A hamstring strain is a tear in the muscles at the back of the thigh, most often during sprinting at high speed or a sudden overstretch. It is one of the most common sporting injuries and among the most likely to recur — the re-injury rate is high, and almost always because the return was based on pain rather than on strength. The rehabilitation is well established and it works if it is followed through.

Does this sound like you?

Most people have several of these, not all of them.

Sudden sharp pain at the back of the thigh
Difficulty continuing to run or straighten the leg fully
Bruising appearing down the back of the thigh over a day or two
Tenderness to press along the muscle
A pulling sensation on stretching or accelerating

Why it happens

High-speed running, particularly the late swing phase
A sudden overstretch — a slide tackle, a hurdle, a slip
Fatigue late in a game or session
Previous hamstring injury, the strongest single risk factor
Insufficient high-speed running exposure in training

What we would do about it

Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.

Early protection and gentle range work in the first few days
Progressive eccentric strengthening, which is the best-evidenced component
Trunk and hip strengthening around it
A graded running program returning to full sprint speed before the return to play
Objective strength and speed criteria to return on, not a date
Screening the lower back, which can refer into the hamstring

See a doctor first if

Your pain followed a significant injury
It is getting worse rather than settling
It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.

Hamstrings re-tear when the return is rushed

Pain-free is not the same as ready, and going back early is why so many of these happen twice. We test properly and return you on criteria.

Book a hamstring assessment Ask a question first

Or call us on 0403 907 587 — we see patients across Seaton.

Other leg conditions we treat

Calf Strain Shin Splints Quadriceps Strain Compartment Syndrome

Back to all leg conditions

General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Hamstring Strain on Physiopedia.

Hamstring Strain