Prior Injury & Whiplash Symptoms
Several studies suggest that individuals with previous symptoms of neck pain were more likely to develop chronic symptoms after suffering a whiplash injury. But the true question was whether people who received medical attention for any neck or back injury or condition before being involved in an automobile accident reflected on their constant symptoms as compared to people who never received
Whiplash-associated disorders, or WAD, describe injuries sustained from sudden acceleration/deceleration movements. It is a common outcome after a motor vehicle collision but can also be caused by sports injuries, falls, or assaults. Whiplash refers to the mechanism of the injury, while WAD refers to the presence of symptoms like pain, stiffness, muscle spasm, and headaches. A WAD prognosis is unpredictable, with some cases remaining acute with a full recovery, while others progress to chronic conditions with long-term symptoms and disability. Early intervention recommendations include rest, chiropractic care and physical rehabilitation, massaging and stretching exercises, and an anti-inflammatory diet.
Cervical hyperextension injuries happen to drivers and passengers of moving, slow-moving (less than 14 miles per hour), and stationary vehicles when struck from behind.
Most WADs are considered soft tissue-based injuries with no fractures.
The injury goes through stages:
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Whiplash-associated disorders can be classified through grades by the severity of symptoms, including neck pain, stiffness, occipital headache, cervical, thoracic, and lumbar back pain, upper-limb pain, and paraesthesia.
Some symptoms are thought to be caused by injury to the following structures:
Causes of pain can be from any of these tissues, with the strain of the injury causing secondary edema, hemorrhage, and inflammation.
A chiropractor will identify areas of restricted joint motion, muscle tension, muscle spasm, intervertebral disc injury, and ligament injury.
Our chiropractic team is ready to help you feel your best so you can return to normal activities and get on with your life.
Pastakia, Khushnum, and Saravana Kumar. “Acute whiplash associated disorders (WAD).” Open access emergency medicine: OAEM vol. 3 29-32. 27 Apr. 2011, doi:10.2147/OAEM.S17853
Ritchie, C., Ehrlich, C. & Sterling, M. Living with ongoing whiplash-associated disorders: a qualitative study of individual perceptions and experiences. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 18, 531 (2017). doi.org/10.1186/s12891-017-1882-9
www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/whiplash-associated-disorder
Sterling, Michele. “Whiplash-associated disorder: musculoskeletal pain and related clinical findings.” The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy vol. 19,4 (2011): 194-200. doi:10.1179/106698111X13129729551949
Wong, Jessica J et al. “Are manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture effective for the management of patients with whiplash-associated disorders or neck pain and associated disorders? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the OPTIMa collaboration.” The spine journal: official Journal of the North American Spine Society vol. 16,12 (2016): 1598-1630. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2015.08.024
Woodward, M N et al. “Chiropractic treatment of chronic ‘whiplash’ injuries.” Injury vol. 27,9 (1996): 643-5. doi:10.1016/s0020-1383(96)00096-4
The legs are crucial for many individuals to move, jump, run, walk, and stand in various locations. The legs involve the thighs, hips, and knees as they work together to provide support and a range of movements for the body. For athletes, the legs allow them to run from one obstacle to another and kick the object to finish the game they are participating. Many individuals require strong leg muscles to keep the body balanced and stabilized from the upper body’s weight. One leg muscle that allows the body to be stabilized is the anterior tibialis muscle. When the legs suffer from various sports injuries or injuries in general, it can lead to issues like shin splints correlated with trigger points that can cause pain to the lower portion of the legs and can affect the body’s stability. Today’s article examines the anterior tibialis muscles, how shin splints are associated with myofascial trigger points, and various methods to treat shin splints. We refer patients to certified providers that incorporate various techniques in the lower body extremities, like lower leg pain therapies correlating to myofascial trigger point pain, to aid many people dealing with pain symptoms along the anterior tibialis muscles, causing shin splints. We encourage and appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis, especially when appropriate. We understand that education is an excellent source to asking our providers intricated questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., only utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
Have you been dealing with leg pain affecting your ability to move? Do you feel radiating pain going down to your feet? Or does even the smallest amount of pressure sends shooting pain from your knees to your feet? Many of these leg pain issues correlate to myofascial trigger points along the anterior tibialis muscles, mimicking shin splints. Studies reveal that the leg is divided into anterior, lateral, and posterior crural compartments. As one of the largest four muscles in the anterior compartment of the legs, the tibialis anterior is a thick muscle located in the front of the lateral tibia of the legs. The tibialis anterior has the muscle that allows the function to the lower leg and tendons that travel down to the ankle and foot. The anterior tibial muscle plays an important role in the lower leg through dorsiflexion and inversion of the foot. To that point, the anterior tibial muscle plays a key role in energy absorption when walking and maintaining balance.
