Do you do lots of running? Maybe you play hockey, soccer or football? Perhaps you enjoy hiking or walking lots around the Golden Grove area (basically hiking!). Do you get pain near your sitting bones when you sit down?
Hamstring tendinopathy is literally a pain in the butt. And it is seen frequently in people who participate in the above activities. Tendinopathy is, as we’ve spoken about in previous articles, an inability of your tendons to properly manage load. This is an issue, because this is your tendon’s only real job in life.
Tendinopathy occurs for many different reasons, but usually it is related to a sudden increase in amount of activity or intensity of activity, or some other change like new footwear, new technique or something similar. It can also have some relationship to age, sex, weight, and other things like how fast a walker you are.
Hamstring tendinopathy is a condition where the tendons of your upper posterior thigh become irritated near where they attach to your sitting bones of your bottom. It may be accompanied by a condition called enthesopathy, which is basically the same condition, but at the site where the tendon joins to the bone. It is a pain in the butt to live with, and a bit of a pain in the butt to get rid of. Tendinopathies generally take 6 months at a minimum to go away, if it is a mild and relatively new case, and if it is treated correctly. If it is severe or has been there longterm, and is mismanaged, it can take much longer. You may have had a cortisone injection, or perhaps have been referred to get one, but these rarely are effective for long, if at all.
But never fear! Your LifeForce physio is here! Treating tendinopathy is very challenging, but at the same time, the concept is simple. We challenge your grumpy tendon to do its job, just asking it to tolerate small loads at first, and then gradually build up to doing all the things you’ve always wanted, like running an ultra-marathon (with a mask and 1.5m social distancing?), base jumping and Formula One driving! Or maybe hiking or driving to work without pain… That is probably slightly more realistic.
So if you have upper thigh or bum pain and you want it gone, make an appointment at LifeForce health solutions in Golden Grove to start teaching those tendons a lesson in how to behave like they should! Call 8289 2800 to make a physiotherapy appointment at LifeForce health solutions at Golden Grove, to see what one of our experienced and friendly physiotherapists can do to help with your sport-related condition. You can also visit our website at www.lifeforcehealth.com.au to take advantage of our new online booking system!
REFERENCES
Goom, T., Malliaras, P., Reiman, M. and Purdam, C., 2016. Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: Clinical Aspects of Assessment and Management. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 46(6), pp.483-493.
Krueger, K., Washmuth, N. and Williams, T., 2020. THE MANAGEMENT OF PROXIMAL HAMSTRING TENDINOPATHY IN A COMPETITIVE POWERLIFTER WITH HEAVY SLOW RESISTANCE TRAINING – A CASE REPORT. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 15(5), pp.814-822.
