hamstring tendonitis--does anyone have a success story?

[KathyJF]

I had had nagging hamstring tightness for at least 18 months before wrenching my right hamstring in April when I tripped while running. The orthopedist/sports medicine guy diagnosed hamstring tendonitis and first had me try anti-inflammatories; when that didn't work, he started me on PT. Both he and the PT said not to run for a while because that would prolong the inflammation. I also wasn't supposed to do anything that caused me pain in the hamstring. I think the PT was very good but progress was very slow (which she said was to be expected). I finally had a cortisone shot in July and that helped dramatically--I probably should have had it sooner. Things went well till I moved from my apt to my boyfriend's house. Despite having a mover, I had to do a lot of bending and lifting, and that caused a setback. The PT thought I wd improve, and after a couple more weeks we suspended therapy. At that point I was running just a bit (~10 minutes plus some walking).

A few weeks later, frustrated that I still had achiness, I decided to try a chiropractor. I've now seen her seven times and while I have had a couple of days when things seemed better, I don't have sustained improvement. Has anyone been in similar circumstances? If so, what eventually worked for you? Thanks so much for any experience anyone can offer.

 

[NinjaMom]

RE: hamstring tendonitis--does anyone have a success st...

I have been plagued by hamstring tightness/soreness in the past. It took many many months before it eventually got better. I tried PT, chiro, accupuncture, ultrasound, shiatsu & deep tissue massage and stretching. While some of these helped, I came to the conclusion that it just needed time to heal. I still continued to work out (with DR's OK) but eliminated anything that caused "pain". It took 9+ months to get to the point where I did not feel the tightness or had soreness to the touch.

One piece of advice I would give is not to overstretch the hamstring. I made that mistake and it caused an imbalance. In June, I tore my hamstring tendon at the sitbones. Both my orthopedist/sports med Dr. and physical therapist believe it was because my hamstring was lengthened so far from overstretching that it failed to contract properly. I was throwing an explosive kick in karate at the time and because the muscle didn't fire like it is supposed to, it put too much force on the tendon that connects the hamstring to the sit bones and tore. OUCH! I always thought being extremely flexible was a good thing but there is a limit and going beyond is a recipe for disaster.

I understand your frustration and hope you find some relief soon.

Take care

JJ

 

[KathyJF]

RE: hamstring tendonitis--does anyone have a success st...

Hi JJ,

Thank you very much for sharing your experience. So sorry to hear about your injury in June--I hope it is getting better. As for extreme flexibility, I think I have the opposite problem. And being 53 isn't helping matters. But I appreciate knowing that things eventually got better for you in the past--that's encouraging to me-- and I sure hope your hamstring tear is healing.

Kathy