What You Need to Know About Hamstring Tear Injuries

When the hamstring muscles are overstretched or overloaded with too much weight, it can result in a hamstring tear injury where the muscles get ripped. The extent of the injury can vary, ranging from partial to complete tears of the hamstring.

One or more of the muscles within your hamstring muscle group may be affected by the injury. This group encompasses the following muscles:

semitendinosus
semimembranosus
biceps femoris

When you jump or run, the muscles located at the rear of your thigh come into play to aid in the bending of your knees.

Hamstring tears are prevalent among athletes, although any individual could suffer from this injury. In this article, we will explore the symptoms, treatment, and usual recuperation process of hamstring tears.

Torn hamstring causes

Physical activity is usually the catalyst for a hamstring tear. Frequent culprits include:

Athletic injuries. Most torn hamstrings are caused by extreme stretching or overload during a sport. The injury often happens to people who play sports like soccer, football, and ice hockey.
Past hamstring injury. If you’ve torn your hamstring in the past, you’re more likely to tear it again. The risk is higher if you do intense activity before you’re fully healed.
Overtraining. Training too hard can overload your hamstrings and cause tears.
Poor flexibility. If you have limited flexibility, certain movements may stretch your muscles too far.

Hamstring tears are common among older individuals, attributed to the decline in flexibility that often accompanies aging. Furthermore, athletes are also at an increased risk of experiencing such injuries.

Adolescent athletes face a risk due to their ongoing growth. Disparity in the growth rate of bone and muscle can result in the hamstring muscles being vulnerable to injury as they become tighter due to the growing bone.

Torn hamstring symptoms

The sensations you experience with a hamstring tear vary depending on the extent of the injury. You may perceive:

sudden, sharp pain
a “popping” sensation at the time of injury
tenderness
swelling within the first few hours
bruising within the first few days
partial or complete weakness in your leg
inability to place weight on your leg

Hamstring tear grades

Hamstring injuries are classified into three grades depending on their severity.

Mild hamstring strain, also known as a pulled hamstring, is classified as Grade 1 and occurs when the hamstring muscles are stretched too far without tearing.

The injury referred to as a tear occurs when the hamstring is stretched to the extent of ripping. Different grades of hamstring tear are:

Grade 2 hamstring tear

When a muscle is partially torn, it is referred to as a grade 2 hamstring tear, indicating that the muscle has not suffered a complete tear.

A grade 2 tear causes more discomfort than a grade 1 strain and may result in some weakness and limping of the leg.

Grade 3 hamstring tear

An avulsion, also known as a grade 3 hamstring tear, is the worst type of hamstring tear. This happens when the hamstring muscle rips or tears entirely off the bone.

If you have a third-degree tear, you probably experienced a popping sound or sensation at the time of injury. In addition, you will experience severe pain and swelling at the back of your thigh.

Due to the severity of this tear, it is possible that putting weight on the injured leg may not be feasible.

Hamstring tear vs. strain

Although “tears” and “strains” are sometimes used synonymously, their meanings are not always identical.

Tearing of the hamstring occurs when the muscle fibers are overstretched to the point of being ripped, whereas a strain happens when the muscle is stretched beyond its limit.

All hamstring tears are considered as strains, but not all strains result in tears.

Diagnosing a hamstring tear

During your appointment, the physician may undertake various measures to ascertain if you are suffering from a hamstring tear. These may incorporate:

Physical exam. The doctor will check your thigh for swelling, tenderness, and bruising. This helps them decide if your injury is mild or severe.
MRI. If the doctor thinks you have a severe injury, you might get an MRI. This imaging test will show the tear in your muscle tissue.
Ultrasound. An ultrasound is another test that produces a detailed image of your muscles. It can show the size and location of the hamstring tear.
X-ray. You’ll need to get an x-ray if the doctor thinks the bone was fractured during your injury,

Treatment

Reducing pain and swelling is the primary objective of treatment. The following may be recommended by a healthcare professional:

Take a break from strenuous activities to allow the injury to heal.
Apply ice packs several times a day to relieve pain and reduce swelling.
Wrap the injured area with a compression bandage or wear compression shorts to minimize swelling.
Rest with the leg elevated above the level of the heart, if possible, to lessen swelling.
Take pain medicine you can get without a prescription. Examples include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).

Physical therapy

You can learn gentle hamstring stretching and strengthening exercises from your healthcare provider or a physical therapist. Following a reduction in pain and swelling, your healthcare provider can teach you exercises to enhance your strength.

Surgery

With the aid of physical therapy, most muscle injuries affecting the hamstring that result in partial tearing tend to recover over a period of time. However, in cases where the muscle has become dislodged from either the pelvic region or the tibia, orthopedic surgeons are capable of re-fixing it. Likewise, radical tears to the muscle can also be rectified.

Lifestyle and home remedies

One can take care of a minor hamstring injury by following the R.I.C.E. approach on their own.

Rest. Take a break to rest your hamstring muscles and allow the damaged tissues to repair. Avoid any activity that causes pain, swelling or discomfort. If you have more than a minor muscle strain, your health care provider may recommend that you use crutches to keep your weight off the injured leg.
Ice. Ice the area as soon after the injury as you can. For the first few days after the injury, keep an ice pack on the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours while you’re awake. Cold reduces pain and swelling. It may also slow bleeding if there’s a tear. If you have vascular disease, diabetes or can’t feel much in your leg, talk with your care provider before icing.
Compression. Wrap your leg with an elastic bandage until the swelling goes down. Be careful not to wrap too tightly. Begin wrapping at the end farthest from your heart. Loosen the bandage if the pain increases, the area becomes numb or swelling occurs below the wrapped area.
Elevation. Sit or lie back with your leg raised while resting. If possible, raise your leg higher than your heart.

Over-the-counter pain medication like Advil, Motrin IB, Tylenol or others could provide relief. Once a few days have passed, gradually utilize the injured leg. Eventually, both your leg’s ability to sustain your weight and your ability to move without pain will improve.

Preparing for your appointment

Initially, it would be advisable to consult with your own healthcare professional. They could potentially refer you to a healthcare practitioner who specializes in sports medicine or orthopedic surgery.