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Join Airrosti’s Amy Nguyen, DC, as she discusses the signs and symptoms associated with hamstring strains. She also examines the common conditions that may lead to a hamstring injury and other potential causes of hamstring pain. Finally, Amy Nguyen will explore several traditional treatment options and give an overview of Airrosti’s non-invasive treatment method.
The hamstrings are a group of three muscles in the back of your thigh. These muscles work together with the glutes and quadriceps to move your legs. Your hamstrings are specifically designed to bend your leg at the knee and assist the glutes when performing hip extension. Standing, sitting, squatting, jumping, and running are all movements that rely on your hamstrings.
Because of their involvement in most everyday movements, underutilized hamstrings can become vulnerable to painful injuries, especially in athletes and active individuals.
Hamstring strains are some of the most common causes of hamstring pain. A hamstring strain injury often occurs when the hamstring muscle is stressed beyond its capacity. Many people experience hamstring strains during activities that involve running and jumping or suddenly stopping and starting.
There are a few potential factors that can influence your risk of developing a hamstring injury, including:
Common signs of a hamstring strain injury include:
Hamstring strains are often placed into different grades depending on the severity of the strain. These grades range from Grade 1 to Grade 3.
This is a mild strain that is often referred to as a pulled hamstring. The muscle fibers have been stretched and irritated but are not torn. A hamstring pull is not pleasant, but the pain is usually mild with no significant loss of mobility.
The muscle fibers may have partially torn. As a more moderate strain, these symptoms may include bruising, swelling, pain in the back of the leg, and difficulty walking.
The hamstring muscles in a grade 3 strain may be completely ruptured. This is a more severe injury that can result in severe pain, swelling, and loss of motion. Putting weight on the injured leg may be difficult or impossible.
Depending on the severity of the strain, a mild to moderate hamstring injury may take a few weeks to recover. More severe strains may even take months to recover.
You should not return to your old level of physical activity until you have full mobility in the injured leg and it no longer hurts to walk, run, and jump. If you start pushing yourself before the hamstring is fully healed, you could re-injure the hamstring and develop permanent muscle dysfunction.
Your doctor may request X-ray or MRI tests to help determine the severity of your injury and rule out any other possible conditions. Fortunately, many hamstring strain injuries are mild and can heal on their own with conservative care.
Ice, compression, elevation, and over-the-counter pain medications can help relieve the pain and swelling during recovery. While your leg is recovering, try not to push yourself too hard. You should be able to put weight on your leg and perform basic movements, but over-exercising or returning to regular activity too soon could lead to re-injury.
If the hamstring is completely torn, your doctor’s treatment plan may involve surgery followed by physical therapy.
If hamstring pain is leaving you on the sidelines, contact an Airrosti provider today. Our quality care approach can help you recover from injuries faster, with most patients returning to pain-free activity in as few as three visits (based on patient-reported outcomes). We also equip you with tools and resources to help you prevent injury recurrence.
Reviewed by Casey Crisp, Doctor of Chiropractic
Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program. If you experience any numbness, tingling or reproduction of your symptoms, please contact your doctor.
We brought our son here after a few weeks of consistent pain in his hamstring. The care and level of attention that Dr. Pape gave to him, along with continued check-ins, were incredible. It is never fun to see your son in pain and discomfort and not being able to do what he loves. She saw this and would give him 15 exercises to do for rehab to ensure that he was getting better and healthy as quickly as possible. I would recommend them to anyone who is having pain or discomfort. The entire staff is great!!
by Jan Shaw
My daughter had an extensive hamstring injury and was unable to independently complete her activities of daily living and was limping in pain. It took only three visits for Dr. Lara and Max to get her independent. I love the one-to-one attention! I would highly recommend Airrosti Brownsville to anyone with pain.
by Michelle John
I strained my hamstring twice and both times, Dr. Raabe was able to get me back in shape within two weeks to continue playing the sport I love.
by Jason Peacher-Ton
I’m a personal trainer so being in shape and in good condition is very important for my job. When I started having pain in my hamstrings I was very worried because exercise isn’t just a hobby for me, it’s my source of income and important for my mental health. I had hoped that I could keep working it off and it would fix itself. But after about a month of constant pain after almost every workout, I decided to give Airrosti a try. Dr. St Dizier was able to pinpoint exactly what was wrong almost immediately and we started treatment. That same day I went home already feeling better. Over the course of a few weeks, I felt like I not only felt better but went above and beyond my goals for coming in. The team is truly amazing and I would...+ show more recommend Airrosti and Dr. St Dizier to anyone who might need some recovery.
by Fibi Youssef
Just wanted to say a big "THANK YOU" to Dr. Benton Cain for his treatment of my hamstring injury recently. After 3 weeks of treatment I've seen a significant improvement and have been able to start gentle exercise again. This is the second occasion that I've attended Airrosti for treatment of sports injuries, and I have been really satisfied on both occasions!
