Hamstring Injury and return to sport
The most common injury in Soccer and AFL
It is well documented, hamstring strains are the most common injury in both elite Soccer and Australian Rules Football (AFL)¹. Muscle strains are among the leading causes of time missed due to injury across a wide range of sports. Muscle strain recurrences can be a challenging problem, often difficult to prevent and manage.
Risk factors
A recent study looking at recurrence of muscle strains in professional AFL, showed the strongest risk factors for recurrence, were recent history of hamstring strain injury less than 8 weeks ago. The elevated risk of hamstring reinjury was 15 weeks post initial injury for hamstring strains. Previous ACL injury was shown to be an independent risk factor for hamstring strains. During the first match following return to play, muscle strain recurrence rate for the hamstrings was around 9%. Then injury recurrence rates dropped to 4% for the second match back².
Reduce rates of recurrence
The most important takeaway from this paper was the extended period of time that athletes are vulnerable of muscle strain recurrence. This highlights the importance of prolonged rehabilitation following muscle strains and gradual return to high speed running. In recent years there has been improvements in objective testing, return to play parameters, load management and athlete fatigue monitoring, all contributing to the reduced rates of injury recurrence.
It does not matter which muscle is strained or severity of the strain, a continued focus on the recovery of strength and range of motion of the affected muscle is critical to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Research has shown the value of in-season training and prolonged rehabilitation for the reduction of muscle strains, including the Nordic hamstring exercise for hamstring strain³.
If you have strained a muscle or have an injury history of muscle strains, Book in and see our experienced sports physios to help get you on an appropriate rehabilitation program.
REFERENCES
1. Ekstrand J, Healy JC, Waldén M. (2012). Hamstring muscle injuries in professional football: the correlation of MRI findings with return to play. Br J Sports Med.
2. Orchard J, Jomaa M, Orchard J, Rae K, Hoffman D, Reddin T, Driscoll T (2020). Fifteen week window for recurrent muscle strains in football: a prospective cohort of 3600 muscle strains over 23 years in professional Australian rules football. BJSM. doi: 10.1136/ bjsports-2019-100755
3. Van der Horst N, Smits DW, Petersen J, Goedhart EA, Backx FJ. (2015) The preventive effect of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Hamstring Injuries in amateur soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med.