One lazy day of skipping your warm-up stretches can lead to weeks on crutches if you end up with a hamstring injury. These painful injuries can often be avoided by staying in shape, knowing your limits and adequate training and warm-up before jumping into a vigorous activity.
What They Are
Your three hamstring muscles run along the back of your thigh, working to bend your knee and move your thigh backward. Injuries to this muscle group range from the mild to the severe. Although the mildest injuries heal on their own, the most drastic cases might require surgery. Two common hamstring injuries are hamstring strain and hamstring tendinitis.
Hamstring Strain
A hamstring strain, also known as a pulled hamstring, is actually a rip in one or more of your hamstring muscles, according to SportsInjuryClinic.net. Sharp pain is a give-away with a pulled hamstring, especially if the pain hits suddenly during an intense or quick movement or when you try to stretch the hamstrings as you bend forward with your legs straight. More severe strains can result in bruising, swelling or a notable gap between the muscles.
Hamstring Tendinitis
Hamstring tendinitis is the swelling of the hamstring tendon where it attaches to the hip bone, according to SportsInjuryClinic.net. Hamstring tendinitis most frequently comes about from overusing the hamstrings, but it can also crop up from a hamstring strain that does not receive proper treatment. Pain and tenderness are the main symptoms of hamstring tendinitis, usually localized around the hip area where the tendon is attached.
Remedies
All hamstring injuries require rest and avoiding strenuous activity, especially the sport that might have led to the injury in the first place. Use crutches or a cane if it hurts to put any pressure on your leg. Ice packs help to relieve pain, while both ice packs and bandaging your leg help reduce swelling. If you have a mild strain without a muscle tear, you can expect to recover fairly quickly, MayoClinic.com says, while more severe tears, multiple tears or tendinitis take longer to heal. Get back into your routine slowly, with plenty of stretching. The most severe cases merit a visit to your doctor for additional therapy.
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