| How to Treat a Strained Hamstring Posted: 02 Jul 2020 01:00 AM PDT Straining your hamstring can occur during all kinds of physical activities, and it can be a painful nuisance that can get worse if you don't treat the injury properly. Luckily, as long as you follow some basic guidelines to care for your hamstring after the strain occurs, you can reduce the initial pain and swelling in just a few days. After that, you can start gentle stretching and strengthening exercises throughout the following weeks to rehabilitate the muscle. Depending on the severity of the strain, you might be able to get back to your regular levels of physical activities in as little as a month. Always consult your doctor for professional medical advice and follow all their recommendations. [Edit]Working with Your Doctor - Visit your doctor to get your injury examined. There are many different types of hamstring strains, so it's important to get your injury looked at by a doctor to evaluate the seriousness and get treatment recommendations. If you have severe pain or if your pain hasn't improved after 3–5 days of rest, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Have someone drive you to your appointment.[1]
- Your doctor will do a preliminary physical examination that can include things like palpating and pressing your leg to determine where the injury is and how severe it is.
- If your doctor deems it necessary, they might also do some x-ray imaging to diagnose more serious strains. This is usually only done for very severe tears where the injured tendon may have torn away a small piece of bone since soft tissue injuries won't show up on an x-ray.
- Ask your doctor if professional physical therapy is necessary. Ask your doctor if they think you would benefit from seeing a physical therapist or whether stretching and exercising on your own is enough to rehabilitate your injury. The answer will depend on the severity of your strained hamstring.[2]
- If your doctor says it's not necessary to visit a physical therapist, you can ask your doctor to recommend some stretches and exercises that you can do at home.
- If your doctor says you should see a physical therapist, ask them to recommend a good one.
- Follow all your doctor's treatment recommendations. Wear a knee splint if your doctor recommends it and stay off your leg for the amount of time your doctor specifies. See a physical therapist if your doctor thinks it's necessary, and don't return to sports activities until your doctor says it's OK.[3]
- Always defer to your doctor's professional medical advice to treat and rehabilitate your strained hamstring. There are general guidelines you can follow, but your doctor will always be able to provide you with the most specific medical recommendations for your unique injury.
- Get surgery performed for severe hamstring injuries. Surgery is sometimes required to reattach a completely torn tendon. Your doctor will discuss this with you if your injury is severe enough to warrant surgery.[4]
- During such a surgery, the surgeon will reattach the torn hamstring muscle to the bone using stitches or staples and stitch any tears within the muscle back together.
- If you have to get surgery, your surgeon will provide you with specific instructions for aftercare and rehabilitation.
[Edit]Resting and Reducing Swelling - Limit physical activity as much as possible. Take a break from any physical activities that caused you to strain your hamstring, such as sports. Do as little walking as is practical and avoid putting weight on your strained hamstring.[5]
- You can use a cane or crutches to help you get around without putting too much weight on your injured leg.
- Ice your injured hamstring for 20 minutes at a time every 3-4 hours. Apply cold packs or bags of ice to your hamstring over your clothes or wrapped in a towel to reduce swelling. Don't apply ice to your bare skin.[6]
- Icing your bare skin can deprive the tissue of oxygen and stop blood flow, which is why it's important to always have something like clothing or a towel between the ice and your injured hamstring.
- Start icing your hamstring as soon as possible after you strain it. Icing is most effective during the first 48 hours after an injury.
- Wear a compression bandage or compression shorts. Wrap a compression bandage around your strained hamstring or put on a pair of compression shorts. This will help minimize and prevent further swelling.[7]
- Either elastic compression bandages or sports wraps are the best way to compress your hamstring because you can adjust them as needed. Wear compression shorts if that's all you have.
- Compression bandages are available at your local pharmacy.
- Elevate your leg while you're resting. Put your leg up on a chair when you're sitting down or stick a pillow under it to elevate it when you're lying down. This will help reduce swelling.[8]
- This is most effective if you can elevate your leg above your heart. For example, you could lie down on the floor and put your leg up on a chair or a stack of pillows.
- Take an over-the-counter painkiller to reduce discomfort and inflammation. Take a mild pain medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen in the dose recommended on the packaging. Only do this if your hamstring is hurting a lot after you initially strain it and stop taking the medication as soon as the pain is manageable.[9]
- If you haven't taken a certain painkiller before, make sure you read the warnings and suggestions on the packaging. Certain pain medications are not recommended for people with other conditions, for example. You can always consult a doctor if you aren't sure.
- You can also try taking 200–400 mg of magnesium before you go to sleep to help your muscles relax and heal.
