What are pulled hamstring treatments?

A pulled hamstring leaves you wondering what to do first and when to get help. The answer depends on how severe the injury is.

The short answer: it depends on the grade

Cleveland Clinic says you can probably treat most low-grade (grade 1) hamstring injuries at home. Higher-grade injuries (grades 2 and 3) need more treatment.

What treatment can include

According to Cleveland Clinic, your healthcare provider will suggest ways to manage symptoms and help a torn hamstring heal. Treatments may include two named methods. One is the MEAT method, which stands for movement, exercise, analgesia and therapy. The other is the RICE method, which stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Both names are checklists, so you can hold your own routine up against them.

What to try before you go back

If you are in Elmwood Park and unsure of your grade, get it confirmed before you set a return date. A grade 1 injury and a grade 3 injury do not call for the same plan.

Reading about related muscle injuries can make the terms familiar. A page on a torn calf muscle and a page on sprains show how grades are described. A guide to physical therapy explains the therapy part of the MEAT method.

The standard: match the plan to the grade

A finished recovery plan names the grade and the method. If yours names neither, ask for both before you lift, sprint or return to a shift on your feet.