by Roger Samways
Dr. St. Dizier and the folks at Airrosti have done a great job helping me with various injuries. I had a nagging hamstring issue that Dr. St. Dizier was able to pinpoint quickly, relieve the pain and even allowed me to exercise later that evening. The thing I like most about Airrosti, is that unlike most chiropractic offices, their goal is to get you healed up and pain free in just a couple of sessions. Knowing I have a place to call the next time I get injured or just have pain, is of great comfort to me. I would definitely recommend them for anyone who needs pain relief. Keep up the good work!
by Ruel Cooper
Dr. Browning came recommended to my family by another patient. Not only is Dr. Browning amazing at identifying causes of pain and effectively treating and healing pain, but his ability to personally connect with patients and their families is a skill that many medical professionals don't possess. He truly treats each patient as if they are his only one. My son has seen Dr. Browning twice for different sports injuries (knee and hamstring) and both times he has healed more quickly and more effectively than he would have with other methods. He also has a toolbox of therapy exercises to stay healthy. I can't speak highly enough of Dr. Browning and his team. They are at the top of the list when it comes to effectiveness, personal attention, a...+ show morend truly caring about people's outcomes.
by Gretchen Watts
I have been battling hip/hamstring pain for 2 years. I decided to seek a professional and met with Brittani and Erica to develop a plan for recovery. Thanks to these two ladies I am back to my CrossFit workouts and squatting with little to no pain. Highly recommend a visit to Airrosti.
by Jeremy Kirkbride
My wife, Angela Dunlap, referred me to the Pearland location. I am forever grateful for the professional care of Dr. Brian Story and Al Vasquez. I entered the clinic in early November 2021 with pain from my lower back that extended through my hamstring and foot. The amount of pain made it impossible to run and walking was very limited for extended periods of time. Dr. Story took the time to understand my circumstances and my options. I would never consider surgery and Dr. Story encouraged me to give his treatments and the physical therapy exercises that Al directed me to do regularly. While it took time for the treatments and physical therapy to begin my recovery, I was encouraged to increase the frequency per day. The last week of Chris...+ show moretmas 2021, was my last visit for treatment and evaluation. I was planning on a baseball trip at the beginning of January and to be honest there were times when I wanted to cancel the trip thinking I would not heal in time! I did not give up and to my surprise on December 30th, I was pain-free and able to run and walk without any pain. What a joyful feeling indeed. Thank you very much, Dr. Story and Al, for your professionalism and for creating a plan to get me back on track! I will certainly recommend Airrosti to my family and friends!
by Robert Dunlap
I pulled a hamstring playing ultimate frisbee and though it only took three visits to be 100% again, I was back at the sport after just two. At 34 years old that was better than I expected. This was a first-time injury for me; the education on how to prevent doing so again in the future was equally valuable to the therapy sessions.
by Joel Maloney
Amy's bright spirit and infectious energy are comforting and inspiring. After a year of pain and limited movement in my hamstring, one visit was enough for Amy to pinpoint the problem and provide me with a range of exercises and stretches to strengthen and heal. Even though I am a one-time patient from out of town, Amy continued to check in with positive reinforcement for months after. I am fully healed now and cannot thank her enough. Amy is the absolute best at what she does, and truly special human.
by Anna Davis
I’ve been to Dr. Wall twice. Once for a hamstring injury and a year later for hip pain. She was the last resort for the hamstring injury caused by running uphill. I’d been to my primary care doctor and was prescribed medication. It didn’t work. I was miserable. I couldn’t sit for any length of time. Dr. Wall was able to get my pain away with 3 treatments and suggested home exercises. When I had hip pain, I didn’t hesitate to go see her. She immediately knew what the root cause was and within three visits I was pain-free. I would not hesitate to go to her again!
by Lee Iselt
Before I met Dr. Halboth I was trying to run through hamstring pain. My goal is to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. I was devastated to have dropped out of 2 marathons a month apart from each other before being diagnosed with a hamstring tear, tendonitis, and bone bruising. I started seeing Dr. Halboth on a weekly basis and after 5 weeks of running, I ran a marathon completely pain-free. I’ll continue seeing Dr. Halboth keep me pain-free as I attempt to run the qualifying time in a few short months. Thank you for rehabbing me and the continued care!!!!
by Heather Oliva
I experienced a hamstring injury during one of my workouts. I took some time off from my workouts to let it heal but it continued to get worse. After some of my workout buddies spoke highly of their experiences with Airrosti I thought I've given it a try so I went to see Dr. Adam Henby. He was great! He was quick to diagnosis my problem and to treat the area with massage and exercises. He watched me run and offered some suggestions on changing my form to reduce stress on my hamstring. After 2 visits I was much improved and continued to do my exercises at home. I was able to return to my full workout schedule very quickly and am now at 100%!
by Donna Burnley
I wanted to share Squids (Sydney) accomplishments from this past weekend. Her tight hamstring still has issues at times but her exercises help tremendously. Previously, she wasn’t able to get enough speed for her vault due to pain but at the Regional Gymnastic meet at Galveston this weekend and competing with 7 other states, Squid got gold in vault as well as floor. She flew and she said her leg didn’t hurt so she got her speed up. She scores almost perfect with a 9.8 on her floor routine and I know the exercises you taught her, had to be accredited to it.
