FAQs

Physical Therapy in Fairport and Rochester for Hamstring Injuries I have a mild hamstring tear. I've been told to just give it time and let it heal. I'm worried I will end up with a worse injury if I don't treat it right -- but I don't know what that is exactly. Can you help me? Hamstring injuries are very common among young and old athletes alike. The hamstring muscle along the back of the thigh is made up of three parts: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris. Hamstring strains a...

I read somewhere that stretching the hamstrings doesn't really prevent injuries. But I feel better and more flexible when I do these stretches. If stretching doesn't prevent hamstring strains and sprains, what does? The jury is still out on the debate over stretching as a means of preventing hamstring injuries. There is some evidence that prolonged, daily stretching can help prevent injuries. It's the quick, 10-second before activity stretching that doesn't seem to really benefit athletes. And m...

I am a hockey player with a rupture of the distal hamstring (the semitendinosus portion). Would surgery early on get me back on the ice sooner? It's been two weeks since I hurt myself. Nothing is more frustrating for an athlete than an injury -- especially one that doesn't heal. Knowing when to have surgery right away and when to treat the problem conservatively (without surgery) can be a real challenge. That's the case with tendon ruptures such as the hamstrings.The semitendinosus is one of thr...

I am a gymnast at the college level. While doing a lateral spagat (split) in the air, I tore the gracilis muscle of my hamstring. I've heard this is a pretty uncommon injury. What did I do wrong to get this injury? What can I do to keep from getting another injury like it? Athletes of all kinds can develop pain along the back of the thigh from a hamstring injury. The hamstring muscle is divided into four parts: the semimembranosus, semitendinosis, biceps femoris, and gracilis. Posterior thigh st...

I am 57 years old and went on a zip line at an amusement park with my grandkids. When I landed against the pad at the end, I hit so hard, I felt something snap in my butt. I completely ruptured my hamstrings. What are my chances for a full recovery? Hamstring injuries are not uncommon in active adults. Athletes are especially prone to these types of injuries. Hamstring ruptures associated with zip line rides has not been reported in the literature. But there are studies involving athletes of al...

I pulled a hamstring muscle last season (I play college football). We are about to start spring training and I'm worried it might happen again. Is there anything I can do to avoid this? It is good to pay attention to previous or old hamstring injuries. Without being overly pessimistic, you should know that studies do show that athletes who have injured their hamstring tendon or muscle are twice as likely to reinjure the same tendon/muscle. The older you are and the more you weigh, the higher the...

I'm 34-years-old, in great shape, and training for our local marathon. But everytime I go out running, I get a feeling of weakness in my right leg after about 25 or 30 minutes. There's pain but it's fairly mild. It seems to be getting worse slowly over time. I don't remember injuring anything. I'm worried I might have pulled a hamstring muscle. How can I tell for sure? Hamstring injuries are usually sudden and acute with a known event or injury. A slow, gradual onset of symptoms such as you desc...

I'm writing because I'm concerned that it's been six months since I had a hamstring repair and I still have pain when I'm sitting and numbness down the back of my leg . Is this normal? How much longer will it last? We are assuming from what you wrote that perhaps you had an avulsion injury to the hamstring muscle with either a partial or complete tearing of the tendon where it attaches to the bone.Since you mentioned painful sitting, it's probably safe for us to also assume the tendon pulled awa...

How well do hamstrings heal after surgery to re-attach the tendon to the bone at the bottom of the pelvis? I asked my surgeon this question but we got distracted in our conversation and I never did get an answer to that question. I guess I'm worried I'll go through all this and it won't heal at all. A complete tear or avulsion of the proximal hamstring tendon often requires surgery to heal. (Proximal means the tear occurred where the tendon attaches to the pelvis). How well patients recover from...