Hamstring strain or tear
What is a hamstring strain?
A hamstring strain involves over-stretching or a tear of one of the 3 hamstring muscles at the back of the thigh – biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus. Strains can vary from a mild tightening of the muscle to a rupture of the muscle.
Symptoms of a hamstring strain
Symptoms depend on the severity but can include sharp pain at the back of thigh, muscle spasm, tenderness of the muscles, pain on stretching the leg, bruising over the site, and with severe tears, an inability to stand or walk. A gap may be felt in the muscle.
Causes
A strain usually happens when the muscles are overloaded or try to move too fast in an explosive action such as jumping or sprinting.
Treatment of hamstring strains and tears
Treatment may involve ice packs every couple of hours for a few days, elevation of the leg, anti-inflammatory medicines, an elastic compression bandage, and if you have difficulty walking, crutches. Special exercises to regain strength and mobility and encourage the body to repair the damage correctly are an important part of rehabilitation. These can be prescribed by a sports physician or physiotherapist. Surgery may be needed to repair a complete tear of a hamstring muscle.
Last Reviewed: 12 August 2009
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