“Ow, I think I pulled my hammies”. If you play any sport, you probably heard this one before. Indeed, this is one of the most common injuries in sports, especially anything that has to do with running. Let’s go into a few more details about this big muscle on the back of your leg.
The hamstring is a collection of 3 muscles that has the main function of bending the knee. Although it is located on the back of the thigh, most of the muscles actually don’t attach onto the back of the thigh bone. Instead, they originate from the sit bone of the pelvis. Because of this attachment, the hamstring muscles has a function which is to extend the hip.
As mentioned, runners seemed the have drawn the shorter end of the straw as these individuals seems to have a higher occurrences of hamstring injuries. Other running type sports including soccer, footy, american football and athletics. If any of these sports are what you love, be sure to check out our previous blog on essential stretches for runners and cyclist: https://www.capitalphysiotherapy.com.au/essential-stretches-runners-cyclists/
Other than the type of sports, specific individual risk factors have been found including but not limited to:
- Tight hip flexors
- Imbalanced quadriceps and hamstring strength
- Short pre-season
- Leg dominance
- Previous hamstring injuries
After sustaining a hamstring injury, it is vital to undergo good rehabilitation program prior to returning to sport. The hamstring needs to be progressively loaded to be nearly as strong as the other leg before returning to sport. Along with strength, there is other fitness factors to consider including balance and body awareness. With these factors in mind, it would be a good idea to get a good rehab program going through a physiotherapist.
At Capital Physiotherapy, we have physiotherapists who are familiar with hamstring injuries and have brought many people back to sport after sustaining a hamstring tear. If this sounds like you, be sure to contact one of our clinics located at South Yarra, Footscray and Hawthorn (Formerly at Balwyn) or send an email to info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au to get you safely back to doing what you love.