Since the anterior tibial muscle plays a key role in energy absorption when it comes to walking and maintaining balance in the body, when the lower leg extremity muscles have been overused, it causes stress on the tibial anterior. It can lead to medial tibial stress syndrome or shin splints. Studies reveal that shin splints affect many athletes, especially runners, by causing pain and discomfort to the tibial anterior. This can cause mobility and balancing issues in the legs and lead to the development of myofascial trigger points in the anterior tibial muscle. Now, how do shin splints and myofascial trigger points correlate with each other?
Dr. Janet G. Travell, M.D., author of “Myofascial Pain and Discomfort: The Trigger Point Manual,” mentioned that one of the chief complaints many people have when experiencing myofascial trigger points would feel muscle weakness of dorsiflexion to the foot when walking. Other complaints include:
The book also mentioned that myofascial pain causes referred pain to the anterior tibial muscle, thus mimicking shin splints. The activation from myofascial trigger points causes an overload of the anterior tibial muscle, thus causing various pain issues in the legs and restricting mobility to the muscle itself.
Have you been dealing with radiating pain from your knees to your feet? Do your legs feel heavy from walking a short distance? Or do your leg muscles feel cramps that hinder your ability to move? These pain-like issues are associated with the anterior tibialis muscle being affected by trigger points. Trigger points or myofascial pain syndrome can affect the worldwide population by affecting a muscle or muscle group in the body that can impair mobility, cause pain-like symptoms, and reduces a person’s overall sense of well-being. Trigger points along the tibialis anterior muscle cause mobility issues and mimic shin splint issues in the legs. All is not lost, however, as there are ways to reduce pain-like symptoms and help manage myofascial trigger points in the anterior tibialis muscle. The video above explains where the trigger points are located in the tibialis anterior through palpitation. By finding the trigger points in the affected muscle, doctors can refer patients to pain specialists who target trigger points and provide treatment to reduce the pain.
There are various methods to treat the tibialis anterior when treating shin splints associated with trigger points. Studies reveal that one of the multiple ways to reduce shin splints is to strengthen the core hip muscles, improve running mechanics, and prevent lower-extremity overuse injuries. Muscle strength training allows the other muscles from the abdominals, gluteal, and hips to be stronger and reduce strain on the anterior tibialis muscles. Another method that many individuals should consider is to wear the appropriate footwear. Wearing the proper footwear can reduce the shock absorption to the feet and reduce the overloading forces on the anterior tibialis. These are two methods to manage trigger points and prevent shin splints from re-occurring in the legs.
As one of the four leg muscles, the anterior tibialis is a large muscle located in front of the lateral tibia and travels down to the ankles and foot. This muscle plays an important role in the legs as it allows dorsiflexion and inversion of the foot while also playing a key role in energy absorption when walking and maintaining balance. When the anterior tibialis becomes overused, it can develop trigger points, which invoke shin splints in the legs. When the legs suffer from shin splints associated with trigger points, it can cause pain in the lower leg extremities and cause the body to become unstable. However, various methods can take the load off the tibialis anterior and help improve the body’s stability, allowing the individual to walk without feeling pain traveling up from their feet.
Deshmukh, Nikita S, and Pratik Phansopkar. “Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: A Review Article.” Cureus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 July 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9356648/.
Galbraith, R Michael, and Mark E Lavallee. “Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: Conservative Treatment Options.” Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Oct. 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2848339/.
