Treatment Options for Hamstring Injuries
What Are Hamstring Injuries?
The hamstring is a group of three muscles that run along the back of the thigh from the hip to the knee. Hamstring injuries occur when these muscles are strained or pulled. If untreated, hamstring injuries may lead to prolonged and chronic pain in the thigh, and eventually result in permanent muscle dysfunction.
Hamstring injuries are common in dancers and athletes, including runners and football, soccer, basketball, and tennis players. Major causes of hamstring injuries include:
- Sports that require sprinting or running with sudden stops or stretching
- Activities such as dancing that requires extreme stretching
- Incomplete healing of prior hamstring injury
- Poor hamstring flexibility (or hamstring tightness)
- Muscle imbalance (front muscles of the thigh stronger than hamstring)
The major sign of a hamstring injury can be a sudden, sharp pain in the back of the thigh. Other symptoms include:
- A popping or tearing sensation in the thigh
- Swelling and tenderness within a few hours of injury
- Pain in the back of the lower buttock when walking
- Bruising or discoloration along the back of the leg
- Muscle weakness leading to an inability to put weight on the injured leg
What Are the Treatment Options for Hamstring Injuries?
The treatment for hamstring injuries depends on the severity of the injury. Non-invasive treatment options may include:
- Complete rest to allow the hamstring injury to heal
- Use of ice packs to reduce swelling and relieve pain
- Wrapping the injured area with a compression bandage to minimize swelling
- Elevating the injured leg above the heart level to minimize swelling
- Over-the-counter medications to reduce pain and inflammation
- Immobilization with a splint to help the injured leg heal
- Use of a cane or crutches to avoid weight on the injured leg
Surgery may be required in severe cases such as a total tear of the hamstring muscle.
What Is the Best Way to Prevent Hamstring Injuries?
The best way to prevent hamstring injuries is regular stretching and strengthening the hamstring muscles. Other factors that can help in preventing hamstring injuries include:
- Warm up exercise before physical activity
- Stretching after physical activity
- A gradual increase in the intensity of physical activity
If you have suffered a hamstring injury and want to explore non-invasive or surgical treatment options, see how we can help you.