What is Pulled Hamstring?

Hamstrings are muscles that you see at the back portion of the thigh which is responsible when one flexes or bends his or her knees and it is also used in straightening of your hips. When one experiences pulled hamstring or otherwise known as hamstring strain, it involves the tearing of either one or more muscles of the hamstring. Other experts define it as a stretching excessively or tearing of the fiber of the muscles and the tissues related near the hamstrings. It is commonly reported in athletic persons like persons who play soccer, basketball, football and the like.

The Hamstring Muscles

Pulled Hamstring Symptoms & Signs

Pulled Hamstring Injuries

Persons who developed a pulled hamstring will experience the following signs and symptoms such as:

• Bruising
• Swelling
• Severe rupture or a popping or snapping feeling
• Sudden sharp pain is felt
• Tenderness

Although persons with mild pulled hamstrings will not complain that much because the pain can be relieved or it does not hurt that much and only the severe kind of this condition are the ones that complaints most often. Severe kind of this condition makes it impossible for them to stand or walk.

Pulled Hamstring Causes

The reason why pulled hamstring occurs is basically because of the strain of the muscles located at the hamstring area. It can be strained especially during one does kicking, running or simply walking down the stairs. When, for instance, the muscles of the hamstrings become pilled, the fibers of the muscles located on it become stretched. The severity of the strained hamstring will usually depend. There is a time that the tear can either be felt or heard as something that has just popped out when the muscles becomes damaged.

Pulled Hamstring Treatment

When a person has either minor or moderate kind of pulled hamstring, it will begin to heal by itself. It just needs some time. In speeding the treatment, you can be suggested to do the following procedures:

Rest

There is a need for you to be able to rest the injured area completely. When you rest, you must make sure that you will avoid any weight bearing kind of activities. You can use crutches temporarily. It is advised that you should rest for about 48 hours or at least until your injured hamstring will eventually feel loose.

Ice

It is necessary, that to be able to reduce the inflammation, you need to apply an ice pack in which you need to cover a cloth which is soft against your injured hamstring. You need to apply it for about 10-20 minutes and never beyond 20 minutes maximum.

Compression

In compression, you need to wrap the affected injured hamstring. The compression should at least be firm but never too tight enough that it will eventually lead to pain. It is preferred that you use ace bandage which will also aid in the reduction of the swelling episodes of the pulled hamstrings.

Elevation

There is a need for you to elevate your own leg with the use of pillows. You need to make sure that you elevate just above the heart or chest area. Elevation is needed for the circulation to be stimulated and when there is circulation, it will lead to the recuperation of the muscles.

Medication

Medications such as pain reliever and anti inflammatory are needed or prescribed often to be able to reduce both the pain and the inflammation.

Stretches or Stretching Exercise

Stretching is another treatment done to patients who encounter the condition called pulled hamstring. When you are to engage in such activity, you should make sure that you are able to do it every day. Also, you must know that exercise should start with stretching prior to undergoing the exercise itself. You can consult a physical therapist or any licensed in sports masseuse to help you with the kind of stretching exercise that will be good for you. It is also important that you do not over stretch your injured hamstrings for it may lead to the increase in the pulls and strains.

Pulled Hamstring Home Remedies

The following are some of the effective remedies which one can use at home:

• RICE
• Moist Heat
• Epsom Salt to warm water

In the home remedy treatment, as mentioned, you need to remember the abbreviation R.I.C.E which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression of the injured hamstring, and Elevation of the injured area. Aside from that, you can also use moist heat from the warm shower or bath which can soothe the pulled hamstring and lead to pain reduction. Aside from that, it also helps in the improvement of the person’s circulation and his or her metabolism. In addition to that, it will relax the pulled hamstring which will decrease the stiffness and spasms of the muscles in the hamstrings. On the other hand, you can also opt to add Epsom salt to the warm water bath which is beneficial to a pulled hamstring. It is known to ease the pains and aches of the muscles found in the hamstrings which will lead to the pain reduction felt by the patient.

Pulled Hamstring Recovery Time

The recovery of the persons who are dealing or undergoing pulled hamstring injury will depend on the classification or grade of his or her condition. The severity of the pulled hamstring is graded with 1, 2, or 3. Grade 1 is given to persons who have minimal or minor symptoms and Grade 3 is given to persons who have severe form of the condition in which will hamper the ability of the person to walk. Hence, with the different grading, the recovery time per grading will also differ.

• Grade 1

When a person has a pulled hamstring that has a grade of 1, he or she will expect that this kind of injury or condition will take for about a week to a month to be able to reach recuperation. Since this kind of injury under this grade is minimal or minor in severity, it does not often require much medical assistance.

• Grade 2

On the other hand, persons with pulled hamstrings Grade 2 will expect that the recovery time for such will take one month – 2 months.