[Edit]Exercising and Stretching - Massage the back of your thigh to help loosen up the muscles. Start by applying a warm massage oil, such as coconut or almond oil, and rub it into your skin. Press down as hard as you can without causing pain and rub your hamstring in circles. Continue rubbing the sore area until you start feeling relief.
- You can follow up with an Epsom salt bath to keep your muscles loose.
- Start doing gentle stretches daily after all the initial sharp pain is gone. Wait at least 2-3 days to start stretching your injured hamstring. Make sure you don't feel any sharp pain in your hamstring anymore before you start doing daily stretches. It's normal and OK if you still feel mild discomfort in the back of your leg and the stretching will help this go away.[10]
- One example of a hamstring stretch you can do is a prone knee bend. Lie flat on your stomach with your legs out straight. Bend the knee on your injured leg up and back towards your buttocks and hold it for 5 seconds, then lower it back down. Do 2 sets of 15 repetitions.
- Another hamstring stretch you can do is to lie on your back on the floor with your buttocks almost in the middle of a doorway and your legs through the doorway. Lift your injured leg up and rest it against the wall next to the door frame for 15-30 seconds. Repeat this stretch 3 times.
- A yoga mat can make doing stretches and exercises on the floor more comfortable. You can order one online or have a friend or family member go pick one up for you from a sporting goods store.
- Add daily strengthening exercises into your routine after all the pain is gone. The pain in your injured hamstring will usually subside after 1-2 weeks of stretching for a mild strain, 2-6 weeks for a moderate strain, and 6-10 weeks for a moderate strain. Begin light strength training like cycling, walking, and exercises that target your hamstrings specifically after you don't feel any more pain and tightness in the back of your leg.[11]
- For example, you can do chair lifts to target your hamstrings and strengthen your strained hamstring. Lie down on your back with your heels elevated on a chair and your legs straight. Raise both your hips slowly up off the floor, hold them in the air for 2 seconds, then lower them slowly back down. Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
- You can go for light walks or bike rides, but avoid strenuous routes with lots of hills.
- Return to sports activity after several weeks when you regain your strength. Wait at least 3-4 weeks and up to 3 months before you do any of your regular athletic activities. Ask your doctor if you aren't sure whether your hamstring is strong enough to do sports activities yet.[12]
- Don't push yourself or feel pressured to return to sports or athletic activities too soon. Wait until you feel as strong and flexible as you did before your injury or until your doctor says it's OK.
- Search online using terms like "hamstring stretches" or "hamstring exercises" to find different things you can do to rehabilitate your hamstring at home. You can also ask your doctor or a physical therapist for recommendations.
- Try eating an anti-inflammatory diet that's rich in protein to help speed up your recovery.
- Remember the RICE acronym to follow treatment guidelines in the hours and days immediately after your injury: Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate your hamstring.
[Edit]Warnings - Always consult your doctor for professional medical advice about treatment and when you can return to regular levels of physical and athletic activity.
- Always follow manufacturer recommendations about uses and doses of over-the-counter pain medications. Don't take more than the recommended amount and don't take painkillers if you have other conditions that could cause complications.
[Edit]References |
| How to Make a Princess Crown Posted: 01 Jul 2020 05:00 PM PDT If you or your child wants to dress up like a princess, the outfit can't be complete without a crown. Buying one from a store can be expensive, and it might not look the way you want it to. Fortunately, with a little bit of craft supplies, you can spend a fun afternoon making your own crown to be the prettiest princess in the room. [Edit]Cutting the Pieces - Measure around your head and add . Hold a cloth tape measure around your temples and forehead. Look in the mirror to see how large your head is, then add to the measurement. You are adding the extra length so that you can overlap the ends of the crown and close it.[1]
- If you don't have a cloth measuring tape, wrap a shoelace around your head and mark where the ends meet. Then, lay the shoelace out next to a measuring tape to see how long it is.
- Draw a template on paper or print one out online, then cut it out. Find a standard sheet of white paper to make your stencils out of. Divide your head measurement in half, then draw 2 horizontal lines on a sheet of paper. Draw your crown shape right above the horizontal lines. It can be anything you want, such as a large zigzag, waves, or even a triangle in the center. When you are done, cut the template out with scissors.[2]
- For example, if your head was , you'd divide it by 2 to get .
- Traditional princess crowns have a high spade shape in the very center with a flatter edge around the sides.
- Trace your template onto a sheet of poster paper. Choose some poster paper or cardstock in the color that you want your crown to be. Set your stencil out on the paper and trace it with a pencil. If your paper is colored on one side, trace the design onto the back of the paper to avoid marking up the front.[3]
- Try using sparkly paper for an extravagant princess crown.