Juneja, Pallavi, and John B Hubbard. “Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Tibialis Anterior Muscles.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 29 Aug. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513304/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 2:the Lower Extremities. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
Zielinska, Nicol, et al. “Anatomical Variations of the Tibialis Anterior Tendon Insertion: An Updated and Comprehensive Review.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 19 Aug. 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8396864/.
The spine is the body’s central highway, with the spinal canal as the main lane that handles all the traffic. There are entrances and exits, or spinal cavities, that allow the nerves to branch off the spinal cord and run throughout the body. A traffic jam develops during lane closures, accidents, or construction at an entrance or exit. Lateral recess stenosis causes the narrowing of the spine’s lateral recess/Lee’s entrance, which can compress nerves, impede nerve circulation, and cause painful symptoms.
The spinal column provides a strong and flexible structure for the spinal cord. The nerves travel from the spinal cord through various openings and passageways to the rest of the body. One of the openings is known as the lateral recess. Stenosis means narrowing. When a lateral recess in a vertebra develops stenosis, the nerve in that area can get jammed/pinched with no room to move, causing varying symptoms and sensations.
Depending on where the stenosis is taking place (neck, middle or low back), common symptoms of lateral recess stenosis can include:
The National Institute of Health lists the major causes:
Lateral recess stenosis has no current cure, but there are options to treat stenosis symptoms.
If activity modification, NSAIDs, bracing, and physical therapy don’t work or provide adequate relief, a doctor or specialist could recommend surgery.
American College of Rheumatology (n.d.) “Spinal Stenosis” www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Spinal-Stenosis
Arthritis Foundation (n.d.) “Corticosteroids” www.arthritis.org/drug-guide/corticosteroids/corticosteroids
Drug Design, Development and Therapy (2014) “Steroid for epidural injection in spinal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis” doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S78070
Lee, Seung Yeop, et al. “Lumbar Stenosis: A Recent Update by Review of Literature.” Asian spine journal vol. 9,5 (2015): 818-28. doi:10.4184/asj.2015.9.5.818
Liu, Kuan, et al. “Steroid for epidural injection in spinal stenosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” Drug design, development, and therapy vol. 9 707-16. Jan 30, 2015, doi:10.2147/DDDT.S78070
Medline Plus (n.d.) “Achondroplasia” medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/achondroplasia/
Microspine (n.d.) “Endoscopic Decompression” www.microspinemd.com/microspine-surgery/endoscopic-decompression/
National Institutes of Health (n.d.) “Spinal Stenosis” www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/spinal-stenosis
Northwest Medical Center (2022) “Lateral Recess/Foraminal Stenosis” nw-mc.com/lateral-recessforaminal-stenosis/
NSPC Brain and Spine Surgery (n.d.) Lateral Recess Stenosis nspc.com/lateral-recess-stenosis/
Raja A, Hoang S, Patel P, et al. Spinal Stenosis. [Updated 2022 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441989/
As one of the stabilizers for the body, the knees are located between the thighs and legs, allowing flexion and extension. The knees help the hips by supporting the upper body’s weight and allowing the legs to move from one place to another without feeling pain. The knee has various muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee joint, allowing the leg to be bent when active. One of the muscles is located behind the knee, known as the popliteus, and supports the legs. However, minor injuries or actions can affect the knees causing the joint to be in a “lock” position and develop myofascial trigger points that can induce muscle spasms in the knees. Today’s article focuses on the popliteus muscle, how knee pain is associated with trigger points, and how to manage knee pain through various treatments. We refer patients to certified providers that incorporate multiple methods in the lower body extremities, like knee pain treatments correlating to myofascial trigger points, to aid many people dealing with pain symptoms along the popliteus muscles. We encourage and appreciate each patient by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis, especially when appropriate. We understand that education is an excellent source to asking our providers intricated questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., only utilizes this information as an educational service. Disclaimer
Have you been dealing with pain behind your knees? Do you have issues bending your knees when climbing up or down the stairs? Or do your back knee muscles start to twitch uncontrollably, causing muscle spasms? Many knee issues correlate with various factors that can affect the popliteus muscle and develop trigger points. The popliteus is a small muscle with a very important job as it is a major stabilizing muscle to the knees. The popliteus muscle originates from the lateral side of the femur and inserts itself into the posterior surface of the tibia. Some attachments are between the popliteus and lateral meniscus, allowing the knees to be in motion and providing flexion without pain and entrapment. Additional studies reveal that when a person exercises, the popliteus’s basic function helps bring about and maintain internal rotation of the tibia on the femur. The popliteus also helps prevent the foot from external rotation and allows the individual to stand correctly. However, injuries to the knee could overstretch the popliteus muscle and cause mobility issues to the knee flexion.
