The hamstrings, a collection of three muscles, are located at the back of your thigh. This group of muscles enables you to lift your leg backward and bend at the knee. As with any muscle, the hamstrings can be stretched beyond their capabilities, resulting in pain. Because severe pain can sometimes signal serious hamstring injury, it is important to understand how a pulled hamstring occurs and how it can be treated.
Symptoms
A pulled hamstring and muscle pain can develop suddenly in the back of your leg during an activity such as stretching. Pain can vary from mild to severe. You can sometimes experience a tearing or popping sound or sensation in the hamstring and surrounding muscles at the time of injury. Additional symptoms can include muscle weakness, redness, loss of mobility, bruising on the back of your leg, swelling, tenderness and warmth.
Cause
A pulled hamstring and muscle pain occurs when muscle is pulled beyond its capacity or is overwhelmed with a sudden load. It can develop in one or more of the muscles located at the back of the thighs. This injury causes the muscles to contract or partially tear away from the bone. In severe cases, the tendon fibers can completely tear away from the bone, taking a piece of bone with it.
Treatment
Refrain from stretching until pain subsides. Use a crutch or cane to prevent you from placing your body weight on the injured leg. Place a cold pack or ice pack on the back of your thigh for 20 minutes at a time to help ease inflammation and pain. Wear compression shorts or wrap your leg with an elastic bandage. If possible, elevate your leg to ease swelling by helping fluid to drain from the injury. Severe muscle pulls or pain may need to be surgically treated by a doctor.
Warnings
Although mild pulled hamstrings and muscle pain can be remedied at home, you must see a doctor if you experience severe pain or injury. Seek medical attention if you can't place any weight on your leg, develop numbness in the leg, notice red streaks around the injured area or can't walk more than a few steps without severe pain. Failing to treat a pulled hamstring or returning to stretching before it has completely healed can result in re-injury or permanent decreased muscular strength.
