Hamstring Pain

Hi,

I've had this nagging pain right at the origin of my left hamstring for a few months now (see picture). Stretching seems to make it worse. My left hamstring is less flexible than my right. I've been making good progress with my front split series but the pain is getting in the way. I plan to go see a doctor but I haven't had great experiences when it comes to tendonitis; most doctors just want to inject me with steroids to help with any inflammation. Please note, I’m not looking for any medical advice here, just want to know if anyone has experienced this issue and how they dealt with it. Thanks!

I am not a moderator, but based on your picture, I have the same pain. I actually heard a few fibers tear about a month ago when stretching....I have to do all of mine very carefully, now.

On 8/22/2018 at 5:45 PM, Jeremy Hay said:

I am not a moderator, but based on your picture, I have the same pain. I actually heard a few fibers tear about a month ago when stretching....I have to do all of mine very carefully, now.

Thanks Jeremy, I've taken more or less the same approach and also incorporated some daily  myofascial massages to the area. It seems to be helping. I took some time off the stretching and will start again today. Cheers!

I’m experiencing the same pain. It happened out of nowhere. I don’t remember an incident when I felt an accuse pain indicating that an injury just happened. It was like one day I went to do side to side squats and noticed soreness and decreassed mobility.  I took a few weeks off but that didn’t help. Back to stretching and foundation now. I’m not bothered by the hamstring until I’m either doing side to side squats or hamstring stretches. 

I would like to resolve the issue though. Wondering if any of the previous posters got diagnosed. 

Additionally, I feel the sensation much more in standing pancake then a standing pike. Also the back affected leg seems tight all the way down to the top of my calf but the most discomfort is felt in the hamstring close to where the hamstring  and the glute meet. 

Wondering if doing Jefferson curls twice a week before and after workout can help all this. 

Thanks. 

Hi Arsen , your problem seems to be insertional near the hip. personally, you should completely avoid exercises where you are feeling pain. if you ignore this problem it can take almost a year to be solved. this particular injury requires rest.

Alessandro,

Thanks for the advice. Would you recommend to completely stop the front and middle split programs or is there a way to modify To avoid the leg that is affected?

in your experience what is the average time it takes for this issue to resolve assuming complete rest. (Understanding that there will be some time variance depending on age, fitness level, diet and sleep). 

5 hours ago, Arsen Giller said:

Alessandro,

Thanks for the advice. Would you recommend to completely stop the front and middle split programs or is there a way to modify To avoid the leg that is affected?

 

in your experience what is the average time it takes for this issue to resolve assuming complete rest. (Understanding that there will be some time variance depending on age, fitness level, diet and sleep). 

I had many clients with this problem. I had also many clients with strain and overuse injury. if there is a place where you need total rest is the insertion of the long head bicep femoris. consider that only a standing position requires the long head to be recruited, so how can it heal? it is a really strange problem.

Alessandro,

Thanks for the advice. Would you recommend to completely stop the front and middle split programs or is there a way to modify To avoid the leg that is affected?

in your experience what is the average time it takes for this issue to resolve assuming complete rest. (Understanding that there will be some time variance depending on age, fitness level, diet and sleep). 

Doesn’t sound very promising. I’ve been partly putting off total rest because the stretch series has been really good in alleviating my lower back tightness and discomfort ( I have a desk job and a long train commute which is not friendly to my lower back) but based on what you are saying I think it may all be connected and now I’m worried that I gave my self a chronic problem. 

In your experience how do you know you rested enough and can start building back with some sort of recovery program?or like the restore series for hamstrings.  Is it when you feel absolutely no discomfort at all? 

Just to be clear the pain is not severe but it is uncomfortable at the point when I am stretching or sitting at the bottom of a side tide squat or Cossack squat. 

On 1/13/2019 at 12:27 AM, Arsen Giller said:

Doesn’t sound very promising. I’ve been partly putting off total rest because the stretch series has been really good in alleviating my lower back tightness and discomfort ( I have a desk job and a long train commute which is not friendly to my lower back) but based on what you are saying I think it may all be connected and now I’m worried that I gave my self a chronic problem. 

In your experience how do you know you rested enough and can start building back with some sort of recovery program?or like the restore series for hamstrings.  Is it when you feel absolutely no discomfort at all? 

Just to be clear the pain is not severe but it is uncomfortable at the point when I am stretching or sitting at the bottom of a side tide squat or Cossack squat. 

Consider these problems:

-if a muscle is damaged it needs some rest from painful activities;

-when you are in a standing position the hamstring still work for holding the hips on extension;

-if you sit, it is stretched;

-if you drive it is stretched;

basically in the normal day of life, you cannot completely rest.

My first recommendation here is having an instrumental exam, like the ECOgraphic exam. the long head bicep is enough superficial to see it, you should not need MRI. if the problem occurs in the insertional tendon of the long head of bicep femoris I do not have a positive experience for you. 3 cases of 2 needed complete rest from minimal pain movement from almost one year.