The All too Recurring Hammy

Thanks for the response to yesterdays blog about Thomas Vermaelen,people have requested, and it seems relevant to write about Arsenal's second injured Centre Back-Sebastien Squillaci-and the all too common hamstring injury.

Of course its not just Squillaci whose out with a hamstring injury. Nedum Onuoha, Danny Wellbeck, Scott Dann and Tom Cleverly are just a few that come to mind who are out at this current time with hamstring injuries. 

But why do we hear "he's pulled his hammy" so much in the world of sport?

Hamstring injuries are common in sports that involve high-speed running and kicking, they are usually a non-contact injury and occur during sprinting. But why? 

Muscles work in pairs, in the leg, the quadriceps (front of the thigh) straighten the knee whilst the hamstrings (back of the thigh) bend it. Kicking a football you would naturally think uses mainly the quadriceps, which contract, to straighten the knee and hence move the foot towards the ball, simples. But what stops the knee from carrying on into space? The hamstrings work to decelerate the knee, and not only in kicking, but walking, sprinting- any lower leg movements.

Now imagine you are a kid with an elastic band. You stretch it, and its fine, but the further and further you pull, it becomes weaker and weaker and till BAM, it snaps. Muscles are similar to elastic bands, the longer they go, the weaker they become. Coincidently, when the knee is straightened, and the hamstring is called into action to deccelerate, its at its weakest-sometimes, it can't cope and BAM, it goes.

So what does Arsene mean when he says "Sebastien has a Grade I hamstring strain"?

Grade I - Mild damage to the muscle. The body responds by by sending chemicals to the damaged area and it causes swelling and pain.

Grade II- Partial tear. The small blood vessels in the hamstring also get damaged. Until these repair themselves, less blood gets to the area. Reduced blood flow = increased healing time.

Grade III- Complete tear of the muscle. Your elastic band snaps in half. Ouch.

When the  hamstring repairs itself it lays down collagen fibre. This collagen fibre isn't as strong as muscle, but its the only thing the body can lay down. Therefore, once injured a hamstring, there is always a weak spot, hence being susceptible to further injuries of the same ..... (Michael Owen walks into the room ) 'Hiya'.

The only preventative measure is to strengthen the hamstring when it is at its longest-but even that may still not be enough to cause the inevitable-especially in a game such as football.

As for you Gooners- Squillaci has a Grade I- unfortunately only 3 weeks out tops - then the clown is back. Other players mentioned earlier-no idea.

Hope its not been too dull - any suggestions on injuries tweet me @davidbartlett89.