Sophia Chan
Doctor of Physical Therapy, soma system® Master Instructor
Many of us have experienced that twinge or sudden pull along the back of the thigh. It may even bruise, become tender, or throb and ache through the night. The often bumpy roads that make up the bands of muscle that span from the sit bones to just past the knees, are known as the hamstrings. These include the semitendinosus and semimembranosus on the inner half and the two heads of the biceps femoris on the outer half. As a group, they are responsible for extending the hip and bending the knee. However, the fact that they are capable of affecting change through two different joints is a key part to why they are so often injured…and reinjured.
Hamstrings strains are one of the most common injuries amongst athletes, affecting runners, cyclists, soccer players, yogis and martial artists, amongst others. Strains result from an overstretch of the muscle tissues, resulting in partial or complete tearing of the fibers–unfortunately, our day to day lives may predispose us to this injury. As we spend most of our days sitting, at work, during commutes, eating dinner, or simply relaxing, we find ourselves often with our knees bent. Overtime, this causes the hamstrings to shorten, leaving them prone to injury even through a normal range. Dynamic activities such as running and jumping can produce enough stress on the hamstrings to cause them to tear. Other issues, such as previous injury, insufficient warm up, and muscle imbalances also play a role in hamstring strains.
It is important to note that the hamstrings do not stand alone. Tension through the hamstrings from shortening or scarring due to prior injury can cause pulling into the lower back as well as the calf muscles due to their shared connections to the pelvis and knee joint. Alleviating tension, breaking up scar tissue, and restoring length into the hamstrings with proper stretching, strengthening, and self-bodywork techniques can not only help prevent reinjury to the hamstrings, but also other injury to the knees, lower back, and calves. Take a stand…avoid long periods of sitting, and take the time to prepare your muscles for activity.
