|
monkeyarm
Apr 14, 2003, 6:10 AM
Post #1 of 13
(7392 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2002
Posts: 323
|
At the Earth Treks compitition this weekend I was the guy who got carried out about an hour and a half into it. I had a high heel hook and when i went to push down on it felt a pop in my hamstring.
Turns out I partially tore the muscle and partially tore the tendon that attatches the muscle to the pelvis. Has anyone had an injury similar to this? How long before you were able to climb again and what kind, if any, rehab did you do?
|
|
|
|
|
roughster
Apr 14, 2003, 7:02 AM
Post #2 of 13
(7392 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 3, 2002
Posts: 4003
|
OK I can't say I have ever had a "real" hamstring injury, but I know when mine gets really sore, I swim.
Swimming seems to stretch and work it out enough in a low impact way that it very much helps the healing process. Now, in your case, it may be much more serious.
I would suggest talking to a real doctor before proceeding wih any activities or rehab program.
|
|
|
|
|
sandbag
Apr 14, 2003, 7:36 AM
Post #3 of 13
(7392 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 12, 2003
Posts: 1443
|
Rehab, rehab and more rehab. Youll need a trainer or a physical therapist and lots of ice and stretching etc. I ran track in college, and had the pleasure of pulling my hammies a couple times and actually ruptured my semimembranosous. that sucked. Black and blue from my illiac crest to my ankle. It will take time but you can get on the rock immediately. just dont do a lot of heel hooks or anything with that leg that attacks the hammies. stratching and rehab is all you can do. and invest in ibuprofen. youll make it, i did.... :D
|
|
|
|
|
monkeyarm
Apr 14, 2003, 2:30 PM
Post #4 of 13
(7392 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 11, 2002
Posts: 323
|
That is pretty similar to what I did, it is a partial tear of the semitendonosus, and I have some bruising but, bot quite as bad as yours was.
|
|
|
|
|
shoo
Feb 4, 2008, 5:27 AM
Post #5 of 13
(6456 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 22, 2006
Posts: 1501
|
I just did this today. I was leading an overhanging route at a local Boston gym, had a heel hook in, I hear a series of rapid pops in my hamstring followed by excruciating pain, and down I go.
Doc says at least 6 weeks of recovery. Shit.
This is more for me to vent my frustration than for anyone's benefit.
(This post was edited by shoo on Feb 4, 2008, 5:28 AM)
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Feb 4, 2008, 8:49 PM
Post #6 of 13
(6424 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
Do not stretch a fresh hamstring injury.
A fairly recent study in JOSPT (Journal of Sports and Orthopedic Physical Therapy) studied severe hamstring injuries in athletes. Stretching a hamstring tear LENGTHENS the time before you return to sports. Also avoid sagittal-plane activities (running, fast walking, hiking, diagonal stride XC skiing, etc.) for now.
Start by side-stepping. Both directions. Daily, 15-20 minutes total. when the bruising (ecchymosis) is gone, pick up speed, and start doing some carryovers (carioca), from side-to-side. After 1-2 weeks of that, you can resume some sagittal-plane activity, starting with fast walking on a treadmill, progressing as appropriate to stair climbing, lunging, and jumping activities. GO SLOW! and do NOT re-injure.
Usually a 4-6 week rehab. Longer if you are older, or have a very severe tear.
Let me know if you have more specific questions.
|
|
|
|
|
shoo
Feb 18, 2008, 5:58 AM
Post #7 of 13
(6341 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 22, 2006
Posts: 1501
|
This question is directed specifically at medical professionals (trainers, physical therapists, and physicians preferably) who also climb. I have less faith in campus health center docs, as I'm sure they are unfamiliar with climbing.
I strained my hamstring 3 weeks ago, same basic concept as above. A series of pops, sciatic pain, etc. I'm going to go see a doc in a few days about this, but I'd really like to get back to climbing. It's been 3 out of my 6 weeks of prescribed "no running, jumping, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, or having fun" period. I've been off crutches for 2 weeks. I'm 21 and in otherwise extremely good health.
Against advice, I went to a rock gym a few days ago. I avoided heal hooks and moves which would require hamstring strain, and only occasionally felt a tweak of pain, at which point i stopped whatever I was doing.
The question is if I'm really shortchanging my recovery by returning to climbing early. I have a history of hamstring issues already, and I'd rather not do any more permanent damage. At the same time, though, I haven't been this inactive for years, and I'm going a little insane.