• Grade 3

Lastly, Grade 3 pulled hamstrings, which is the severe kind of the disease severity, will need both medical and surgical treatment which will need 6 months to completely heal.

What is Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy?

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy is otherwise known as Janz syndrome, Myoclonic epilepsy or impulsive petit mal which was described first by Dr. Dieter Janz during the year 1956. Most of the persons inflicted with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy are those at the age between 8 to 26 years old. In addition to that, most of those who are inflicted with this disease are girls than boys. It is a familial kind of disease that has a characteristic of generalized kind of clonic tonic or tonic clonic seizure, milder form of Myoclonic seizure, and absence seizure. It is the common epileptic syndrome.

Generally speaking, the juvenile Myoclonic epilepsy may exist during puberty stage but may have the possibility when it exists prior to puberty stage. It can be precipitated by awakening early, usage of drug and consumption of alcoholic beverages, stress, deprivation of sleep, stimulation of photic, menstruation and emotions that are strong.

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Symptoms

Fig 1 – A child Exhibiting A Myoclonic Seizure

Persons with juvenile Myoclonic epilepsy reports to manifest the following symptoms such as:

• Myoclonic seizure which occurs in the early morning

Myoclonic seizure may have the tendency spread through the person’s brain. It can lead to quick, sudden, small jerk of the legs, arms or shoulders.

• Tonic clonic seizure or convulsive seizure

It is otherwise known as gran mal seizure or grand mal seizure. It is known to be a generalized kind of seizure which affects the entirety of the brain.

• Absence seizure

This kind of seizure happens in any day but most often occurs in the morning. It is otherwise known as petit mal seizure. It occurs in a brief for approximately 20 seconds maximum length. The person who has absence seizure generally has an impaired consciousness and a spike and slow wave discharges in their EEG.

• Photosensitive seizures

This kind of seizure is provoked by flickering lights like television, light shining via the trees, strobe lights and the like.

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Causes

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy has an idiopathic cause or etiology or in layman’s term the cause is still unknown. It is considered to be genetic in nature. According to research, fifty percent of those who were diagnosed or who suffer from Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy have a family medical history of epilepsy or seizure. Some persons usually have absence seizure or febrile seizure prior to the development of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Diagnosis

The diagnosis of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy will be dependent on the presence of the Myoclonic jerks plus other additional seizure kinds as well as the patient’s physical examination and medical historical data. The various examinations can also aid in the diagnosis that will confirm that the person truly has Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy:

• MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This is a kind of test that uses a high resolution scan of the brain wave.

• CT scan or Computed Tomography Scanning

This is another brain scan that makes a low quality of images compared to that of the magnetic resonance imaging. The main advantage of this compared to magnetic resonance imaging is that it is available and it produces a faster imaging results.

• EEG or Electroencephalogram

With this test, there will be a serious of adhesive type of electrodes which will be attached to the person’s scalp. After attaching, the technician will then record the waves in the brain. This test is painless and noninvasive kind. After the recording of the brain waves, the neurologist will then interpret the results of the EEG. For persons who are suspected to have Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, they are suggested to do the EEG while the person is fast asleep and then when they just wake up from their sleep.

An EEG of a 12 year old patient with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Showing Myoclonic Jerks in the Middle

Most of the diagnostic tests, as observed, are brain scans or brain wave recording because as mentioned in the symptoms section, the Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy is a kind of epilepsy that targets the brain. Hence, there is a need to monitor the brain activity of the person with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. From the diagnostic tests that were mentioned, the EEG provides the confirmative diagnostic test for Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Treatment

According to studies conducted, the person with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy has a great response mostly to the treatment given, if for in any instance, the diagnosis was made correctly. The following are the treatment been suggested and works effectively with persons having Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy:

Lifestyle changes

This is the most important thing that one needs to be informed when a person has Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. He or she needs to change or modify his or her lifestyle. He or she needs to be informed about precautions needed during seizure activity such as:

• Avoiding sleep deprivation
• Avoiding the excess of alcoholic consumption
• Restrictions in driving
• Occupational hazards

Medical treatment

The medications that are commonly prescribed to persons with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy are medications that belong to the category under anticonvulsant medications. The first choice of drug in the treatment for Juvenile Myoclonic epilepsy is the medication named sodium valproate. Yet such medication should be avoided in childbearing age women for it can lead to high risk of delay in the neurodevelopmental growth as well as malformation of the fetus.

Surgical treatment

This is often not indicated to persons with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy for it is considered to be under the category of generalized kind of epilepsy. Although, studies have shown that vagal nerve stimulation may be beneficial for persons with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Prognosis

Even if the Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy is considered to be a benign condition, still it should not be put aside. Failure in diagnosing this condition will affect the morbidity of the person. In addition to that, all persons with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy are in their treatment for the rest of their lives. Persons with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy are at high risk for relapse if the treatments are discontinued. In sum, according to research, the long term prognosis is good provided that the necessary treatments are given.