How do hamstrings pull

After the injury occurs, you will often be unable to extend your knee for more than 30 to 40 degrees without pain. Acute injuries are almost always accompanied by spasm, tightness, and tenderness, either developing immediately or after several hours. In the case of a rupture, you can often feel or see an indentation where the tear has occurred.

Swelling and severe bruising will typically follow. Most hamstring injuries are caused when the muscles are overloaded. These include the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. Muscle overload occurs when a muscle is either stretched beyond its limits or challenged with a sudden, excessive weight load. Most strains occur when the hamstring muscles are lengthened and contracted at the same time known as an eccentric contraction.

One such example is sprinting , during which the back leg is straightened while you propel yourself forward on bent toes. Other injuries occur when the hamstring is overexerted when lifting weight with a sudden thrust of energy.

Powerlifting is one such example. Hamstring injuries can usually be diagnosed by the location and intensity of the pain as well as the restriction of movement. Most tend to occur either in the middle of the back of the thigh or just beneath the gluteus muscle near the point where the tendon connects to the bone. Most cases do not require imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis. However, severe injuries may need to be assessed with magnetic resonance imaging MRI , the gold standard for visualizing soft tissue injuries.

Alternately, an ultrasound can provide a qualitative assessment of an injury by viewing the muscles and tendons in real-time. X-rays, while useful, can sometimes miss smaller tears. The treatment of a hamstring injury is based on the severity of the symptoms. All but the most severe can usually be treated non-surgically. Those involving tendon avulsions, in which the tendon has pulled completely away from the bone, require surgery and an extensive rehabilitation program.

Most acute hamstring injuries can be treated at home with the RICE protocol, which involves:. More serious injuries may require immobilization with a knee brace to keep your leg in a neutral position.

Pain can be treated either with an analgesic such as Tylenol acetaminophen or a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAID like Advil ibuprofen or Aleve naproxen. Once the injury is stabilized and the pain and swelling have subsided, physical therapy can be started, using gentle stretching to restore range of motion and strengthening exercises to increase muscle mass and weight-bearing strength.

Avulsions of the hamstring invariably require surgery to reattach the rupture. If an acute rupture occurs, the surgeon will usually wait 72 hours to allow the recoiled muscles to "relax. During the tendon avulsion repair, the surgeon will pull the hamstring muscles back into their original position and cut away any scar tissue at the ruptured end.

If the muscle itself is ruptured, sutures will be used to reattach the ends without shortening the length too excessively. After surgery, you would need to use crutches and a brace to keep your leg in a neutral position. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Alzahrani M, et al. Hamstring injuries in athletes: Diagnosis and treatment. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

DeLee JC, et al. Hamstring injuries. Philadelphia, Pa. Accessed Sept. Hay WW, et al. Sports medicine. New York, N. Sprains and strains. A hamstring injury can occur if any of the tendons or muscles are stretched beyond their limit.

They often occur during sudden, explosive movements, such as sprinting, lunging or jumping. But they can also occur more gradually, or during slower movements that overstretch your hamstring. Recurring injury is common in athletes and sportsmen, as you're more likely to injure your hamstring if you've injured it before. Regularly doing stretching and strengthening exercises , and warming up before exercise , may help reduce the risk of injuring your hamstring.

Mild hamstring strains grade 1 will usually cause sudden pain and tenderness at the back of your thigh. It may be painful to move your leg, but the strength of the muscle should not be affected. Partial hamstring tears grade 2 are usually more painful and tender. There may also be some swelling and bruising at the back of your thigh and you may have lost some strength in your leg.

Severe hamstring tears grade 3 will usually be very painful, tender, swollen and bruised. There may have been a "popping" sensation at the time of the injury and you'll be unable to use the affected leg. Most hamstring injuries can be cared for at home using the techniques outlined below. Consider seeing your GP if you have any concerns about your injury, particularly if you think it's a severe injury, it's not healing, or your symptoms are getting worse. Your GP can also advise you about when you can return to your normal activities and what exercises you should do to aid your recovery in the meantime.

They may be able to refer you to a physiotherapist for specialist treatment in some cases. Recovering from a hamstring injury may take days, weeks or months, depending on how severe it is. A completely torn hamstring may take several months to heal and you'll be unable to resume training or play sport during this time. During the first 2 or 3 days, you should care for your injury using RICE therapy:.