Description

A hamstring injury involves effort or by pulling one of the hamstring muscles — the group of three muscles that run along the back of the thigh.

Hamstring injuries often occur in people who play sports that consists of sprinting with sudden stops and starts. Examples include football, basketball, soccer, and tennis. Hamstring injuries can occur in runners and in dancers as well.

Self-care measures, such as rest, ice, and pain medications are often all that is needed to relieve the pain and inflammation of a hamstring injury. Rarely, surgery is done to repair a hamstring muscles or tendons.

Symptoms

A hamstring injury usually causes a sudden, sharp pain in the back of the thigh. It could also be a "popping" or tearing sensation.

Swelling and tenderness usually develop within a few hours. There may be bruising or a change in the color of the skin along the posterior part of the leg. Some people have muscle weakness or are not able to put weight on the injured leg.

When to see a doctor

Mild hamstring strains can be treated at home. But to see a health care provider if you are unable to bear weight on the injured leg, or if you can't walk more than four steps without a lot of pain.

Causes

The hamstring muscles are a group of three muscles that run along the back of the thigh from the hip to just below the knee. These muscles allow you to extend the back leg and bend the knee. The stretching or the overload of any of these muscles beyond their limit can cause injury.

Risk factors

Hamstring injury risk factors include:

  • Sports. Sports that require running or jogging can make a hamstring injury more likely. So, perhaps, other activities that can require an excessive stretching, such as dancing.
  • Before a hamstring injury. People who have had a hamstring injury are more likely to have another. This is especially true for the people who seek to return to the same activities before the muscles have time to heal.
  • Tired of muscles, weakness of the muscles and the muscles do not stretch well. Tiredness, or weakness of the muscles are more prone to injury. The muscles with the poor of the flexibility not be able to withstand the force of the action that some of the activities require.
  • Muscle imbalance. Although not all experts agree, some suggest that a muscle imbalance that can lead to a hamstring injury. If the quadriceps muscles along the front of the thigh are stronger and more developed than that of the muscles of the hamstring, injury to the hamstring muscles may be more likely.
  • Age. The risk of injury increases with age.

Complications

Returning to tire of the activities before the hamstring muscles are fully cured, it could cause the injury to happen again.

Prevention

Be in good physical condition and doing regular stretching and strengthening exercises may help decrease the risk of a hamstring injury. Try to be in shape to play your sport. Don't play your sport to get in shape.

If you have a physically demanding job, staying in shape can help prevent injuries. Ask your health care provider about exercises to do on a regular basis.

Diagnosis

During the physical exam, the doctor checks the swelling and tenderness along the posterior part of the thigh. Where the pain is and how bad it can give you a good information about the damage.

Move your injured leg into different positions to help a provider to specify that the muscle is injured, and if there is damage to the ligaments or tendons.

Imaging tests

In the severe form of injuries to the hamstring, the muscle can rupture or even detached from the pelvis or of the tibia. When this happens, a small piece of bone can be separated from the main bone, known as an avulsion fracture. X-rays can check the fractures avulsion, while ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging may show tears in the muscles and tendons.

Treatment

The first goal of treatment is to reduce pain and swelling. A health care provider may suggest the following:

  • Take a break from the strenuous activity to allow the injury to heal.
  • Apply ice packs several times a day to relieve the pain and reduce the swelling.
  • Wrap the injured area with a compression bandage or wear shorts compression to minimize swelling.
  • Rest with the leg elevated above heart level, if possible, to reduce the swelling.
  • Take medications for the pain that you can get without a prescription. Examples include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).

Physical therapy

Your health care provider or a physical therapist can show you how to make gentle hamstring stretching and strengthening exercises. After the pain and swelling go down, your healthcare provider can show you how to do exercises to build the most strength.

Surgery

The majority of injuries to the hamstring that involve partial tear of the muscle that will heal with time and physical therapy. If the muscle has been pulled free of the pelvis or of the tibia, orthopedic surgeons can re-install it. Severe muscle tears can also be repaired.

Lifestyle and home remedies

For the care of a minor hamstring injury itself, try the R. I. C. E. approach:

  • Rest. Take a break to rest the hamstring muscles and allow the damaged tissue to repair. Avoid any activity that causes pain, swelling, or discomfort. If you have more than a minor muscle strain, your doctor may recommend that you use crutches to keep weight to the injured leg.
  • Of ice. Ice the area as soon after the injury as you can. During the first few days after injury, keep an ice pack on the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours while awake. The cold reduces swelling and pain. This can also slow the bleeding, if there is a tear. If you have vascular disease, diabetes or not, you can feel a lot in his leg, talk with your health care provider prior to the formation of ice.
  • Compression. Wrap the leg with an elastic bandage until the swelling goes down. Be careful not to tighten too much. Begin wrapping at the end furthest away from your heart. Loosen the bandage if the pain increases, the area becomes numb or swelling occurs below the wrapped area.
  • Elevation. Sit or lie down on your back with your raised leg during the break. If possible, elevate the leg above the level of the heart.

The pain medication that you can get without a prescription, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), also may help. After a couple of days, gently begin to use the injured leg. The leg of the ability to withstand your weight and your ability to move without pain should get better over time.

Preparing for your appointment

You can speak with your own health care provider. You may be referred to a provider who practices sports medicine or orthopedic surgery.

What you can do

Make a list that includes:

  • The full information about your symptoms and when they began.
  • The information about the medical problems you have had.
  • All of the medications and supplements you are taking, including dosage.
  • The questions you want to ask the doctor.

What to expect from your doctor

Your health care provider might ask some of the following questions:

  • When did the injury occur and how did it happen?
  • Feel a popping or tearing sensation?
  • Do the movements or positions make the pain better or worse?
Symptoms and treatment of Hamstring injury