Hamstring Strain

What are they?

The hamstrings are a group of 3 muscles at the back of your thigh. A hamstring strain is when 1 or more of these muscles become injured, resulting in pain and loss of function. Hamstring strains can range from a simple over-stretching of the muscle (grade 1) up to a complete muscle rupture (grade 3).

What causes hamstring strains?

Muscle strains more often than not occur when the muscle is over-stretched. For the hamstring muscles this generally occurs when our hip joint is flexed/bent, and our knee joint is straight. Think activities such as kicking, high-speed running, and jumping. Sports where there is a high incidence of hamstring strains include AFL, soccer, and sprinting. There are also risk factors that make someone more or less likely to injure their hamstring. These can be broken down into things we can change (modifiable) and things that we can’t (non-modifiable):

Modifiable: hamstring muscle stiffness and weakness, abnormal trunk and pelvic motor control

Non-modifiable: previous hamstring injury, previous injuries (ACL, calf strain, and knee/ankle ligament injuries), and increasing age

Hamstring injury assessment

A thorough initial assessment is important as it helps to guide treatment, identify risk factors, and inform your return-to-play timeline. During your initial assessment your physiotherapist will assess things like muscle flexibility, muscle strength, and palpate areas of tenderness. As you progress through rehab your physiotherapist may look at things including your ability to run, jump, and hop, depending on your sport or activity.

Hamstring injury management

Your physiotherapist will implement a management plan specific to your needs and assessment findings. However, management principles will likely include progressive exercises involving strengthening, stabilisation, agility, and running drills. Manual therapy including massage and dry needling will also likely be beneficial for pain reduction and tissue flexibility. A good management plan is crucial after a hamstring injury as you are 3.6 times more likely to sustain another hamstring injury within the same year. Your management plan will also take into consideration your individual risk factors for hamstring strains as identified by your physiotherapist.

For more information on hamstring injuries read our previous blog or If you have any questions or would like some help managing your hamstring strain, book in with one of our physiotherapists here at Ethos Health.

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