The perils of doing martial arts (or maybe any really vigorous activity) when you are 55.... Another hamstring tear - not serious, but enough to stop my TKD for three weeks. As usual this was a lesson in what happens when I don't listen to my body.
I tore my left hamstring very very badly eight years ago. Since then I have had to look after it as it is now the site of my one and only recurring TKD injury. I tweaked it at training a few weeks ago. That should have been the signal to do some first aid (RICE), take a little time off, stretch and ease back in. Instead I pretended it didn't happen. Bad move! The tweak became a tear during a sparring session in the middle of a grading (very embarrassing as well as painful). Now instead of one week off and slower but safer training, I have been unable to do anything but rehabilitation for three weeks. Maybe this time I will learn my lesson?
On the plus side, I did do 72 hours of RICE and go straight into a daily walking and remedial stretching program this time. And it has worked really well. Recovery has been steady and the hammy is keeping its flexibility as it recovers. Next week I plan to start some low intensity training again. Fingers crossed.
My advice on this stuff (which is nothing ground breaking):
- Listen to your body. Pain indicates a problem you cannot ignore.
- Always have an instant ice pack in your training bag to apply immediate first aid (I did thankfully).
- Follow RICE for 48-72 hours.
- Keep moving and stretching to aid rehabilitation of the injury. See a physio if you are unsure what to do, but don't do nothing.
- Ease back into your training when you are ready. Don't set an arbitrary date though - you might not be ready.