Hamstring Strain

What is Hamstring Strain?

Hamstring strain is a common injury of the hamstring muscles that results in posterior thigh pain. Like calf strain, hamstring strain commonly affects individuals who participate in high-impact sports such as football or basketball and can severely affect your ability to walk or run after.

Causes of Hamstring Strain

The hamstrings muscle group is made up of 3 different posterior thigh muscles, namely biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. Hamstring strain occurs when the muscle is contracting whilst being stretched beyond its limit, causing a degree of tear in the muscle fibres.

Hamstring strain can be classified into 3 gradings:

Grade 1 – Mild, only a small amount of muscle fibres are torn, and the patient is usually able to walk without pain, but unable to exercise.
Grade 2 – Moderate, partially-torn muscle, typically results in acute pain and swelling and affects walking
Grade 3 – Severe, significantly torn muscle (or full rupture), resulting in loss of strength and function

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Risk Factors of Hamstring Strain

Risk factors of hamstring strain include:

Old age
History of a hamstring injury
Tight hamstring muscles or hip flexors
Sudden increase in training intensity
Inadequate recovery
Muscular imbalance
Weak core stability
Football or basketball players
High-impact sport enthusiast
Sprinters

Signs and Symptoms of Hamstring Strain

Signs and symptoms of hamstring strain include:

Posterior thigh pain, affecting the ability to run or jump
Palpable tenderness
Swelling
Difficulty in extending the knee
Bruising or ecchymosis (in moderate-to-severe cases)