Hamstring Strain

The hamstring at the back of your thigh is a large area of muscle that can tear if overstretched. If you damage your hamstring, visit Kevin O’Donnell, DO, and the rest of the staff at Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC. The practice serves the Denver metropolitan area and specializes in treating hamstring strains using advanced techniques like shockwave therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. Call Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC to request a hamstring injury evaluation or book an appointment online today.

What is a hamstring strain?

The hamstring joins your thigh bone (femur) and the large thigh muscle, enabling you to bend and straighten your leg. Your hamstring comes under significant stress when you perform movements like jumping, climbing, sprinting, and lunging. Strains occur when you push the muscle beyond its limits.

Grade 1 hamstring strains are mild muscle pulls, while Grade 2 strains involve partial muscle tearing. A Grade 3 hamstring strain tears the entire muscle. 

Why would I suffer a hamstring strain?

Hamstring strains often happen when you overstretch the leg, for example, lunging to reach a ball when playing tennis or basketball. Other risk factors for hamstring strains include:

• Not warming up properly before exercising
• Fatigue from excessive training 
• Significant blows to the thigh
• Ineffective conditioning 
• Suffering a previous hamstring strain

Hamstring strains typically cause acute, intense thigh pain. You might be unable to move the leg properly or even struggle to walk with a severe strain.

How do I know I’ve strained my hamstring?

Symptoms vary depending on the strain’s severity but might include:

• Sudden, radiating thigh pain 
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Loss of strength in your leg
• Tenderness
• Bump or knot in the thigh 
• Muscle spasms
• Muscle stiffness 

If you develop these symptoms, rest the leg, use ice packs, apply a compression bandage, and keep the leg raised when possible. These steps reduce pain and swelling and prevent the injury from worsening.

What treatment does a hamstring strain require?

A mild hamstring strain might only require rest and a gentle return to exercise. However, if your symptoms are severe or there’s no improvement after a few days, visit Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC for an expert evaluation.

You might require physical therapy, and crutches are useful if you have trouble walking. Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC specializes in sports injuries like hamstring strains and offers the most advanced non-surgical therapies that accelerate healing. Treatments your provider might recommend include:

• Joint injections 
• Prolotherapy 
• Bone and fat stem cell therapy
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
• Focused shockwave therapy
• Extracorporeal pulse activation technology (EPAT®) radial shockwave therapy

These treatments help you return to normal activity levels sooner. Your provider will recommend the approach that best fits your condition and discuss the procedure with you.

Call Revitalize Regenerative Orthopedics LLC to arrange a hamstring injury assessment, or use the online booking form to schedule a consultation today.