Hamstring injury

A hamstring injury occurs when you strain or pull one of your hamstring muscles — the group of muscles that run along the back of your thigh. With a hamstring injury, you might also

experience a partial or complete muscle tear.

You may be more likely to get a hamstring injury if you play soccer, basketball, football, tennis or a similar sport that involves sprinting with sudden

stops and starts. A hamstring injury can occur in runners and in dancers as well.

Although a hamstring injury generally means you'll have some downtime, self-care measures such as rest, ice and over-the-counter pain medications are often all you need to relieve pain and swelling. Rarely, surgery may be needed to correct a torn muscle.

causes

The hamstring muscles are a group of three muscles that run along the back of your thigh from your hip to just below your knee. These muscles make it possible to extend your leg straight behind your body and to bend your knee.

When any one of these muscles stretches beyond its limit during physical activity, injury can result.