How do I strengthen my hamstrings / rehabilitate them after injury?

[Chris1]

Please can some one give me more advice on how to strengthen and rehabilitate my hamstrings after a strain injury.

I have booked a course of deep tissue massages and stretch regular through the day, but I have been unable to run without the pain in the back of both knees. It is getting better, but I am really worried because the London Marathon is in three weeks and my training has been non existant for 4 weeks now!

Do I keep walking everyday, do light weights or just keep resting and stretching?

Help please..thank you.

[Heidi]

Hi
What happened to cause the pain?
The reason I ask is that it is unusaly for a hamstring strain to occur in both sides and so low down.
If the pain developed gradually then i would suggest that it isn't a hamstring strain and is more of a referred pain, possibly from the buttocks or even the lower back.
You should get this looked at by a professional asap...definitely before you attempt the marathon.

[Chris1]

Hi Heidi,

Thank you for the quick reply.

My osteopath told me that my hamstrings were very tight, so it had caused them to pull on where they are connected to my lower leg. Where I had run the half marathon a few weeks back, it had agrovated it.

The pain has developed after I started uping my distance to about 10 miles (apparently I was not stretching properly before and after my runiing!)

I have transfered my marathon place to next year now, as it was silly to expect to run it with this injury so close.

What do you think?

[Heidi]

Ok
Yes I think it is wise to defer your place to next year.
If there is soreness in the hamstrings near the knee then yes the hamstring tendons could be the cause of the problem.

[Chris1]

Thank you for the Advice. I am going to get referred to the physio tomorrow, so I will rest until I get it sorted now.