What is your hamstring?
The hamstrings are made up of three muscles: semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. These three muscles are located in the back of the upper leg. The hamstrings allow for bending at the knee and extending the hip. One or more of the muscles may be injured with a hamstring injury and it may be a “pull”, a partial tear or a full tear.
Most commonly a hamstring injury will occur with running, jumping or sudden start/stopping motions.
What does an injury feel like?
- Mild ache to agonizing pain depending on the severity
- Sudden pain during an activity or exercise in the back of the leg
- Bruising
- Swelling and tenderness
- Weakness in the hamstring
Causes:
Have you started a new workout? Have you recently started running? Are you training for a sport? These are all things that can lead to a hamstring injury. Some other causes include:
- Poor strength – especially your glutes
- Decreased flexibility of the quad (front of the thigh) or the hamstrings (back of the thigh)
- Poor body mechanics
- Muscle imbalance and compensations
Anyone can experience a hamstring injury but athletes especially runners and dancers, children still growing and active adults are at a higher risk of injury.
It is important to get an assessment of the injury as soon as possible to allow for proper healing and to be able to get back into action as quick as possible. Proper stretches, strengthening and functional movements are used to improve overall mobility, all of these are determined after an evaluation with a physical therapist.
By Lindy VanDerBogart, PTA
