A hamstring strain or ‘pull’ is a stretch or tear of the hamstring muscles or tendons. This is a very common injury, especially in high intense sports that require sprinting, explosive accelerations and sudden changes of direction.
Muscular imbalance between the hamstring and quadriceps can cause a strain with the quadriceps being much stronger. Common minor tears happen in the biceps femoris muscle closest to the knee.
Complete tears or ruptures usually pull away from this attachment also. Excessive force against the muscles, especially during eccentric contraction, when the muscle is contracting and lengthening against force, can cause stretching, minor tears or even complete rupture.
There can be several causes of a hamstring strain.
Strength imbalance between the hamstrings and quadriceps
Forceful stretching of the muscle
Excessive overload on the muscle
Hamstring strains can be categorised into 3 grades:
Grade 1 – Minor tear
Mild tenderness and pain, with little or no swelling. Full muscular strength is still available.
Grade 2 – Partial tear
Specific pain and tenderness, with moderate swelling with possible bruising and limping.
Grade 3 – Rupture
A full tear with extreme pain. There is obvious swelling and bruising with an inability to bear weight.
Anti-inflammatory medication and R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) can reduce swelling and will assist in injury recovery. Afterwards, applying heat and massage will promote blood flow and healing of the muscle.
Stretching and flexibility exercises after the initial pain regresses will help speed recovery and prevent future recurrences. Strengthening the hamstrings to balance them with the quadriceps is very important. When re-entering sporting activity, adequate warm up and cool downs must be performed and a gradual increase in intensity is important.
Complete ruptures may require surgery to repair and long-term rehabilitation.
*Disclaimer
Our therapists provide injury treatment, advice, prevention, and rehabilitation exercises through sports massage, deep tissue massage, exercise programming and physiotherapy.
We provide educational content for informational purposes only. Aways seek a medical professionals care and advice regarding injuries.