All You Need to Know about Hamstring Sprains
Hamstring sprains, also referred to as hamstring muscle injuries can be extremely critical and leave you physically debilitated. It is one of the most common forms of musculoskeletal injuries that can happen to athletes or those who are actively involved in sports and fitness activities. If you are into playing soccer, track sports, basketball or other field games that involve sprinting, you run the risk of accidentally injuring your hamstring and this can cause you a lot of pain and discomfort. Hamstring injuries such as a pulled hamstring affect the muscles located at the posterior of the thigh. In case you impact your hamstring in a negative way, it is essential that you get in touch with a medical expert as soon as possible.
There are mainly three different types of hamstring muscles that can get affected due to a major injury. These are Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus and Biceps femoris. The hamstring muscles originate at the lower part of the pelvis from a point known as ischial tuberosity. These muscles cross your knee joint and finally end at your lower leg. The fibers of the hamstring muscles are joined with the connective tissues present in the hamstring tendons. These tough tissues are connected to points where bones are connected to the tendons. The role of the hamstring muscles is to enable you efficiently extend your leg in a way that you can bend your knee and move it.
The factors that can lead to hamstring sprains are many. In most cases, people who experience this have some form of muscle tightness. These tight muscles are typically vulnerable or susceptible to strain. In order to avoid this, athletes are always recommended to perform exercises all round the year. Another issue that can lead to hamstring problems is definitely muscle fatigue. When muscles experience fatigue, they are not able to absorb sufficient energy. This failure to get more energy makes them weak and thereby prone to experience hamstring sprains. Weak muscles do not have the strength needed to deal with the stress that is commonly associated with exercising. This is why overuse of muscles can make people vulnerable to hamstring sprains. Injuries like these typically affect dancers, athletes of all ages, sprinters, and runners quite frequently.
In case you accidentally injure your hamstring as you sprint or run around, you are going to experience a sharp pain suddenly affecting the back portion of your thigh. You may even stop and fall over once you have this pain. Additionally, there can be swelling for the first couple of hours after the injury. Other signs of a hamstring problem may involve weakness, bruising, and discoloration. The doctor is going to recommend you complete rest along with the application of ice and compression in the area. There can also be physical therapy involved along with immobilization through the use of a knee splint. In case such measures fail to produce proper results, the doctor is going to perform surgery to remedy the issue of tendon avulsion.
