Current Exercise Approaches in Hamstring Strain Injury Rehabilitation in Athletes – Review

Authors : Raghad Elfarra, Rıdvan Seyhan, Demet Biçki

Pages : 8-16

View : 76 | Download : 49

Publication Date : 2025-07-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :A hamstring strain injury (HSI) is common in sports that involve sprinting. This injury, categorized into strain-type and sprain-type, theoretically involves the hamstring muscle-tendon unit being exposed to high force, stretching beyond its normal limits, and moving at high speed. These three factors may lead to injury, either separately or together (although not yet fully understood). This review discusses current rehabilitation approaches based on studies conducted in the last 10 years. According to the literature, an HSI rehabilitation program for athletes should include a progressive running program, Askling L protocol eccentric exercises in the early phase, and high-load exercises such as Nordic exercises in later stages. Additionally, agility training and core stabilization exercises, which significantly help prevent re-injury, are considered as essential as eccentric exercises and should be included in the program. Although evidence on flexibility exercises remains insufficient, their inclusion in the rehabilitation program is deemed harmless. For all the mentioned exercise interventions—except for flexibility—there is conclusive evidence in the literature regarding their effectiveness in reducing the risk of re-injury and improving return-to-sport timelines for athletes.
Keywords : Hamstring strain injury, Askling-L, Exercise, Risk of re-injury, Return to sport

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