Preventing Hamstring Injuries in Sport and Activities of Daily Living

The hamstrings are a two-joint muscle that bend the knee and extend the hip. They attach at the pelvis and therefore influence the spine, pelvis, hips, and also the knees. The attachments of fascia (connective tissue) go even further, so working on your hamstrings affects the rest of your body; feet/plantar fascia, calf muscles, spine, shoulders, sacroiliac joints, even all the way up to the neck. 
 

 In order to stay injury free, we need to have good:
* Mobility
* Stability
* Strength through full range
 

Static stretching isn't enough to prevent hamstring strains. The most common mechanism of strains occur when the hamstring contracts under load or stretch. Usually strains happen when the muscle quickly changes from a lengthened position to a shortened position, such as running or sprinting. Of course injuries can happen if we over-stretch without proper warm-up routines too.

Hamstrings are also prone to a less-obvious issue called 'hamstring dysfunction' and this is where the muscle behaves tight but also weak at the same time. This can increase the risk of straining the muscle, and this is why we need to more to prevent hamstring issues in sport than static stretching alone.

Range of movement exercises to increase the range in our knee joints and hips are required, and even better if we can mobilise this muscle group from both joints at the same time. Strength and stability of our deeper core (the gluteal muscles, deeper abdominals, pelvic floor, and spinal muscles) prevent hamstrings becoming tight from over-working to stabilise our joints. Eccentric strength is essential for healthy hamstrings in sport.

Eccentric muscle action mimics the demands of the hamstrings during:
* The swing phase and foot contact in walking or running.
* Deceleration during Canicross (running with a belt with the dog)
* Sprinting
* Kicking in martial arts, football, rugby
* Moving from a squat to a jump, 
* Weightlifting/powerlifting

In activities of daily living this can be mimicked in the following actions:
* Bending
* Lifting
* Leaning over
* Balancing on one leg and reaching down for something
* Walking up and down stairs
* Walking up and down inclines and hills

If you have a niggle that needs addressing and treating, or would like to learn which exercises are best for you, a clinical Sports Therapy assessment/treatment is appropriate.