstly they don't get quite as cold as gel ice packs - though they are cold enough in an emergency. The second problem is they can only be used once, after which they must be thrown away. As I said they are really only for use when there is no other option.

How to apply this type of icing (time required: 10-15mins)

Step 1. Squeeze ice pack and shake to mix the chemicals.
Step 2. Place the ice pack over the injury site, you can use tape or a bandage to lightly hold it in position. 

As always if you have any questions regarding this post please feel free to email us...

All You Need To Know About Lateral Ankle Sprains!

Ankle sprains are very common in sport. The most common type of injury to the ankle is damage to the ligamentous structures. The four most commonly injured ligaments are the anterior talofibular (ATFL), calcaneofibular (CFL), posterior talofibular (PTFL) and the anterior inferior tibiofibular (AiTFL). Out of those, the most frequently injured in sport is the ATFL.

The names of the ligaments sound complicated but they just describe the bones that the ligaments attach onto, for example the anterior talofibular is the ligament that joins the talus (*) and the fibula (∆) together and is called anterior because it sits more forward than its posterior counterpart!

The usual way of injuring the ATFL is by pointing your foot (plantarflexion) and twisting it inwards (inversion).  Once an ankle sprain is suspected, rest, ice, compression and elevation should be applied immediately. If possible, place the ankle in a bucket of icy water for 1 minute, take it out for 1 minute and repeat 10 times. This should be done every hour or as often as possible for the first 48 hours. This will help to keep the swelling down and will help with diagnosis when you go to see a sports therapist/physiotherapist.

The sprain should be graded from 1-3; 1 being only a partial tear of the ligament with next to no swelling and grade 3 being a complete rupture of the ligament with a lot of swelling.

Once you have pain free non-weightbearing movement, exercises can start to be prescribed by your therapist. These should continually be progressed which is why it is important to see your therapist at least on a weekly basis to make sure the exercises you are doing are safe and effective and to ensure you aren’t doing anything too strenuous too soon!

If you want some more advice on your ankle sprain then I am contactable via my email address.. sara.theringwoodclinic@gmail.com or you can book an appointment with us by visiting our website www.theringwoodclinic.co.uk or phoning us on 01425 480030.