by Sydney Grubic
The best recommendations will always be reviews/feedback from personal experiences. Let me share my 2nd, and even BETTER, experience with Dr. Kulcak at Airrosti. What started out with my coach telling me that I may have a shoulder or hip issue when my squat was noticeably slanted turned out to be so much more. After my initial visit, Dr. Kulcak immediately began to turn my world right side up after only one visit….just ONE. Addressing my left hamstring and hip flexors fixed a LONG list of issues that had dragged on for years. I had seen various doctors and specialists already and they couldn’t figure out what the issue was and suddenly all that was going away. I completely put my trust in her to figure out what was the best cou...+ show morerse of action for me. She was “spot on” during my first visit with her diagnosis and treatment plan. I know she was always looking out for my best interests and what would work best for me. She paved a path towards quick recovery. I had been to so many doctor appointments where the doctors and staff wouldn’t even look at me when I was trying to explain my issue to them. That can be simply degrading and made me feel so unimportant. Dr. Kulcak, on the other hand, always made direct eye contact with me so I knew she was always listening to me carefully, acknowledged what I said, and really tried to get the full picture. She always gave me every opportunity for me to tell MY STORY in MY OWN WORDS with no interruptions. She definitely instills a sense of compassion, respect for her clients, and a sincere desire to help. I always listened in amazement as Dr. Kulcak relayed her findings to Leslie Brown. Dr. Kulcak would reiterate the improvements I had shared with her in such detail that I knew she was not only listening to me but incorporating that along with the recent treatment in to the next set of rehab exercises. I still don’t understand how Leslie could translate all the information she received in to just the right rehab exercises but she did. I think what I was most impressed with, as I watched and listened to Dr. Kulcak converse on my progress and treatment, was the professionalism that they always maintained in that office. They certainly represent Airrosti well. I told Dr. Kulcak that if I could hug her to show my appreciation and gratitude for the difference she has made in my life, I would break her. I would simply crush her. I can’t put in to words the quality of life that I now have because of her management of my care, because of her ability to accurately determine what was wrong, and because of her skills and knowledge to build the correct recovery path for me. I also couldn’t be more appreciative of Leslie Brown as well. I’ve had rehab and recovery exercises before with others but Leslie is by far the one I’d prefer to go see. To be honest, I can’t say I’d go back to see any of the others. I definitely trust Leslie however. She took time to explain what each movement was and seemed genuinely willing to answer all my questions no matter how many I had. I knew at times I needed something slightly different or a different angle so I asked her what I could do instead. I could see “the wheels spinning” and she would quickly give me what I needed. On one occasion, I came in and reported pain after performing a particular exercise. Leslie had me perform the movement and corrected it right away. She has a way of very nicely and professionally telling people that they are doing something totally wrong and how to correct it. I’m so blessed to have found Dr. Kulcak and Leslie Brown at Airrosti in Pearland. I feel like I have the best professional pair out of any Airrosti location right in my very own neighborhood. What a positive difference and impact to the Pearland TX community that those two make.
by Sonia Martinez Loberg
Dr. Peregrine and his assistant Alex helped me so much. My injury to my hamstring has been chronic but immediately after my session, I had pain relief. I’m going to continue to work hard on my rehab to continue the healing and strengthening process. Thank you guys for getting me on the path to recovery!!
by Brittaney Anderson
I am a runner and had an injury for over a year that would not heal....a strained upper hamstring that formed scar tissue. I stretched and massaged the area as I have always known to to do with injuries but to no avail, nothing would help with this injury. I heard from advertisements of Airrosti helping local NBA players with their injuries so I made an appt. Three appointments later, the pain while running vanished. Thanks to my Airrosti trainer, the pain was gone, but also, he gave me tips and advice to help with future problems active people face on a daily basis. I am a Southwest Airlines employee that does have issues from time to time that require some form of rehab, but from what I've learned from the arrosti tech, I feel like I c...+ show morean do on my own without an appt.
by John Kirby
We were first introduced to Airrosti and Dr. Unger after my husband, an aircraft mechanic for Southwest Airlines, needed further treatments following two difficult shoulder surgeries. We were pleased with his improvements as well as Dr Unger's Airrosti methods. In fact, we were so impressed that when I experienced a hamstring tear and one of our son's developed extreme knee pain, we decided to go to Dr. Unger for treatments. We both experienced GREAT results almost immediately which was a huge blessing as I am a trainer and avid athlete and my son is a track athlete. Of course we loved the immediate improvements we experienced and appreciated the individualized stretches and strengthening exercises prescribed, however, we also loved the ...+ show moreattention, care, and kindness Dr. Unger showed us. A definite win on all counts.
by Amy Jo Oliver
Dr. Trimmier treated our daughter for a medial hamstring on her upper left leg. His treatments along with the physical therapy Juan provided helped her recover from this injury sooner than expected. Even though her injury caused her to miss track and field competitions, she is recovering well and she is almost pain free. Thank you for your patience, assistance and expertise.
by Dora Rodriguez