- Cut the design out with scissors. Try to make your cuts as even as possible so your crown is symmetrical. If you used a pencil to do the tracing, carefully erase any marks once you're done.[4]
- Consider saving the template so that you can use it later on to make more princess crowns.
[Edit]Decorating the Crown - Paint the pieces a bright color if your paper is too plain. You can paint it all one color, or you can paint designs onto it. If you want to make a traditional princess crown, then use silver, pink, or gold acrylic paint.[5]
- Outline the crown with glitter glue for a simple decoration. Princess crowns need a lot of sparkle so they can shine. You can do this easily by grabbing a tube of glitter glue and tracing along the outside of your crown in a line. You can use multiple colors of glitter glue or stick with one for a cohesive design.[6]
- Glitter glue isn't messy like loose glitter is, so you won't have to worry about cleaning up later on.
- Glue on glitter and rhinestones to make your crown sparkle. Grab a few large fake jewels, rubies, and rhinestones. Arrange them in the center of your crown to make it look expensive, then glue them down with hot glue to keep them secure.[7]
- You can find bags of fake jewels at most craft supply stores.
- Add fake flowers to the crown to look like a fairy princess. Cut a few fake flowers off their stems to make them flat. Arrange the flowers around the base of your crown, then use hot glue to stick them down.[8]
- Try using bright-colored flowers, like white, pink, and orange to make your crown eye-catching.
- Attach pom poms to the points of your crown to make them stand out. Find a few small pom poms and put them on the very tip of your crown points. Use hot glue to stick the pom poms onto your crown for a fuzzy, whimsical addition.[9]
- You can mix and match the colors of the pom poms or keep them all one color for a more cohesive look.
- Set the pieces aside to let them dry completely. Before you put your pieces together, leave them on a flat surface for about 1 hour to let all of your decorations dry. That way, you can make sure they're secure before you put the crown on your head.[10]
- If you didn't use any glue on your crown, you don't need to wait.
[Edit]Constructing the Crown - Overlap the ends by and glue them together. Grab both of the pieces of your crown. Start by overlapping 1 end and gluing it shut with hot glue or school glue. Then, bend the pieces so they are in a circle and connect the other side with hot glue or school glue.[11]
- Glue your crown to a headband to make it more secure. Paper is pretty flimsy, and the crown might not sit on your head the way you want it to. Grab a plastic headband that fits your head and line up the front piece of the crown with the headband. Attach the crown to the headband with hot glue and let it dry for about 10 minutes.[12]
- Use caution with hot glue, and try not to get it on your fingers.
- Try using a pink headband to make your princess crown stand out.
- Wear the crown carefully. Even though your crown is made out of poster paper, it is still fragile. It can tear easily if you are not gentle with it. Set it on your head gently and try not to drop it or let it fall. Think about holding your head up high so that you look like a regal princess.[13]
- If you do rip your crown, that's okay! You can easily make a new one with even more decorations and colors.
- Store your crown in an upright position on a shelf. You can reuse your crown over and over again if you keep it in good shape. Place it upright somewhere up high so that it won't get stepped on or bend out of shape.[14]
- If you can't reach a high place to put your crown, ask an adult for help.
- Your crown only has to be perfect for you! If you like it, you can wear it.
- You can customize your crown however you'd like to copy specific princesses or characters.
[Edit]Warnings - Be careful when using a hot glue gun so you don't get hot glue on your fingers.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Measuring tape
- Paper
- Scissors
- Poster paper or cardstock
- Pencil
- Decorations (rhinestones, gems, fake flowers)
- Glue
- Markers
- Ribbon (optional)
- Headband (optional)
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References |
| How to Help Keep Your Community Strong During Coronavirus Posted: 01 Jul 2020 09:00 AM PDT The rapid spread of COVID-19 has led to a lot of changes globally as well as locally. Keeping in touch with your community can be tough as you work to respect the social distancing guidelines put in place to keep you and your family safe. Fortunately, there are a few different ways you can give back to your community during this uncertain time to strengthen and uphold your neighborhood. - Buy food and goods online from local businesses. Many stores are moving to an online platform so they can still provide their services during the shutdown. If you would like to order takeout or purchase something that a local business sells, search online or give them a call to see how you can buy it from them.[1]
- Unfortunately, some businesses have had to close during the shutdown. If you can't find a business online or by calling them, they may not be open.