When dealing with knee pain, it could often be a joint disorder like osteoarthritis or a musculoskeletal condition like sciatica pain associated with the knee. These issues could be due to normal factors like constantly sitting down or bending down to lift heavy objects that cause the knees to buckle. However, when the popliteus muscle has been continuously overused from being bent, it can form tiny nodules known as trigger points to cause knee pain. Studies reveal that trigger points on the muscles surrounding the knee are often ignored during a clinical diagnosis. Trigger points cause referred pain to the surrounding muscles, accompanied by various sensory sensations like heaviness, tingling, and hypersensitivity to the popliteus muscle. In “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction,” written by Dr. Travell, M.D. stated that one of the chief complaints that many patients often talk to their doctors about is the pain they feel in the back of their knees when they are in a crouch position. The book also states when normal actions like running or twisting have overloaded the popliteus muscle, it can cause trauma or strain to the popliteus muscle and tear the posterior cruciate ligament to the knees.
Have you been having knee issues that make walking difficult for a long period? Do you feel like your knees are locking up constantly? What about feeling unstable when standing or carrying objects around? These issues that affect the knees are associated with trigger points along the popliteus muscles. The popliteus muscle is small, located at the back of the knees, and assists with knee flexion. When the popliteus muscle becomes overused, it can cause trigger points to form and cause knee issues. Studies reveal that various issues, like tendon injuries, are associated with repetitive mechanical stresses that can cause degenerative knee lesions. Any trauma or muscle strain can affect the knee’s function of flexing and bending without pain for trigger points to form along the popliteus muscles. The video above focuses on the popliteus muscle, where the trigger points are located, and where the referred pain patterns are situated in the knees. On the bright side, all is not lost, as various treatments offer ways to manage knee pain associated with trigger points.
When it comes to knee pain, many individuals will apply an ice or heat compress to allow the surrounding muscles to relax while reducing the pain and swelling. Other individuals use over-the-counter medicines to eliminate the pain for a few hours. While these work at managing knee pain, various treatments target trigger points and can help improve flexion mobility back to the knees. Studies reveal that muscle stretching on the popliteus muscle contributes to joint position sense to knee joint stability and function. Stretching the popliteus muscles can reduce the pain in the back of the knee while elongating the muscle fibers to manage trigger points from forming again. Other treatments that people can do to avoid trigger points from returning is to avoid walking or running in a lateral sloped area to prevent the knees from locking up. Incorporating these treatments to prevent knee issues and allow the knee to function properly.
The knees are one of the stabilizers in the body that are located between the thighs and legs, allowing flexion and extension. As a small muscle located in the back of the knees, the popliteus stabilizes the knees and enables them to be in motion without pain. However, when the popliteus muscle becomes overstretched and overused, it can develop trigger points in the popliteus that invoke referred pain to the surrounding muscles and cause the knees to lock up. To that point, it causes the body to be unstable and mimics knee pain issues. Fortunately, trigger points are treatable through various treatments that help relieve the pain and reduce the trigger points from returning. When these treatments are utilized on the knees, the surrounding muscles regain flexion mobility in the lower body.
English, S, and D Perret. “Posterior Knee Pain.” Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 12 June 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941578/.
Ghaffarinejad, Farahnaz, et al. “Effect of Static Stretching of Muscles Surrounding the Knee on Knee Joint Position Sense.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2007, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2465159/.
Hyland, Scott, and Matthew Varacallo. “Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Popliteus Muscle.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 6 June 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526084/.
