Hamstring Muscle Injuries

07 Jun Hamstring Muscle Injuries

Hamstring Muscle Injuries – Orthopedist in Nassau County

The hamstrings are located at the back of the thigh and are the muscles necessary for bending the knee among various other motions. Muscles injuries to the hamstring can involve many things including strains or tears of the muscles or tendons. These injuries occur often among athletes and make up a significant percentage of sports-related injuries. As a trusted orthopedist in Wantagh, our team at Advanced Orthopedics & Joint Preservation has extensive knowledge and experience in treating hamstring muscle injuries.   

Causes Of Hamstring Muscle Injuries

Your hamstrings are a group of muscles that help extend your legs at the hip and flex them at the knee. All muscles work in pairs within the body. One set of muscles contracts to exert force while the other sets of muscles relax. If one muscle group is considerably stronger, the imbalance can lead to strain. This frequently happens with the hamstring muscles.

A pulled hamstring is a strain or tear in the muscles or tendons in the region. Mild strains may involve uncomfortable tightening of the muscle. More severe injuries may result in a sharp pain in the back of the thigh.

Symptoms And Treatment of Hamstring Muscle Injuries

A rupture or tear of the hamstring muscle may leave you unable to stand or walk as well as pain when attempting to stretch your leg. The injuries that occur are classified into three grades with different symptoms and treatment for each grade.

Grade 1

Symptoms:

• A feeling of tightness in the back of the thigh
• Walking may not be impaired and the individual can walk without difficulty
• Knee can bend without pain or just slight pain

Treatment:

• Apply a compression bandage to stabilize the muscles
• Apply ice for the first 48 hours, after which heat applications can be started

Grade 2

Symptoms:

• Walking is impaired and pain is present with nearly every step
• Swelling in the area of injury
• Putting pressure on the area will elicit pain to some degree

Treatment:

• Use ice for 20 minutes every two hours
• Use a compression bandage
• Crutches should be used to alleviate pressure on the injured muscle

An orthopedist in Wantagh can give you further information on how to best treat your injury at this stage.

Grade 3

Symptoms:

• Walking without the aid of crutches will be extremely difficult
• Pain can be severe
• Swelling will likely occur

Treatment:

• Apply ice immediately
• Use a compression bandage
• Keep the leg elevated
• Do not try to walk without the use of crutches
• Schedule an appointment with an orthopedist in Wantagh for the most personalized care

Our orthopedic team will evaluate the extent of the injury and implement the proper treatment. In some very severe cases where there has been extensive injury, surgery may be required.

If you are suffering from a hamstring muscle injury, contact us today to see how our experts at Advanced Orthopedics & Joint Preservation can help.