Question
Hi, I'm a short sprinter in track and field and have been experiencing chronic hamstring problems since I was 18. I broke my pelvic bone when I was 17 and the hamstring problems have been occuring on and off since. I warm up and stretch prior to hard sprinting all the time, I have the "Stick" which I use on my hamstrings as well. Is there anything else that I can do to prevent these chronic hamstring problems. I've been running all track season without any serious problems until lat night when I strainged my hamstring in practice.

Answer
Dear Anthony,

The most common reason for chronic hamstring problems is inappropriate rehabilitation post injury, or a premature return to sport after injury.  In your case this is likely scenario as well due to the previous pelvic fracture.  

At this point you likely have increased scar tissue formation in the hamstrings themselves, which will always cause some level of problem due to the fact that scar tissue is always weaker, less resilient/elastic, and more prone to pain generation.  This does not mean that you can't go on competing, but rather that you need to take your conditioning more seriously than other athletes.

Stretching is a must, but does not constitute an effective warm-up, the actual aspect of heat generation in the body has been proven more beneficial for pre-competition conditioning to reduce injury.  The stretching is more important as an ongoing overall pursuit for flexibility which will also reduce injury risk.  Additionally, you need to have your form and function analyzed by a critical eye to target areas for rehab...likely some hip or glute dysfunction/weakness that when stabilized and strengthened will further reduce more injury and increase performance.  Moreover, there may be a functional decrease in strength in the problematic hamstring versus the healthy one.  this should be addressed as well to make sure that the strength ratio is as equal as possible.

For a qualified professional, a certified chiropractic sports physician, or certified athletic trainer would be a good choice...a personal trainer may be able to help you with this, but many are not qualified.  You will probably need to do some local community research to find one.

To find a chiropractor certified in sport injuries and rehab, or a personal trainer with high level qualifications
such as the strength and conditioning specialist check out the below websites:

www.acbsp.com
www.nsca-lift.org

Good Luck Anthony!

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net