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FOR ACCESS TO FREE VIDEOS AND ARTICLES AND THE LATEST NEWS ON UPCOMING TRAININGS, JOIN BEN BENJAMIN ON FACEBOOK AT FACEBOOK.COM/DRBENBENJAMIN. of the client's waist, the practitioner places his or her hand on the client's heel and resists as the client tries to bend the knee. The practitioner doesn't try to overpower the client, but simply meets the resistance. If there is pain or discomfort, the hamstring is injured. Sometimes, during testing, the back thigh cramps. If this occurs, perform the test at an 80-degree angle—this usually eliminates the cramping. The hamstring may be weak and more prone to cramping because it has been injured and out of full use for awhile, but the thigh may also be weak and cramp easily because of a nerve-root compression. PALPATION TO LOCATE THE STRAIN Next, the practitioner locates the precise part or parts of the muscle- tendon unit that may be strained and scarred. In order to give effective treatment, all the affected fibers need to be located and treated. If the hamstring is injured, locating the injured areas is not difficult. While the client is lying prone, palpate along the length of the hamstring for the painful areas (Image 4). Since there is no referred pain from a hamstring injury, the client can usually direct you to the general area of injury—low, high, or in the midsection. Having the client resist during palpation testing often makes identifying the precise location of the injury easier because the hamstring fibers are under stress. If identifying the location of the injury is difficult, it is likely that the pain in the hamstring area is a referred pain from the back or hip joint. In Part 2 of this article, we will cover self-treatment, friction therapy, and therapeutic exercises. Since there is no referred pain from a hamstring injury, the client can usually direct you to the general area Palpation to locate the strain. education and sports medicine, and is founder of the Muscular Therapy Institute. Benjamin has been in private practice for more than 45 years and has taught extensively across the country on topics including orthopedic massage, Active Isolated Stretching and Strengthening, and ethics. He is the author of Listen to Your Pain (Penguin, 2007), Are You Tense? (Pantheon, 1978), and Exercise Without Injury (MTI, 1979), and coauthor of The Ethics of Touch (Sohnen-Moe Associates, 2003). Presently, he is offering continuing education for massage therapists around the world via webinars. He can be contacted at Ben@BenBenjamin.com. Ben E. Benjamin, PhD, holds a doctorate in of injury—low, high, or in the midsection. Editor's note: Massage & Bodywork is dedicated to educating readers within the scope of practice for massage therapy. Essential Skills is based on author Ben E. Benjamin's years of experience and education. The column is meant to add to readers' knowledge, not to dictate their treatment protocols. tune in to your practice at ABMPtv 99