- Call your neighbors to see if they need anything. Elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are more at-risk for COVID-19, so they are probably staying in their homes more. If you have any neighbors who can't leave their homes, consider calling them to ask if they need any food or hygiene products.[2]
- You can drop off any food or products at your neighbor's door to avoid social contact.
- Stay in touch with your community virtually. If you are a member of a club or a community group, consider moving your meetings online so you can all stay in touch still. Try to stay involved with your community without breaking the social distancing guidelines.[3]
- Zoom and Skype can both host multi-person video calls.
- Buy only what you need from the grocery store. Many people can't afford to stock up on essentials every time they go shopping. When you do your grocery store trips, try to buy enough food to last you and your family for about 1 week.[4]
- Leaving food and hygiene supplies at the store will help other people in your community get access to it.
- Deliver food with Meals on Wheels. This organization provides food to those who cannot leave their homes. Reach out to the chapter in your area to see how you can help with sorting out donations and delivering food to those in need.[5]
- Offer your online services if you have web skills. Since so many businesses are switching to an online platform, the need for web designers has grown a ton. If you have the skills, consider reaching out to your local businesses to see if they need any help setting up their website or making it more user-friendly.[6]
- If you are a writer or a photographer, businesses may also need your help with creating content for their website.
- Online notary services and financial help are also needed in some communities.
- If you have legal skills, Lawyers for a Good Government is rolling out an online program nationwide where you can help those in need virtually.
[Edit]Making Donations - Donate PPE to your local medical facilities. If you have any medical-grade N95 masks, goggles, gowns, or gloves, contact your local hospital or medical facility to see if they are in need. You can also contact homeless shelters and nursing homes in your area to see if they need any personal protection equipment.[7]
- Give non-perishable food to your local food bank. Canned food, nuts, nut butter, dehydrated food, bottled water, and sports drinks are all needed at food banks to give out to the community. If you have any extra food, round it up and drop it off at a food bank near you.[8]
- Call the food bank ahead of time to make sure they are open.
- Go to the Red Cross to donate blood. Since so many people are staying home, there is a shortage of donated blood coming in. Find a Red Cross center near you to spend less than an hour giving your blood to those in need.[9]
- Donate money to local healthcare facilities. If you don't have any PPE to donate, the next best thing is to give money so healthcare facilities can buy what they need. Reach out to your local hospital to see if you can donate directly, or give money to a larger organization instead.[10]
- Direct Relief and Americares are 2 charities providing PPE to healthcare workers. You can visit their websites to donate money online.
- Give money to the arts, if you can. Museums, operas, and theaters are all unable to operate during this pandemic. If you have any extra money and you'd like to keep these artists in business, reach out to your local performing arts center to see how you can donate to them.[11]
- MusiCares and The Jazz Foundation for America have set up ways to donate directly to the arts through their websites.
- Keep paying for services even if you aren't using them. Workers who provide babysitting, pet-sitting, elderly care, and other jobs that require human contact are out of work right now. If you can, consider paying those workers what you normally would, even if they can't offer their services right now.[12]
- If you can't afford to continue paying for services, that's okay too.
- Volunteer at a food bank if you have time. Since people are staying home, there are less volunteers to run food banks. If you are able to, consider volunteering for a few hours a week at a food bank to sort through food donations.[13]
- You can also volunteer to drop off food at people's homes if they cannot leave their house.
- Contact your local animal shelter to see what they need. Many animal shelters do not have the volunteers that they need right now to keep their organizations running. If you can, reach out to your local shelter and ask them if they need volunteers.[14]
[Edit]Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 - Practice the social distancing guidelines recommended for your area. Try to stay at least away from other people when you go outside to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Check in with your local mandates often to see if those guidelines change.[15]
- As of April 2020, the Center for Disease Control has recommended that everyone wear a cloth mask when they are out in public.[16]
- Stay home if you feel sick. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, like a fever, a cough, or shortness of breath, try to isolate yourself as much as you can. If you do need to leave your home, try to wear a medical-grade N95 mask outside.[17]
- If you experience any shortness of breath or a tightness in your chest, call emergency services right away.
- Call your doctor ahead of time before you go in to get tested or treatment. Some hospitals have separate testing centers that they will direct you to if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
- Keep up to date with your local news. The situation surrounding COVID-19 is changing rapidly, and the expectations for you and your community may change along with it. Check your local news once a day to keep track of social distancing guidelines and to see if anyone is in need.[18]
- This is a scary and uncertain time for most people. Helping out your community is a great way to feel connected and in control of your situation.
[Edit]Warnings - Always follow the social distancing guidelines put in place by your state or country.[19]
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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