Hamstring Strains: What You Need to Know

We’ve all felt it before… a sudden twinge when sprinting, a weird step in a game, or that tight pull during a workout. A hamstring strain can feel like a major roadblock.

But here’s the truth: when you understand what’s going on in your body, you can heal smarter and move forward with more confidence.

Meet Your Hamstrings

Your hamstrings are three big muscles on the back of your thigh:

• Biceps femoris
• Semitendinosus
• Semimembranosus

They start at your “sit bone” (the bottom of your pelvis) and attach just below your knee.

Here's their job:

• Bend your knee
• Extend your hip (think running or jumping)
• Help rotate your lower leg

Bottom line: they’re power players for walking, running, and athletic movement.

How Strains Happen

A hamstring strain happens when the muscles are stretched or loaded more than they can handle...like sprinting, lunging, or making a sudden cut.

Here’s the kicker: if your tibia (shin bone) isn’t rotating well, the hamstrings pick up extra stress.

Imagine pulling on a rope while twisting it at the same time… eventually, it frays. That’s how hamstring strains can happen.

Types of Hamstring Strains

Not all strains are the same.

• Grade 1 (mild): Small tears, some soreness and tightness, but you can still move.
• Grade 2 (moderate): Bigger tear with swelling, bruising, and pain walking.
• Grade 3 (severe): Complete tear with sharp pain, lots of swelling, and loss of function.

Fun fact: the biceps femoris (outside hamstring) is the one most often strained because it works extra hard with both hip and knee movement plus rotation.

Do’s and Don’ts for Recovery

What you do after a strain matters. Old advice like “just ice it and stretch” won’t cut it.

Try the PEACE & LOVE approach instead. Here's a breakdown...

Do:

• Protect it early - avoid painful activities.
• Elevate to reduce discomfort.
• Use compression if swelling is bad.
• Educate yourself - trust your body’s healing process.
• Add in gentle movement when ready: load (guided exercises), optimism (yes, mindset matters), vascularization (light activity to get blood flowing), and exercise (progressive rehab).

Don’t:

• Stretch too hard too soon - it makes things worse.
• Jump back into explosive movements without strength and control.
• Ignore pain signals - your body’s trying to help you.

The Big Picture

A hamstring strain might slow you down, but it doesn’t have to stop you.

When you understand why it happened and give your body the right plan, you don’t just heal...you build confidence.

You move better, stronger, and with less fear of pain coming back.

And that’s what we’re here for at On Point:
Helping you move freely, explore your untapped potential, and find the freedom to do what you love without worry.