Pulled hamstring causes

To understand what causes a hamstring injury, you need to know how muscles work. All muscles work in pairs to complete a task. A set of muscles contracts to exert force while the other set of muscles relaxes. The hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh, work with the quadriceps muscle group in front of the thigh. When you want to bend the leg, the hamstrings contract and the quadriceps muscles relax. Conversely, when you want to straighten your leg, the quadriceps, the muscles contract and the hamstring muscles relax.

If a muscle group is much stronger than its opposing muscle group, the imbalance can lead to deformation. This happens frequently with hamstrings. The quadriceps muscles are usually much more powerful so hamstrings may become fatigued faster. A fatigued muscle can not relax as easily when its opposing muscle contracts which is leading to strains.

Muscle strains are overuse injuries that occur when the muscle is stretched without being properly warmed up. A hamstring injury is usually obvious. Mild strain is just the simple muscle discomfort. A more serious injury may result in a sharp pain in the back of the thigh, usually in full swing. A break or tear may leave you unable to stand or walk, the muscles may be tender to the touch and it can be painful to stretch your legs. Within days after a tear, the hamstring area may appear very bruised.

Remember RICE, and you will know the immediate treatment protocol for many sports-related injuries, including hamstring pulls or strains:

R - Rest the affected area.
I - Ice the injury.
C - Compress the injury (apply a bandage or a compression device of the other).
E - Elevation of the injury.

If the muscle is completely torn, surgery may be necessary to repair and reattach. No treatment is complete without proper rehabilitation to strengthen and stretch the muscle.