Hamstring Injury

A hamstring injury can vary in severity, ranging from minor sprains to major ruptures. A minor strain is designated as a Grade 1 tear, while a complete rupture is known as a Grade 3 tear. Grade 2 injuries are partial ruptures that fall in severity between two. Given how the hamstring muscles function, it is not very surprising that the most severe injuries happen to those who are athletically active.

A hamstring injury generally causes impaired mobility, but Grade 1 injuries are usually mild enough to heal without much effort from the injured. You simply have to let a hamstring injury heal on its own by giving the injured leg some rest. Consequently, as a hamstring injury becomes more severe, the more it becomes debilitating. Just ask as the scores of athletes that had to endure a limited career because of a hamstring injury. One perfect example is Mickey Mantle, a Yankee baseball star who sustained a Grade 3 tear while trying to beat a pitch. But just because you’re not an athlete doesnt mean that you’re safe from getting a pulled hamstring so you also have to be very careful. Even just using a jump rope or an elliptical machine can lead to a hamstring injury.

Hamstring injuries typically occur when an individual suddenly lunges, runs, or jumps. The sudden movement in the muscles pulls on tissues and how hard the pull is will be proportional to how severe the hamstring injury is. You’ll definitely feel the pull when you get injured but you may also feel or hear a pop. Varying degrees of pain will be felt when you injure yourself and for the most part the pain will leave you unable to continue whatever it was that you were doing.

When someone with a hamstring injury gets checked, normally there will be spasm, tenderness, and tightness all at the same time. If a hamstring injury is severe though, there will be swelling and bruising as well. A palpable defect may also be present in some cases. The tears associated with a hamstring injury is normally located along the middle part of the back of the thigh where your hamstrings join the tendons or where the hamstrings start at the base of the butt.

You can’t completely avoid getting a hamstring injury but you can help lessen your risks by routinely doing hamstring stretches and hamstring exercises. Increasing your level of flexibility is your best weapon against getting a hamstring injury.