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
If any of these is sudden or severe, call 911 or go to an emergency room. For the others, get examined before you start self-care.
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
The longer road
- The rehab backbone: 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
Neuro-Electrical Stimulation
Learn more →Assisted & Resistance Stretching
Learn more →Massage & Soft-Tissue Therapy
Learn more →Chiropractic Adjustments
Learn more →PEMF Therapy
Learn more →Keep working on it at home
Once you have been examined and cleared to load it, these free home programs cover this part of the body.
More in Hip & Thigh
Hip OsteoarthritisFemoroacetabular ImpingementHip Labral TearGreater Trochanteric Pain SyndromeHip Flexor StrainGroin (Adductor) StrainMeralgia ParestheticaHip Pointer
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.