Lower Hamstring Injuries & Treatment

A pulled or strained hamstring is an unpleasant experience that may leave an individual unable to walk normally for a long time. There are treatments available that may hasten your recovery from a serious hamstring injury.

• Hamstring injuries are often painful and may limit your mobility for weeks.

Identification

• The hamstring is a large muscle that runs the length of the back of the thigh and is used to bend the knee. An injury in the lower part of the hamstring often feels like a shooting pain in back of the thigh just above the knee.

Causes

• Most often a lower hamstring injury is the result of overstretching the muscle or overexerting it during physical activity. Runners (mainly sprinters) often suffer from lower hamstring injuries because of the nature of their sport.

Types

• Lower hamstring injuries are generally divided into three classes of severity: First degree indicates the muscle was stretched a bit too far, resulting in stiffness and mild pain; second degree means the muscle has developed partial tears; and third degree indicates that the muscle has been severely stretched or entirely ripped.

Treatment

• Rest, stretching and strengthening exercises and taking medications such as aspirin are recommended. For a first or second degree strain the best way to treat the muscle is to apply an ice pack to the lower hamstring for about 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. A third degree tear might require surgery.

TIme Frame

• According to the University of Iowa's Sports Medicine division, a first degree lower hamstring injury will generally heal within two weeks. Second degree strains tend to recover in three to four weeks, while more severe injuries can take up to three months.