Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/72098
PULLED HAMSTRING, PART 1 Pulled hamstring is a term often used to describe pain in the back of the thigh, but the hamstring can also be "pulled" in the lower buttock, behind the knee, or near the front of the knee—either medially or laterally. What this indicates is that some fibers—belonging to either a hamstring muscle or tendon—are strained. The pain can be felt anywhere along the three important muscle tendon units. There are three hamstrings: a) the semimembranosis on the medial side, b) the semitendinosis in the middle, and c) the biceps femoris on the lateral aspect (Image 1). All of the hamstrings begin at a common tendon at the ischial tuberosity at the base of the pelvis. This is the part of the pelvis that makes contact with the chair when seated. These muscles in the posterior thigh are among the longest in the body and span two joints: the hip and the knee. They extend the hip and flex the knee to help you walk, run, jump, and climb stairs. The semimembranosis and the semitendinosis control the medial half of the posterior thigh and attach just below the anterior medial knee. The biceps femoris covers the lateral half of the posterior thigh and attaches at the head of the fibula at the lateral aspect of the knee. Injuries to parts of the hamstring near the knee joint can easily be mistaken for problems in the knee itself. (a) Semimembranosis (b) Semitendinosis (c) Biceps Femoris Sobotta: Atlas der Anatomie des Menschen @Elsevier GmbH, Urban & Fischer Verlag Munich. HOW AND WHY IT HAPPENS Suddenly it appears—pain in the back of the thigh. Hamstring injuries usually occur without warning. Running hurts, climbing stairs may be painful, and bending forward to stretch is the worst. It's common to just wake up and find the hamstring painful. If a client has pain in the posterior thigh when using the hamstring muscles, there's a good chance that the person has a pulled hamstring. A painful sensation in the middle section of the back thigh means that there are microtears in the muscle fibers and adhesive scar tissue is continually forming. Pain high up at the base of the tune in to your practice at ABMPtv 95