According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, hamstring muscle injuries are common in athletes. Pulled or strained hamstrings are especially common in sports that require sprinting, bursts of speed and sudden changes in direction, such as football. Most hamstring injuries respond well to conservative treatment. If you suspect you sustained a hamstring strain during football, stop playing and consult your team trainer or your physician.
Hamstring Muscles
Your hamstring muscles are in the back of your thigh. They are comprised of three different muscles: the semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. These three muscles work together to help bend your knee and help to extend -- or straighten -- your leg. These motions are important in sprinting and in kicking a football.
Causes of Strains
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons indicates that football players -- along with soccer and basketball players -- and adolescents are most likely to sustain hamstring strains. Hamstring strains can also be the result of poor conditioning. Failure to warm up prior to a game or football practice can leave your muscles prone to injury. Tight hamstring as well as tight hip flexor muscles creates a muscular imbalance that places excessive strain on your hamstrings. This makes you more likely to sustain hamstring strains. Excessive practicing, exercising and participation in football can also lead to hamstring injuries.
Symptoms
Hamstring strains that occur as the result of a traumatic injury usually require stopping practice or play, because they usually cause a sharp pain in your thigh muscles. The pain may cause you to shift your weight to your opposite leg or even fall to the ground. Symptoms of traumatic and other types of hamstring strains include weakness that can persist for several weeks and swelling or bruising in your thigh that can extend to the back of your knee cap. These symptoms normally occur within hours of your injury. Symptoms of hamstring strains caused by muscular imbalances often increase gradually.
Treatment
If you suspect a hamstring injury, a visit with your team trainer, a sporst medicine specialist or your family doctor can help confirm your condition. X-rays or an MRI may be taken to rule out other injuries or to confirm the severity of your injury. Hamstring injuries are normally treated with rest, ice, compression and elevation. A brief period of immobilization may be required to help your leg heal. Physical therapy may also be prescribed by your doctor to help strengthen and heal your hamstring muscles. Surgery is rarely required for a hamstring injury. You should not return to football until your doctor has indicated that it is okay.
