Hamstring Strain

Summary

Hamstring injuries are common in sports that involve a lot of jumping, sprinting, acceleration, and deceleration such as football, athletics, and basketball. The main cause for hamstring strain is a rapid excessive contraction or a violent overstretch of the hamstring muscle group. When the hamstring is during the latter phase of knee extension the hamstring is put under the greatest tension. When decelerating during this phase the hamstring muscles contract eccentrically putting the hamstrings under a great deal of tension. Factors which have been clinically proven to increase the risk of hamstring injuries are older age, any previous hamstring injuries, a limited hamstring flexibility, poor core stability and increased fatigue (hamstring feeling tight). A complete and proper warm up before and cool down after exercise are vital in preventing hamstring injuries. In a true hamstring strain the athlete may hear an audible “pop” coming from the hamstring, the athlete will experience a great deal of tenderness around the hamstring, a decreased range of motion and a decrease in strength. In most cases bruising will appear around the back of the leg. Hamstring injuries can cause several issues due to the slow healing nature of the hamstring tissues as well as the high rate of reinjury it means that it is important for a full and comprehensive rehabilitation to take place. If an athlete feels that they have suffered a hamstring strain they should seek medical attention to prevent any further injury. RICE procedures should be followed.

Rehabilitation

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