A hamstring strain is a partial or complete tear of one or more of the three muscles that run down the back of your thigh — biceps femoris (most commonly), semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. It usually happens during sprinting, kicking, or a quick change of direction, and the pain is immediate.
The grading
- Grade I — mild strain, some pain, minimal strength loss
- Grade II — partial tear, visible swelling / bruising, obvious weakness
- Grade III — complete rupture, often audible pop, unable to walk normally
Why re-injury is so common
Most people rehab the hamstring until it doesn't hurt, then return to running. That's too early. A hamstring that isn't painful can still be structurally weak and neuromuscularly untrained. The literature is clear: peak strength returns before running capacity, and running capacity returns before the tissue is ready for sprinting.
What proper rehab includes
Early phase — pain-free range of motion, gentle isometrics, walking as tolerated.
Progressive loading — Nordic hamstring curls have the strongest evidence for reducing re-injury. Romanian deadlifts, single-leg deadlifts, and eccentric slider work all belong here.
Sprint reintegration — this is where most rehabs skip a step. You need to reload at high speeds progressively, not jump from jogging to full sprinting.
Hip and core work — glute weakness and poor core control offload work onto the hamstring. Fixing these reduces re-injury risk substantially.
What we do
Soft tissue therapy for the scarring and adhesions that form during healing, joint mobilization for the lumbar spine and hip (both often stiffen after a hamstring injury), shockwave therapy for chronic proximal hamstring tendinopathy, and structured progressive loading that matches your sport demands.
If you've pulled a hamstring — even a small one — get it properly rehabbed. Grade I strains that are "walked off" become the grade II strains next season.