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Hamstring Strain
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.
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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. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other leg conditions we treat
Related reading: calf injuries, inner thigh strains and back-related pain in the back of the leg.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Hamstring Strain on Physiopedia.
