Everything You Should Know About Hamstring Tendonitis

What Is Lower Hamstring Tendonitis?

Lower hamstring tendonitis (LHT) is a common injury among athletes. It occurs when the muscles surrounding your hamstrings become inflamed or damaged. These injuries are usually caused by overuse and repetitive motions such as running, jumping, lifting weights, etc.. LHT is often misdiagnosed because it’s not always easy to tell if the pain is coming from inside or outside of the muscle itself.

Symptoms Of Lower Hamstring Tendinitis:

Pain is felt all over the lower leg. Sometimes there is swelling and redness around the area. There may even be some bruising or bleeding in this case.

The pain is worse at rest and less so during exercise. If you have been exercising regularly, then you might experience knee pain with every step you take. Other symptoms include: weakness in one or both legs, fatigue, and/or difficulty walking without assistance.

Causes Of Lower Hamstring Tendinitis:

The exact cause of LHT isn’t known, but it’s thought that there could be several factors. One theory is that these tendons get irritated due to excessive stretching and overtraining. Another theory suggests that they’re injured during sports activities like football or soccer where players run up and down the field a lot.

A third possibility is that they develop after years of wearing out from sitting at a desk job. It’s also believed that weak hamstrings and quadriceps muscles may contribute to the problem.

Lower Hamstring Tendonitis Diagnosis:

If you have LHT your doctor will usually recommend an MRI or CT scan to see if there are any tears in your hamstring tendons. These scans can provide valuable information about the state of your tendons. They can also show if you have any other leg injuries like a stress fracture or compartment syndrome.

Lower Hamstring Tendonitis Treatment:

The best treatment for this condition is rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medication. Another way to treat it is to wear a knee sleeve or compression bandage. For some people it helps to elevate their leg on a stool while resting in bed.

Others find relief with electrotherapy and ultrasound to soothe the pain and reduce inflammation. Your doctor may also give you a prescription for pain medication and advise you to do physical therapy. In extreme cases, surgery may be required to repair the tendon.

How To Prevent Lower Hamstring Tendonitis:

To help prevent this condition, you should strengthen your hip muscles. Your hamstrings attach at your hips so if they’re weak, they’re more likely to become injured. You can strengthen your hip muscles by engaging in activities like cycling, swimming, walking and hiking.

Everything You Should Know About Lower Hamstring Tendonitis

If you experience a lot of hamstring pain and soreness, you may have LHT. This condition affects many people, especially those who engage in running and other sports. Unfortunately, most cases go untreated because many people don’t realize they even have the condition.

If you think you’re suffering from this disorder, it’s important to see your doctor right away. Early intervention is important to prevent long-term damage.

Lower Hamstring Tendonitis refers to chronic pain in the back of your lower leg. This pain can be sharp, aching or burning and usually worsens with activity such as running or walking. It can also be felt with stretching.

If you have this condition, you may also experience weakness and/or tightness in your hamstrings and quads. The symptoms of LHT include knee pain while walking up and down stairs, tendinitis, hamstring strains, and muscle strains. If you’re experiencing pain and discomfort in your lower leg or knee while playing sports, you should see a doctor immediately.

The exact cause of this condition is unknown. It’s believed that repeated trauma or overuse may cause the tendon to swell and develop tiny tears. It can also be caused by a direct blow to the area, which may tear the hamstring muscle or tendon.

Compartment syndrome or exertional Compartment Syndrome (ECS) may also be a cause. With ECS, increased pressure is caused in the leg causing the nerves to become compressed which can cause tingling, numbness and pain.

The good news is that LHT is treatable. The goal of treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation. Your doctor may start you on physical therapy and a course of anti-inflammatory medications.

You’ll also be advised to rest, ice, elevate and compress the injury. For some cases where the pain is more severe, doctors may take a more aggressive approach and recommend surgery to repair any damage. In rare cases, LHT can reoccur in patients that have had the condition in the past. If this happens, you may be advised to wear a knee sleeve or compression bandage.

To help prevent LHT, you should stretch and warm-up before engaging in any physical activity. You should also stretch your hamstrings after each activity and make sure you’re properly hydrated. It’s also a good idea to strength train your hamstrings and hip muscles as it will provide additional support and prevent injury.

You should also avoid running up and down hills as this places more stress on your hamstrings. If you’re a beginner runner, it’s best to start out with road running rather than off-road running. If you’re a long-distance runner or engage in other sports such as soccer, basketball, hockey or football, you should always stretch your hamstrings.

While LHT is treatable, if left untreated it can lead to more serious complications. If you’re experiencing ongoing pain and soreness in your lower leg, you should see a doctor right away. Early intervention can help prevent this condition from developing into a more serious problem.

It’s important to remember that everyone is different and the treatment that works for one person may not work for another. Always consult your doctor about any health concern you have.

Resources

Tendonitis: Medline Plus (LINK REMOVED)

Muscle and Tendon Injury: Medline Plus (LINK REMOVED)

Hamstring Strain: Medline Plus (LINK REMOVED)

Shin Splints: Medline Plus (LINK REMOVED)

Sources & references used in this article:

Patellar Tendonitis and Running: Symptoms, Causes and Research-Backed Treatment Options by J Davis – runnersconnect.net

Calf pain? All you need to know about Achilles Tendinosis by B McChesney–Osteopath, S Bombos–Osteopath… – balanceosteopathy.com

Achilles Tendinopathy: Everything You Need to Know (And More) by JB Kreher – 2009 – beginnertriathlete.com