Pulled muscles and fencing.

[I live to FENCE]

Hello all. I have just pulled my hamstring and i'm wondering how i can recover faster. I still need to train though. I do not want to lose my technique. Any help or suggestions will be of great help.


Thanks.
ps. I fence epee.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

First place, this is not a medical forum. You do not go to a medical forum and ask for fencing advice.

Go see a doctor who specializes in working with athletes.

[keropie]

Second thing, until you see the doctor (or at least a trainer), assume you should take it fairly easy in order to heal. Don't go train real hard right now.

[I live to FENCE]

Thanks for the great help.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Ok, do you want the real answer?

The answer is that you cannot fence until it is healed. After it is healed, you must strengthen your hamstring, and make it more flexible. That means more work.

You must warm up before you fence, or train. EVERYTIME. You need to go to the gym, to correct imbalances in your muscles. And yes, it will suck.

Welcome to athletics.

[I live to FENCE]

Ok, that's much better. Thanks. Would it be ok to practise my technique with my coach (ie. take a lesson)? I would only be in the en garde postion. No footwork whatsoever at all.

[Peach]

I would suggest taking lessons on a stool or chair rather than in the on-guard position - that's what my coach has his injured students do. See my suggestions here and here for training tips when you are injured.

[lindajdunn]

I had a hamstring injury in May/June and still made it to the Summer Nationals (barely).

What Peach said about taking lessons in a chair.

A physical therapist (whom I saw 2 times a week) can greatly speed recovery. Ultrasound, ice and heat can assist recovery.

The exercise that the physical therapist had me do three times a day was to either prop my foot up against a wall or hold my injured leg extended (actually, I did both legs as I needed a two-minute pause between). You then get a good stretch on that leg for two minutes, pause two minutes, do it again and then again. Three times a day.

Much depends upon the extend of the hamstring injury. Mine took 6 weeks to recover. You're at the beginning of the season so please take the time to recover correctly and if you have good insurance, ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist.

I did not stop taking lessons while recovering and I had to shift my drills and practice to focusing upon defense. One good point is that when you cannot do anything else, you WILL improve your parry-riposte skills.

Good luck and DO see a doctor. If the condition does not improve, see a second doctor.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Also, I hate to the bearer of bad news (actually I love it), but.......

If you do not rehabilitate your hamstring, your chances of a patellofemoral problem, back problem, abdominal problem, foot problem, knee problem, adductor or abductor problem will increase with time. You should fix it now, early in the season, even if it means several weeks with no fencing. Its better that than a career riddled with annoying injuries.

[Aqua_volans]

-_-. Did you stretch before you train? If you did not, you deserved to pull that hamstring.

[Mr Epee]

A. It's early August... you do not NEED to train. This is still a pretty good time for non-fencing activity.

B. Warming-up and stretching will help to reduce the chances for muscle strains, but it doesn't remove the risk.

C. Take a look at this...

[Peach]

-_-. Did you stretch before you train? If you did not, you deserved to pull that hamstring.

Uh . . . no. Stretching and warm-up, while good for increasing range of motion and preventing pain and stiffness, apparently does not much affect the incidence of injuries. Age and general fitness level are more strongly correlated.

[lindajdunn]

-_-. Did you stretch before you train? If you did not, you deserved to pull that hamstring.

You're assuming the injury occurred while training and this may not have been the case. At Summer Nationals, I was comparing injuries with some other fencers and found it mildly amusing that each of us began our story with a disclaimer that the injury did not occur in sports/training/fencing/conditioning/whatever.

This is yet another reason why I say SEE A DOCTOR! One injury can lead to another and another and another if you don't get proper treatment.

[RITFencing]

Try not to see a general practicioner... look for someone who speciallizes in sports medicine.

[Fencergrl]

If you do not rehabilitate your hamstring, your chances of a patellofemoral problem, back problem, abdominal problem, foot problem, knee problem, adductor or abductor problem will increase with time.

This is a good reason why people don't take you serious DFP... you first tell him that this is the wrong place to get medical advice (which he really wasn't seeking, but sounded like he was wondering what other people with similar injuries did). Then you offer a medical opinion online, that is just plain silly.... to develop all of these problems and have them increase over time, you would have to be also missing half a brain, and not listening to your trained professionals in respect to your rehab.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

This is a good reason why people don't take you serious DFP... you first tell him that this is the wrong place to get medical advice (which he really wasn't seeking, but sounded like he was wondering what other people with similar injuries did). Then you offer a medical opinion online, that is just plain silly.... to develop all of these problems and have them increase over time, you would have to be also missing half a brain, and not listening to your trained professionals in respect to your rehab.

Hey, he rolled his eyes.

[prototoast]

Try not to see a general practicioner... look for someone who speciallizes in sports medicine.

Though it is worth noting that depending on your health insurance (if available), you may need a referral from your GP.

[RITFencing]

Though it is worth noting that depending on your health insurance (if available), you may need a referral from your GP.

Excellent point.

[I live to FENCE]

Thanks all for the great help.