Hamstring Strain

A tear in the muscle

A hamstring strain is a stretch or tear in one of the three muscles on the back of your thigh. It often happens where the muscle turns into tendon.

Three levels

Doctors sort strains into three grades. Grade 1 is a mild overstretch. Grade 2 is a partial tear. Grade 3 is a complete tear, which can take months to heal.

Myth or fact?

• A pulled muscle and a muscle strain are the same thing. Fact. Pulled muscle is just the everyday name for a muscle strain.

At top speed

Many hamstring strains happen while sprinting. As your back leg pushes off, your hamstrings are stretched and loaded at the same time. That's when they can tear.

Big stretches

Some strains happen when the muscle is stretched too far, like during a big kick or stretching out to reach a ball. Dancers and soccer players are at risk.

Myth or fact?

• Bruising on the back of the thigh can show up a day or two after a hamstring strain. Fact. Bruising happens when blood vessels in the muscle break too. A big bruise is a reason to get it checked.

The biggest risk: a past strain

The number one risk factor for a hamstring strain is having had one before. It can make another strain 2 to 6 times more likely, so finishing rehab and doing strength work matters so much.

Other risk factors

Weak or tight hamstrings, being tired late in games, skipping the warm-up, and suddenly doing a lot more sprinting than usual all raise the risk.

Growing bodies

In growing teens, a hard hamstring pull can sometimes pull off a small piece of bone at the sit bone, where the tendon attaches. Pain high up near your sit bone after a pull should always be checked.

Myth or fact?

• Doing a lot more sprinting all at once, like the first week of preseason, can raise your risk. Fact. Big jumps in sprinting add a lot of load without time to recover. Build up speed work slowly.

Nordic hamstring curls

Nordic curls train your hamstrings to be strong while they're stretching, which is exactly when strains happen. Research in soccer players shows they can cut hamstring injuries by about half or more.

Sprint regularly

In a study of pro soccer players, those who did more sprinting in preseason had fewer hamstring injuries. Build up your fast running slowly.

Myth or fact?

• Static stretching alone is the best way to prevent hamstring strains. Myth. Stretching has its place, since tight muscles strain more easily. But strength work like Nordic curls is the gold standard for preventing hamstring strains.

The first few days

Stop playing, tell an adult, and protect the leg. Ice can help with pain. See a doctor if you felt a pop, have a big bruise, can't walk normally, or have pain near your sit bone.

Move, then strengthen

Once the pain and swelling settle down, physical therapy starts with gentle stretches, then adds strength work step by step. Starting early helps athletes get back to sports sooner.

Myth or fact?

• Most repeat hamstring strains happen within about two months of the first injury. Fact. That's why finishing rehab, and building back up carefully after you return, matters so much.