Potential Hamstring Injury. What's the Best Thing to do Next?
February 1, 2020 12:36 PM Subscribe
I've had a recurring ache in my left hamstring for probably the past six months. YANMD, but who should I see to figure out what it is, and how can I try to alleviate the pain in the meantime?
Not exactly sure when this started or why, but it's been many months since I started getting an ache in my left glute/hamstring. I remember having lower back pain last summer after sitting in an uncomfortable chair for a few days, not sure if it's related, but this ache started some time after that.
After a few months of it coming and going, I started trying to stretch more to see if it would help. It was gone probably all of December, and I thought it had finally gone away, but just earlier this week, it came back full force. I stood on my left leg to pull a shoe on and I nearly fell over from the pain.
It's a deep ache, no sharp pain, but very uncomfortable all day long. If I sneeze, my body collapses a little because of the sudden pull in my left leg. My bf helped me massage it some, pushing upward from back of knee to glute, and it felt a lot better, but then next day it's the same.
Does anyone know what this could be? The only exercise I do is rock climb a few times a week. Just over a year ago, I sprained my left ankle, and did PT for a month before I returned to climbing. Not sure if it's related. I have an advanced massage scheduled for next week. Appreciate any advice as to what to do next.
Not exactly sure when this started or why, but it's been many months since I started getting an ache in my left glute/hamstring. I remember having lower back pain last summer after sitting in an uncomfortable chair for a few days, not sure if it's related, but this ache started some time after that.
After a few months of it coming and going, I started trying to stretch more to see if it would help. It was gone probably all of December, and I thought it had finally gone away, but just earlier this week, it came back full force. I stood on my left leg to pull a shoe on and I nearly fell over from the pain.
It's a deep ache, no sharp pain, but very uncomfortable all day long. If I sneeze, my body collapses a little because of the sudden pull in my left leg. My bf helped me massage it some, pushing upward from back of knee to glute, and it felt a lot better, but then next day it's the same.
Does anyone know what this could be? The only exercise I do is rock climb a few times a week. Just over a year ago, I sprained my left ankle, and did PT for a month before I returned to climbing. Not sure if it's related. I have an advanced massage scheduled for next week. Appreciate any advice as to what to do next.
No idea what it is, but any physiotherapist worth their salt should be able to tell you what it could be and more importantly how to treat it. Physios I've seen can also do deep tissue massage. But maybe it works differently in the US.
posted by Athanassiel at 12:59 PM on February 1, 2020
posted by Athanassiel at 12:59 PM on February 1, 2020
I'm just recovering from a persistent semi-mysterious pain in my hip, and my solution was to see a doc and get a referral to physical therapy.
From the doc, I heard two things: "I'm not exactly sure which small muscle you've pulled, but you haven't healed because you haven't hit it hard enough, consistently enough, with anti-inflammatories." So he gave me a prescription-strength RX for ibuprofen, and had me take it around the clock for two weeks. And then referred me to the PT.
From the PT, I had a slow and careful examination of all the various ways a hip can move, which then narrowed down to the specific area of my injury. And then I got specific exercises and stretches to help.
The combo of these things has really helped me.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:33 PM on February 1, 2020
From the doc, I heard two things: "I'm not exactly sure which small muscle you've pulled, but you haven't healed because you haven't hit it hard enough, consistently enough, with anti-inflammatories." So he gave me a prescription-strength RX for ibuprofen, and had me take it around the clock for two weeks. And then referred me to the PT.
From the PT, I had a slow and careful examination of all the various ways a hip can move, which then narrowed down to the specific area of my injury. And then I got specific exercises and stretches to help.
The combo of these things has really helped me.
posted by BlahLaLa at 2:33 PM on February 1, 2020
Thirding physical therapy. I had something that sounds fairly similar (including a single incident that left me reeling in pain) and it has turned out to ultimately based on glute/hip/core issues that had developed over quite some time. The PT taught me stretches and strengthening exercises, progressing over time, starting with those areas and then moving on to legs as well, and over several weeks I've gotten much better.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 4:22 PM on February 1, 2020
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 4:22 PM on February 1, 2020
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posted by Iris Gambol at 12:52 PM on February 1, 2020 [1 favorite]