Our Hamstrings are responsible for helping us stand, walk, run, and jump. When an injury occurs with our hamstrings, such as hamstring strains, it is imperative to seek treatment right away, to avoid it from affecting your everyday life. One of the most common hamstring injuries we see in the clinic is a hamstring strain.
Where Are Our Hamstrings Located?
The hamstrings are three muscles that make up the back of your thigh. They start at the pelvis and travel down and attach just below the knee joint. These three muscles are:
- The semitendinosis
- The semimembranosis
- The biceps femoris.
These muscles work together to help our knees bend and extend your leg behind you.
Defining Hamstring Strains
Hamstring strains occur when one or more of the hamstring muscles tears. The tears can range from very mild to very severe which could involve a complete tear of the muscle. These strains most commonly happen when the leg is completely straight and it is given a large load that the muscle is unable to handle, resulting in a tear.
There are a few factors that make hamstring tears more likely:
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle tightness
- Muscle fatigue
If you do experience a hamstring tear you will most likely have pain that can come on suddenly and feel sharp. This will also be accompanied by swelling and bruising at the area of the tear. You may also feel weakness in the hamstrings or some loss of motion when trying to bend your knee.
Treatment for Hamstring Strains/Tears
Physical therapy can help those who experience a hamstring tear. The first goal is to decrease the pain and swelling and then gradually work to restore motion and strength to help prevent any future tears and get you back to your goals whether they are daily walks or higher level sports.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing pain from a hamstring injury or any other injury, give our office a call at, 703-450-4300 or CLICK HERE. One of our patient care coordinators will get you scheduled for your evaluation with one of our expert physical therapists.
