Symptoms that are common for a torn hamstring

Professional and amateur athletes. People who don’t maintain good flexibility. People who have leg muscle imbalances. What do all these people have in common? They’re more likely to injure their hamstring. 

The hamstring is actually a group of three muscles in the back of the thigh, and they’re some of the most commonly injured leg muscles. In fact, one study reports that up to 16% of all athletic injuries are hamstring strains. Developing a torn hamstring is an event that will lead to some very specific symptoms. Physical therapists can help you determine if your symptoms are related to a torn hamstring, and they can help you find effective treatment for hamstring injuries as well. 

The most common symptoms of a torn hamstring

Hamstring injuries are typically grouped by their severity, and this means that there are three specific grades of hamstring injury. Both grade two and grade three hamstring injuries involve partial or complete tearing of one of the hamstring muscles. People with such injuries are more likely to experience symptoms such as: 

• A sudden, sharp pain during activity. 
• A popping sensation when the injury occurs.
• Tenderness in the back of the thigh. 
• Swelling in the thigh within hours of the initial injury. 
• Bruising that develops a few days after the initial injury. 
• An inability to place weight on the leg. 

How can physical therapists treat torn hamstring symptoms?

Treating a torn hamstring can be tougher without expert help, and physical therapists can offer the expert assistance you need to treat your injury more effectively. A few of the therapy methods that your physical therapist may use for an injured hamstring include: 

• Manual therapy designed to reduce soft tissue tension in and around tender points. 

• Therapeutic exercises that focus on improving hamstring flexibility and strength. 

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) that can help break up scar tissue that forms as your injured muscle heals. 

Find help for your torn hamstring symptoms at Advent PT

At Advent Physical Therapy, our team of physical therapists can help you treat the symptoms of a strained or torn hamstring. We can start you off with a free screening, which we’ll use to confirm the cause of your symptoms and assess your injury’s severity. Next, our physical therapists will construct a customized physical therapy plan for you that’s designed to: 

• Reduce pain.
• Speed up healing.
• Decrease your risk of future injuries.

You can also sign up for virtual therapy or at-home care sessions with our team. Such sessions allow you to treat your injury symptoms from the comfort of your own home. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help treat hamstring injuries or to schedule your initial appointment.