Hamstring strains are the classic reinjury trap.
A Singaporean runner doing MacRitchie laps or the East Coast Park loop feels the back of the thigh go, takes two weeks off, tries a jog, and pulls again.
Six weeks turn into six months.
The problem is almost never the tear itself - it's the return-to-running criteria the runner skipped, usually because going back by calendar is cheaper than doing the progressions properly.
JB rehab works well for SG runners because the frequency early on is low (once or twice a week is enough) and the cost saving lets you do the full criteria-based protocol without financial pressure to stop early.
Grades and realistic timelines
- Grade 1 (mild fibre disruption): 2–3 weeks to return to light jogging if rehab is done properly. Most recreational runners back to their normal long run in 5–6 weeks.
- Grade 2 (partial tear): 4–8 weeks. Return-to-sport depends entirely on passing the tests below, not on feeling better.
- Grade 3 (complete tear, rare): surgical or conservative - 12+ weeks either way, and an MRI conversation with a sports physician.
The failure mode is universal: runners with a grade 2 strain who jog at week 3 because it "feels okay" reinjure within two runs.
Pain is a bad guide. Criteria are the only honest test.
The Askling test and what we actually use
The Askling H-test - a fast, active straight-leg raise to maximum tolerable stretch - is the best single screening tool for return-to-running.
We use it alongside:
- Single-leg Nordic eccentric strength within 10% of the other side.
- Pain-free maximum sprint posture at sub-maximal effort.
- No apprehension during hip extension at terminal swing.
- Standing hip-extension hold at 45° for 30 seconds without grabbing.
Passing all four usually means you're ready for a structured running progression. Failing any one means another two-week block.
Weeks 1–2: compression, load, don't stretch aggressively
Early protocol is gentle isometric loading, not stretching. Aggressive stretching in the first ten days is a common reinjury cause.
JB physios in our network use pain-free isometric holds, then progressively loaded eccentric work from around day 10.
This is the Askling L-protocol in a sensible form.
Weeks 3–6: eccentric loading, then tempo work
This is where the JB appointment rhythm settles into once-a-week check-ins with self-directed strength work at home.
Nordic hamstring curls, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, slider hamstring curls, and eventually hip-extension sprint-specific drills.
Running starts only after the criteria above are passed - not because a specific week has arrived.
Typical RM costs in Johor
Hamstring rehab in JB runs RM120-250 per session.
A full course is usually 6–10 sessions spread across 4–8 weeks.
SG equivalent would be SGD 850–1,600 for the same session count.
Checkpoint and clinic logic for runners
Most of our SG runner patients use Woodlands, drive or Grab to Skudai, Mount Austin or Iskandar Puteri, and book Saturday mornings before the day warms up.
Running sessions as part of rehab - tempo work, return-to-run progressions - are done back in SG at the runner's usual routes, not imported to JB.
JB is for the rehab gym work, not the running itself.
How PhysioJohor matches SG runners
WhatsApp us with: the incident (what you were doing, which leg, how long ago), current pain on the Askling test (none / mild / can't), your race calendar, typical weekly mileage.
We match you to a sports-trained physio with specific hamstring experience and runs the full Askling-based protocol.
Related guide: Singapore → JB physio - complete guide