Mann, R A, and J L Hagy. “The Popliteus Muscle.” The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. American Volume, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 1977, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/908724/.
Sánchez Romero, Eleuterio A, et al. “Prevalence of Myofascial Trigger Points in Patients with Mild to Moderate Painful Knee Osteoarthritis: A Secondary Analysis.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Aug. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7464556/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 2:the Lower Extremities. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
Before you begin running, talk with your physician, prosthetist, and other clinicians involved in your rehabilitation/health care treatment. Learning to use a prosthetic takes time and practice. Individuals that meet the minimum recommendations for running and have mastered walking on a prosthesis can begin running. The world of sports prosthetics has realized technological advancements to become highly refined and targeted for all levels of competition.
Every individual has specific healthcare needs, and guidelines should be considered to prevent injuries.
Talk with your healthcare team to ensure the skin can withstand the forces while running. If limb skin quality is insufficient, running can result in sores and blisters that prevent wearing a prosthesis until they heal. Other considerations include the following:
Agility drills are recommended to transition from walking to running.
Running on a prosthesis requires more energy. It could be recommended to use a running prosthesis instead of the everyday prosthesis. The energy needed to run is:
Asymmetrical loading is a common problem when running with a prosthesis. Runners want to use the unaffected limb more than maintain balance for reasons that include:
Beck, Owen N et al. “Reduced prosthetic stiffness lowers the metabolic cost of running for athletes with bilateral transtibial amputations.” Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985) vol. 122,4 (2017): 976-984. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00587.2016
Bragaru, Mihai, et al. “Sport prostheses and prosthetic adaptations for the upper and lower limb amputees: an overview of peer-reviewed literature.” Prosthetics and orthotics international vol. 36,3 (2012): 290-6. doi:10.1177/0309364612447093
Kanas, Joanne L, and Mark Holowka. “Adaptive upper extremity prostheses for recreation and play.” Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine vol. 2,3 (2009): 181-7. doi:10.3233/PRM-2009-0082
Matthews, D et al. “Return to sport following amputation.” The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness vol. 54,4 (2014): 481-6.
Meyers, Carolyn, et al. “Heterotopic Ossification: A Comprehensive Review.” JBMR plus vol. 3,4 e10172. 27 Feb. 2019, doi:10.1002/jbm4.10172
Morgan, Sara J et al. “Mobility with a lower limb prosthesis: experiences of users with high levels of functional ability.” Disability and rehabilitation vol. 44,13 (2022): 3236-3244. doi:10.1080/09638288.2020.1851400
Many individuals utilize their lower muscles to move around and stay active as each muscle does its job and allows mobility to the hips and thighs. In sports, the thigh muscles are utilized constantly to extend the legs and bend the knees, allowing a powerful force to win any sports competition. At the same time, various sports injuries can occur to the hips, thighs, and legs and can affect the muscles causing pain and discomfort to the lower extremities. A hamstring injury is one of the most common injuries that can affect the thighs, which can cause many athletes to be taken out of their favorite sport to recover from the injury. Today’s article looks at the hamstring muscle, how trigger points correlate with a hamstring strain, and how various stretches can reduce muscle strain on the hamstrings. We refer patients to certified providers who incorporate multiple methods in the lower body extremities, like upper thigh and hip pain treatments correlating to myofascial trigger point pain, to aid individuals dealing with pain symptoms along the hamstring muscles. We encourage and appreciate patients by referring them to associated medical providers based on their diagnosis, especially when appropriate. We understand that education is an excellent solution to asking our providers complex questions at the patient’s request. Dr. Jimenez, D.C., utilizes this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer
Do you experience pain in the back of your upper thigh? When walking from one place to another, do you hear a popping sound in the back of your thigh? Or are you dealing with muscle tenderness in the back of your upper thigh? Many of these symptoms correlate with issues affecting the hamstrings causing trigger points to affect the upper thighs. As one of the most complex muscles comprising three muscles (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris), the hamstrings play a crucial part in daily activities. From simple actions like standing to explosive movements like sprinting or jumping, the hamstrings are known as posterior thigh muscles that begin from the pelvis and run behind the femur bone and cross the femoroacetabular and tibiofemoral joints. The hamstring muscles in the body play a prominent role in hip extension and is a dynamic stabilizer of the knee joint. To that point, the hamstring muscles are the most susceptible muscle that succumbs to injuries that can lead to disability in the legs and affect daily activities.
