Why Hamstring Strains Are So Common and How to Prevent Them

A previous hamstring strain is one of the strongest predictors of another strain.

The fix isn’t just stretching, it’s rebuilding strength and speed tolerance.

Here’s what you need to know:

Signs of a Hamstring Sprain

Sudden Pain: A sharp or intense pain in the back of the thigh, often occurring during activities like sprinting or jumping.

Swelling or Bruising: Swelling may develop shortly after the injury, and bruising can appear within hours or days.

Popping Sensation: Some people report feeling or hearing a "pop" at the time of injury.

How to Prevent Hamstring Strains:

Strengthen the hamstrings: Incorporate exercises like hamstring curls, deadlifts, and Nordic hamstring curls to build muscle strength.

Improve Flexibility: Focus on dynamic stretches before activities and static stretches afterward.

Gradually Increase Intensity: Avoid sudden spikes in workout intensity or duration. Gradual progression helps your muscles adapt.

What to Do if You’re Dealing with a Hamstring Strain:

Avoid stretching the hamstring for 24-48 hours after the initial injury - this will place additional stress on the strain 

Gradually reintroduce movement - Find exercises that don’t aggravate the hamstrings and send blood flow to the legs (bridges, mini squats, side lying leg lifts)

Build hamstring strength back up with Romanian Deadlifts, Hip thrusts, and hamstring curls

Slowly build back tolerance to sprinting (this is where most re-injuries happen)

Want to make sure your hamstrings stay injury-free this season?
Try these 5 Hamstring Strengthening Exercises now!

Follow along to strengthen your hamstrings whether you’re recovering from a strain or want to prevent one before it happens!

If you’ve tried rest, stretching, or “waiting it out” and it hasn’t worked, that’s exactly what our injury screens are designed for.

👉 Free Injury Screen (New Patients)
👉 Email to Book a Session (Returning Patients)