Hamstring Injury

Those who love to play a wide variety of sports and exercise frequently don't have to contend with the many dangers offered by a sedentary lifestyle, but sport and exercise have numerous risks of their own, if not done carefully – one of which is hamstring injury. You may have experienced or heard about the difficulties that come with a hamstring injury. As always, correct information about triggers, symptoms and treatment will be crucial for anyone who wants to avoid being sidelined for the long-term, or is recuperating from a possible hamstring injury.

The hamstring muscle group, consisting of the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris muscles, are found at the back of the thigh. They attach to the 'sitting bone' and just below the knee. The hamstrings act antagonistically to the quadriceps allowing you to move your legs, hips and knees: whenever you want to walk, run, jump, dance, climb, kneel and lunge, your hamstrings will be called to action and help you do those basic things.

The aforementioned movements can't be done --- or are very difficult to do --- if you sustain a hamstring injury. Pulled or torn hamstrings result from sudden movements that your legs haven't been properly prepared for (e.g., excessive exercise or inadequate stretching and warmups), as well as continuous, extreme use (as in the case of athletes in contact/endurance sports like football/soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, track and field, triathlons, gymnastics and competitive dance).

So what are the symptoms you should look out for? Health practitioners and physical therapists will tell you that you may have a hamstring injury if any or all of these signs are present:

• Sharp pain at the back of your thigh, especially right after any type of physical activity
• Pain whenever you stretch or bend your leg
• Inability to place part of or your entire weight on the affected leg
• An audible or felt "pop" at the moment of injury
• Muscle spasms
• The appearance of bruises or swelling some time after injury

The pain you'll feel can be categorized into three levels or grades. A Grade 1 hamstring injury will result in tolerable pain, cramping or tightness whenever your leg muscles are used. A Grade 2 injury is characterized by an increased difficulty to withstand leg muscle pressure and pain, along with swelling and hampered movement (limping). Grade 3 means that your hamstring is completely torn, which leads to the inability to walk without assistance, an intense burning sensation in the affected area (especially when you move your leg), and immediate swelling and bruising. You may also feel a "gap" when you run your fingers along the affected leg muscle.

Like rotator cuff damage, RICE (which means rest, icing, compression and relaxation) is the initial response. However, the pain may not be alleviated by self-treatment alone. Physical therapy is highly recommended, and our massage therapists are well-trained and experienced in handling problems like hamstring injury. The Crows Nest Complementary Health Centre has remedial massage therapists who can help relieve the pain caused by your hamstring injury and possess experience in areas that include remedial massage, sports injuries, and deep tissue massage.