Since the hamstrings are the most susceptible muscles that can succumb to injuries, it takes a while for the muscle to heal, depending on the severity of the damage. Studies reveal that the hamstrings can occur injuries when a person is running or sprinting due to their anatomic arrangement, which causes the muscles to strain. To that point, depending on how much force has impacted the hamstrings, the injuries can lead to 3 of the following:
The pain that patients experience can be painful when walking, causing them to limp. In “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction,” written by Dr. Janet G. Travell, M.D., stated that when patients are dealing with pain in their hamstrings, it could potentially be associated with trigger points along the three muscles, causing pain and disability in the upper thighs. The book also mentioned that when trigger points affect the hamstrings, it can lead to muscle inhibition, compromising hip stability. Another issue that trigger points associated with hamstring strain causes in the body are that when individuals are sitting down are likely to experience posterior pain in the buttock, upper thighs, and back of the knees. Luckily, there are various ways to reduce the pain along the hamstring muscles.
Have you dealt with pain along the back of your upper thighs? Does it feel uncomfortable when you are sitting down? Or do your hamstrings ache or feel tight after running for a long period? People dealing with issues in their hamstrings could be dealing with muscle strain associated with trigger points. The hamstring muscles play a vital role in the body as it allows the individual to walk, run, bend the knees and even extend the legs. The hamstring muscles are also the most susceptible to injury, causing disability to the legs. Studies reveal that trigger points associated with the hamstring muscles can lead to soreness or irritability in the muscle fibers that may interfere with the biomechanics and normal functioning of the lower limbs. The video above explains where the hamstrings are located and how the trigger points can cause referred pain to the hamstrings. To that point, trigger points can affect a person’s ability to walk and affect the surrounding muscles in the lower body while mimicking other chronic conditions.
When the hamstrings become injured, the healing rate usually depends on how severe the injury is in the hamstrings. If a hamstring injury is mild, the tears or strains can heal within about three to eight weeks, and if the hamstring injury is severe, the tears or strains could be long as three months. When the hamstrings are tense and on the verge of tearing, many people should stop overusing the muscle. Various stretches can reduce muscle strain on the hamstrings and relieve tension from the hamstrings to allow mobility back to the legs. Studies reveal that manual ischemic compression on the upper thigh muscles can significantly reduce pain in the lower limbs. This allows the individual to manage the trigger points associated with the hamstrings and reduce the chances of them re-occurring in the legs.
As the most important muscle in the lower body extremities, the hamstrings play a crucial part in the body as they allow the individual to walk, run, and stand without feeling pain. However, even though they are important muscles, they are susceptible to injuries. When the hamstrings become injured, the recovery process varies depending on the severity and can develop trigger points along the muscle fibers. To that point, it causes referred pain along the upper thigh muscle and affects a person’s ability to walk. Fortunately, incorporating various stretches to the hamstrings can alleviate the pain and reduce the trigger points from re-occurring in the muscle. This allows mobility back to the legs, and many individuals can resume their daily activities.
Esparza, Danilo, et al. “Effects of Local Ischemic Compression on Upper Limb Latent Myofascial Trigger Points: A Study of Subjective Pain and Linear Motor Performance.” Rehabilitation Research and Practice, Hindawi, 4 Mar. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6425406/.
Poudel, Bikash, and Shivlal Pandey. “Hamstring Injury – Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 28 Aug. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558936/.
Rodgers, Cooper D, and Avaias Raja. “Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Hamstring Muscle.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 29 Jan. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546688/.
Thummar, Ravindra C, et al. “Association between Trigger Points in Hamstring, Posterior Leg, Foot Muscles and Plantar Fasciopathy: A Cross- Sectional Study.” Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Aug. 2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33218537/.
Travell, J. G., et al. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual: Vol. 2:the Lower Extremities. Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
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