Experiencing Pain in the Back of Your Thigh? It Might Be Hamstring Tendonitis
You’ve just finished a jog, wrapped up a workout, or stood up after sitting for a while when suddenly, a stabbing pain strikes the back of your thigh. What might have started as a slight soreness quickly becomes persistent discomfort. This could be hamstring tendonitis.
It occurs when the tendons connecting your hamstrings to your pelvis and lower leg bones become inflamed. This overuse injury can be triggered by intense exercise or sitting for extended periods, leading to pain and tightness.
The good news is that most cases don’t require surgery. With the proper hamstring tendonitis treatment and hamstring tendonitis exercises, you can heal and get back to your daily activities without that ongoing ache.
What Is Hamstring Tendonitis?
Three muscles are located along the back of the thigh that aid in bending the knee and extending the hip. These two functions are essential for walking, running, and standing. The muscles attach to the bones using tendons, which may become inflamed due to overuse or strain.
An inflamed hamstring tendon may be referred to as hamstring tendonitis. If irritation leads to chronic degeneration, then tendinosis is said to occur. Both situations are usually more related to repetitive stress applied with insufficient stretching or rest.
Pain may be felt at the back of the hip where you sit (medial or lateral tendons) or behind the knee (distal tendons), depending on which tendon is affected. Early treatment for hamstring tendonitis is crucial for a faster recovery.
How Can You Tell It’s Hamstring Tendonitis?
Hamstring tendonitis presents with specific symptoms that set it apart from other injuries. The most notable is a sharp or burning pain along the back of the thigh. This discomfort often arises during physical activity or even after periods of inactivity, such as prolonged sitting or sleeping. In many cases, the pain can linger for several hours or even stretch into days, depending on the severity of the inflammation.
Throbbing pain when stretching or moving fast is another alarm. The pain may spread into the buttock or backward toward the knee, depending on which tendon is affected. If this sounds familiar, early treatment for hamstring tendonitis can help prevent a possible, more serious tear of the hamstring tendon.
Early-Stage Treatment: Rest, Ice, and OTC Relief
As soon as you start feeling the nagging pains in your hamstring, you can do one thing for immediate remedial action: stop immediately and give your body a chance to heal. RICE – an abbreviation for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation- is the widely practiced norm in treating tendon injuries. It is the process that reduces inflammation and discomfort to a large extent during the initial period.
- Rest: Rest from running, jumping, or even sitting long, which strains your hamstrings. Allow your body to recover.
- Ice: Apply ice for 15-20 minutes every few hours, especially during the first 48 hours. Always wrap the ice pack in a towel to avoid skin damage.
- Compression: Wrap the effort or don sleeve support to help manage the swelling.
- Elevation: Increase your leg to reduce swelling.
Often, athletes are tempted to jump back to action at the very moment when it feels a little better, but going back to play too early may result in re-injuring the hamstring.
Safe Exercises to Support Healing Without Causing Setbacks
The first 48 hours after the onset of symptoms are best spent resting. This is when maximum repair work happens, and further stress may be detrimental. After the acute inflammation settles, the gradual introduction of movement becomes a possible painless movement.
The Double Leg Isometric Hamstring Bridge Hold is a good movement.
Here is how to perform it safely: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Press heels into the floor to lift the hips and create a straight line from shoulders to knees.
Maintain that position for 10 to 15 seconds while focusing on contracting the hamstrings of the legs without any pain. Slowly return to the starting position and rest. Repeat 2 or 3 times, 1 or 2 times per day. This isometric exercise safely retrains the hamstrings without putting the tendons under undue stress.
Long-Term Rehab: When and How to Start Strengthening Again
After the initial healing phase, it’s time to introduce strengthening exercises to gradually rebuild your hamstrings safely. Start with simple mobility work like the single-leg windmill, which improves flexibility and control:
- Stand on one leg and slowly hinge at the hips to reach toward your foot.
- Return to standing in a controlled motion.
Once pain-free, move on to resistance exercises such as Nordic curls or banded hamstring flexion to build strength. Around 4–6 weeks, if you’re feeling good, you can reintroduce squats and hamstring curls. These hamstring tendonitis exercises help prevent reinjury by strengthening the hamstrings and supporting muscles.
Why It Keeps Coming Back—And How to Prevent That
The pain might strike again for those with a previous episode of hamstring tendonitis. These are the usual suspects:
- Muscle imbalances: If your hamstrings are weaker than your surrounding muscles, like your quads, they may get overworked and injured.
- Weak core or glutes: These muscles support your hamstrings; thus, if these muscles are not strong enough, the hamstrings are overworked, and there is an increased chance of reinjury.
- Poor posture or lack of warming up: Sitting for long periods or exercising without a warm-up increases stress on the hamstrings, increasing their chances of injury.
Preventing hamstring tendonitis from returning means creating an exercise plan that includes strengthening your core and glutes. You should do your hamstring tendonitis exercises on a routine basis.
When to Get Professional Help
- Pain doesn’t improve after 1–2 weeks: You have probably tried to rest and treat your condition for a few weeks, but if the pain keeps coming or worsening persists, you may have a more serious condition, such as sciatica. Chronic pain may signify that the injury is more complicated than thought or needs some other type of treatment altogether.
- Ongoing reinjury: If you reinjury your hamstring often, perhaps your rehabilitation program is not addressing core issues, such as muscle imbalances or the faulty technique that led to the injury. A sports medicine professional can determine your exact problem and devise an injury-specific rehab plan that will hopefully “break the cycle.”
Healing Right with Upswing Health
Expert support is the key to rehabilitation from sports tendon injuries such as hamstring tendonitis. Upswing Health specializes in rehabilitation and fitness services for patients with various activity levels.
We use clinically proven techniques and offer dedicated hamstring tendonitis treatment plans for your needs.
Don’t sit around waiting to heal; contact our team and get moving again.
FAQs
- How long does it take for hamstring tendonitis to heal?
Healing from hamstring tendonitis generally takes 2-6 weeks with rest and treatment, but it can differ based on severity.
- Can I stretch a hamstring tendonitis injury?
Yes, but very gently. In the early stages, hamstring tendonitis should not be overstretched; while the inflammation recedes, flexibility should be increased using controlled stretches over some time.
- What causes hamstring tendonitis to keep coming back?
Recurrent micro-trauma usually results from imbalance, weak support muscles, and insufficient warm-up. Not completing the rehabilitation process or rehabilitation exercises may also lead to a reinjury.
- Should I see a doctor or just rest?
See a doctor if the symptoms persist for over a week or two or limit any daily activities.
- Can Upswing Health help me recover from hamstring tendonitis?
Of course, using Upswing Health’s virtual care model, you have fast access to sports medicine professionals who guide you toward recovery, healing faster, and avoiding future injuries.
