Julio Jones
It has been a disastrous three weeks for those invested in Jones, as he has struggled in his two appearances and did not dress in Week 3. Jones has been battling a hamstring strain since Week 2 but managed to talk his way onto the field for Monday’s night game against the Packers. Sadly, Jones appeared to irritate the injury and did not return to the game after halftime, finishing with four catches for 32 yards. Soft tissue injuries, especially hamstring strains, have been a predominate issue through the first quarter of the 2020 season. It seems like every week I’m rehashing the delicate balance that comes with a hamstring strain but let’s review once more.
When a muscle is damaged, the injury is classified as a strain. Strains can occur in the belly of the muscle, the tendon, or even at the junction between these two unique tissues. When a strain occurs the body’s healing response is initiated, starting with the inflammatory phase. The inflammatory response results in swelling in the area as well as primarily clotting at the site of tissue damage. While this is occurring, the second step, the proliferative phase, begins and specialized cells start repairing the damage.
Protein fibers, including collagen and elastin, are randomly placed to bridge the gaps created when the muscle was strained. Once enough scar tissue has been built up, the remodeling phase will begin. During this final stage, the strength of the newly developed tissue is gradually improved