Am I ready to go back to climbing lightly? Since you clearly can't do a fair prognosis over the internet, what questions should I ask my doctor to determine if I can come back? Is this the kind of injury where I can do things as long as it doesn't hurt, or am I still doing damage? Is there anything I should (or could) be doing besides rest?
(This post was edited by shoo on Feb 18, 2008, 5:59 AM)
|
|
|
|
|
aerili
Feb 18, 2008, 6:35 PM
Post #8 of 13
(6321 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 13, 2006
Posts: 1166
|
And people wonder why I advocate lower body strength training for climbers, especially posterior chain training.
|
|
|
|
|
ladyrockstar
Feb 18, 2008, 6:57 PM
Post #9 of 13
(6318 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 22, 2006
Posts: 26
|
Good luck! I tore my hamstring climbing at Devil's Tower in November of '05, and it hasn't healed yet. It seldom hurts while I'm active. but every time I sit down, it feels like I'm sitting on a spike. I've tried pillows, donuts, and everything else I could think of, but no good. I still climb, hike, and run, and it seldom bothers me until I sit down. I've been to a sports doctor who gave me several exercises to do, and I did them faithfully for weeks, but never had any relief. I finally just decided that it's something that I live with, and I try not to sit too often 
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Feb 18, 2008, 8:06 PM
Post #10 of 13
(6311 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
Hi Shoo...
A torn hamstring can be a very serious injury...career-threatening to a professional athlete, especially a sprinter, NFL cornerback, etc. As I wrote above, the newest research indicates early, but NON-STRESSING lower extremity motion. sidestepping will keep your legs moving without stressing the hamstring.
If you try to stretch a freshly torn (strained) muscle, you tear it further, If you try to strengthen a freshly torn muscle, you also tear it apart further.
6 weeks for a 21 year old is a pretty average time for this injury. I'm NOT saying "do nothing for six weeks", I'm saying do the sidestepping/carioca regime outlined above. People who did that, in the study I mentioned, returned to competition earlier than those who did nothing, and MUCH faster than those who either stretched or strengthened.
After six weeks, start some easy stair climbing. You will have some scar tissue remodeling to do. That is probably (hopefully?) what you felt with the mild "twinges" you felt while climbing.
If you looked at muscle (or tendon or ligament) under a microscope, it would look like nicely organized, parallel fibers. Fresh scar tissue, under a microscope, looks like a random collection of fibers, in 3 dimensions, kind of a bird's nest. It tends to stick (tether) to other things in the area, and then when you start to move again, the muscle doesn't glide smoothly, because it is somewhat tethered in place. Eventually, the tissue will remodel, and glide better, and will even look more like the original parallel fibers. This process takes time. In the meantime, exercise intelligently, DO NOT STRETCH (even though it feels like you want to).
There are no nutrient/additive thingys which are PROVEN to hasten this, other than sufficient protein/water intake. A really good massage therapist or PT could help you out with deep friction masage, which can be kind of unpleasant. It shouldn't be done more than twice a week or so, and it helps to remodel the scar tissue.
Let me know if I can answer any other questions.
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Feb 18, 2008, 8:25 PM
Post #11 of 13
(6306 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
Hi LRS...
After reading your post, I may have a couple ideas.
First, when you say 'it hasn't healed yet", I disagree. I think it HAS healed in over 2 years. It has just healed poorly. You may want to look at the previous post, in which I wrote about scar tissue and remodeling. I think it is quite possible you've got a hunk of scar tissue in an inconvenient location. It's good that it doesn't bother you to climb.
It can take a long time (~6 months) to remodel this kind of thing. Aggressive deep friction masage can help, and some hamstring strengthening (stiff leg deadlifts...Aerili?) is certainly indicated. Don't get discouaged if you do them "faithfully for weeks" without improvement. The will improve over months, not weeks.
Also, when you sit, and it hurts, do you get "sciatica?", that is, pain or tingling in your leg, in the distribution of the sciatic nerve? If so, I may have a couple other ideas. Let me know.
|
|
|
|
|
shoo
Feb 19, 2008, 9:24 PM
Post #12 of 13
(6269 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 22, 2006
Posts: 1501
|
Looks like pretty good advice to me. Out of curiosity, do you have any credentials to cite and/or the study you're referencing? Just the name would work. I could probably get a hold of it through med journal databases.
|
|
|
|
|
|
