A common cause of hip pain that we treat at Loudoun Sports Therapy Clinic is hamstring injury. The hamstring muscle group is located on the back side of the thigh and is made up of three muscles. These three muscles originate on the hip bone and attach at the knee joint. When these muscles contract, the knee bends into a flexed position, when they relax, the knee is able to straighten back out.
The hamstrings work together with the quadriceps muscles to control and stabilize the knee joint. These two muscle groups must stay balanced power wise to ensure safe and effective mechanics during activities such as walking, running, squatting, or jumping. When one group out powers the other, injuries can result.
The most common form of hamstring injuries are muscle strains. This is a stretching and sometimes even tearing of the muscle or tendon. Symptoms that may be associated with a muscle strains include:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Muscle Spasms
- Tenderness
- Restricted Range of Motion
The length of time for the muscle to heal is dependent on the severity of the strain and the treatment process. As with any injury, the sooner treatment starts, the better the results will be.
In more severe cases, micro-tearing can occur or even complete tendon or muscle ruptures. Injuries like this are usually caused by an inadequate warm-up, lack of stretching, muscle imbalance or weakness, and even poor footwear. Symptoms for a muscle or tendon tear include pain, swelling, bruising, possibly a divot in the muscle, and sometimes a mass that has been caused by the muscle rolling up into a ball. Immediate treatment is very important for torn muscles to begin healing and fiber realignment.
