Hip & Thigh
Hamstring Strain
Also called: Pulled hamstring
The sprinter's classic: overstretch or tearing of the back-of-thigh muscles during high-speed running, kicking, or aggressive stretching. Notorious for re-injury when rushed — the rehab quality, especially eccentric strengthening, determines whether this happens once or becomes a career pattern.
Common signs
- Sudden sharp pain in the back of the thigh, often mid-sprint
- Grabbing/pulling sensation; may limp immediately
- Bruising appearing days later, sometimes down toward the knee
- Pain with straightening the leg or bending forward
Seek help now if
- A loud pop high near the sit bone with major weakness — proximal avulsion may need surgical opinion
- In adolescents: pain at the sit bone (growth-plate avulsion — image it)
- Numbness or circulation changes
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- First 48–72 hours: relative rest, compression, elevation, gentle pain-free movement
- Start early gentle loading — long full rest is the enemy of hamstring healing
- Assess the grade: how much strength and stretch tolerance is lost guides the timeline
If it's become chronic
- The rehab spine: isometrics → eccentric emphasis (Nordic curls and their cousins) → running progression → sprint exposure — with objective criteria before return
- Recurrent strains demand a look at sprint mechanics, lumbopelvic control, and prior rehab gaps
- Maintain eccentric hamstring work permanently in-season — it's proven injury insurance
Natural healing options we use
- Manual therapy scaled to healing stage
- Chiropractic care for lumbopelvic mechanics (hamstrings take orders from the pelvis)
- Progressive eccentric loading program
- Attended e-stim and PEMF; protein and collagen support
About imaging
Clinical for most; MRI for high-grade tears, sit-bone avulsions, or return-to-play precision in athletes.
Daily self-care
- Never test it with a max sprint before it's earned
- Nordic curl variants 2× weekly for life (athletes)
- Warm up progressively to sprint speed, always
How we can help
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Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.