Hamstring Injury Essentials

A pulled hamstring, or a hamstring strain, occurs when there is a partial tear in one or more of the small fibers that make up your hamstring muscles. The hamstrings are located on the back of your upper leg, and are technically made of three muscles that stretch from above your hip to below the knee joint. A tear in any of these muscles is considered a hamstring pull.

Your hamstrings are responsible for extending the hip and flexing the knee. They are vital in helping you in every aspect of getting around, including walking, running, and even just standing in place. That is to say, a pulled hamstring has the potential to really put you out of action.

Most commonly, muscle strains and tears of all types occur because of what is called an eccentric contraction. Imagine contracting (tensing) your muscle in one direction while simultaneously it is being forced in the opposite direction by some outside stimulus, force, or resistance (e.g., a weight, contact with another player, impact with the ground). When the outside force battles against the inside force, tears in the fibers of your hamstring muscles can result.

For more information on symptoms related to a pulled hamstring, read: Pulled Hamstring Treatment

A mild to severe hamstring injury is extremely common in all sports that involve quick acceleration or jumping, such as:

running
football
basketball
baseball
soccer
track and field events
rugby
cycling
tennis
field hockey

Hamstring prevention principles, such as keeping hamstring muscles strong as well as flexible, can be reviewed on the Hamstring Injury Prevention page.