Hamstring tear - am I doing this properly?

[Unicorn34]

56 years old and tore my hamstring on the Sunday before the Queens funeral. Went to A&E via ambulance, stayed in overnight, Xray shows no breaks in the bone thankfully. Physiotherapist has said its a small tear that could take anything from 6 to 12 weeks to feel "normal" again.

So, I have been signed off work for the last fortnight (since it happened) and have been resting up as much as possible. I am a full time carer for my husband and also work full time so this in itself has been quite difficult mentally for me. Thing is, I've never had an injury before and don't know if I'm doing this right! If anyone has been there/done it and come out the other side, I'd be really grateful for your points of view to the following questions/issues:

1. Do I continue to stay off work until I am in less pain or am I better off getting back into the daily routine? I am in social care and can wfh, lots of desk/computer work and some visits. Obviously cannot drive but can do the telephone stuff. However, I am sleeping badly because of the discomfort at night, cannot sit up in a chair for very long (think about 5 mins) and even sitting on the loo is difficult due to where the tear is. Do I ask for another 1-2 weeks off or am I taking the piss by doing this?
2. Painkillers made me feel really unwell so not taking any. Any other things not drug related that have worked for anyone?
3. Should I stay resting or get up and move around? Not had a tear in a muscle before so no clue.
4. Feeling like I just want to stay in bed and sleep today - do I go with this or get my sorry ass out of bed? Don't think its depression as already on antidepressants and had dips in my mood before. Have a headache behind my eye and feel "off". I did do a little too much yesterday (tidying up sitting on the floor) and my buttock is painful today too - guessing this is a sign I did too much.

Please help, have been defiantly independent up til now and don't know how to be a patient!! I want to get better and back on my feet as quickly as I can, so any advice on this type of injury and how best to do it would be amazing. Thanks!

Regular icing and proper regular anti inflammatories are key. Hamstrings take ages to get better but you should see some progress - find you can gradually bear sitting for longer periods etc. Driving a car is very hurty I know! But it will get better. Can't think that any other symptoms beyond the painful butt and maybe some associated aches from walking differently would be related to the hamstring tear. I'd go with how your body feels - it tells you when it is too ouchy to do something so go with that. Do what you can that is comfortable. Don't stop moving altogether that's not going to do you any good. Do what you can? Be patient though, it takes a while. But yes plenty regular icing of it and taking anti inflammatories will really help. And eventually a bit of very gentle stretching and foam rolling over the area will help ease it by loosening and relaxing the origin and insertion of the muscle and its suppleness ( but not until it is more healed though on the roller - you can roller around it but not OVER the injury for now). HTH - I'm not medically qualified - but I have had many a hamstring injury as I do a lot of exercise and am a qualified massage therapist and Personal Trainer so know a very wee bit about injuries and muscles...

I tore my hamstring in 3 places. It was incredibly painful.

I didn't have any time off work (but I have an office job) nor did I stop doing anything but I had to walk incredibly slowly everywhere. I was on crutches for 6-8 weeks so I didn't use my leg that much and then progressed to slow walking, then fast walking, then slow directional changes etc. I went to physio religiously because it was the only thing they worked. I too had never had an injury before so I found it really frustrating and debilitating.

I so relate to the pain sitting down too long - I got a cushion that lifted the back of my legs up a bit but I still had to get up a lot!

Must be incredibly hard if you're a carer too so you have my sympathies.

It was probably 4 months before I didn't think about it and unfortunately 4 years later, I'm still wary of doing it again!

Thank you for your detailed info. Much appreciated. I'm still stuck on whether I should return to work or whether I should still be resting. I think it has physically tired me out but also mentally, but because I'm not "ill" I feel that I should return to work.

I also couldn't take painkillers but I would rub on Voltarol at the points your hamstring is torn. And physio physio physio!