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How to Strengthen Your Hamstrings After a Strain

How to Strengthen Your Hamstrings After a Strain | UPMC Ireland

Your hamstring muscles run along the back of your thigh and play a key role in movement. These big muscles help you bend your knee, extend your hip, and support everyday activities like walking, running, squatting, lifting, and climbing stairs. That’s why even simple movements like walking can become challenging when you have a strained hamstring.

The hamstring muscle group is the second strongest in your leg, just behind the quadriceps, which run along the front of your thigh. But hamstrings are also one of your most vulnerable muscle groups.

Athletes are especially at risk of hamstring injuries, which can range from a simple pulled hamstring to a complete tear.

What can you do for a strained hamstring? Can a hamstring injury heal on its own? Here are some of the key things to know to treat and prevent hamstring injuries.

What is a Hamstring Strain?

Your hamstrings are a group of three large muscles that stretch from the bottom of your pelvis to just below your knee. These muscles are connected to your bones by tendons and play a vital role in movement.

A strained or pulled hamstring occurs when the muscle is stretched beyond its capacity, often during activities that involve sudden force or loading (applying weight or force to the muscle). Sprinting, for example, can strain the hamstrings due to the combined force of your body weight and speed. Similarly, exercises like deadlifts can cause strain when the weight of the barbell or dumbbells overloads the muscle.

Grades of Hamstring Strains

You can strain either the hamstring muscles or the tendons. There are three grades of hamstring strains:

  • Grade 1 hamstring strain — This is a mild strain. It may hurt, but you’re still able to move around. With rest, these mild strains can heal quickly.
  • Grade 2 hamstring strain — You have a partial tear in a hamstring. You will likely experience moderate pain, have a limited range of motion and need a course of rehabilitation to recover.
  • Grade 3 hamstring strain — This severe strain is usually a complete tear. You’ll probably have intense pain, won’t be able to move it and have difficulty bearing weight. You will need a course of rehabilitation to recover and in very rare cases, surgery.

Symptoms of a Strained Hamstring

How can you tell if you've pulled or strained a hamstring? Many people describe a sudden pop or snap, followed by sharp pain in the back of the thigh. While symptoms vary, most people instinctively know something’s wrong—especially if walking, running, or bending becomes difficult.

If a hamstring strain happens while you're running, you'll likely feel a sudden, sharp pain that forces you to stop immediately. However, milder strains might not be as dramatic—you could notice pain, tightness, or tenderness in the hours or days following the activity.

Other common symptoms of a strained hamstring include:

  • Pain in the back of your thigh when walking or bending over.
  • Tenderness and swelling in the area.
  • Bruising (not all strains have bruising).
  • Difficulty putting weight on the affected leg.

How to Treat a Hamstring Strain

Treating a hamstring strain depends on its severity. Sports medicine specialists can usually diagnose the injury through a physical exam. While an X-ray may be used initially to rule out bone-related issues, it won’t show muscle tears. For more complex or slow-healing injuries, an MRI or ultrasound may be required to confirm the extent of the tear and guide treatment planning.

For mild hamstring strains, imaging is often unnecessary. Your GP can typically diagnose the injury based on your symptoms and a physical exam, including range-of-motion tests.

Only in rare cases like tendon retraction—where the torn tendon pulls away from its attachment at the pelvis—will surgery be required.

POLICE method for initial recovery

For tears in the muscle itself, there are many things you can do to encourage healing. One of the most recommended approaches today is the POLICE Method.

  • Protection — Protect the injury from further damage. This may involve using crutches, braces, or slings to avoid placing stress on the affected area. The goal is to stabilize the injury while allowing healing to begin.
  • Optimal Loading — Begin gentle movement as soon as it's safe to do so. This doesn’t mean pushing through pain, but rather introducing controlled activity to stimulate healing. For example, light range-of-motion exercises can help maintain flexibility and prevent stiffness.
  • Ice — Apply ice to the injured area for 15–20 minutes every 1–2 hours during the first 48 hours. This helps reduce pain and inflammation. Always use a cloth or towel between the ice and your skin to prevent frostbite.
  • Compression — Wrap the injury with a compression bandage or tape. This helps to minimize swelling and provides support to the injured area.
  • Elevation — Keep the injured limb elevated above heart level. This helps reduce swelling and prevents fluid from pooling in the affected area.

Paracetamol is recommended for pain relief after a muscle injury, as it's generally safe for most people. Avoid anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen in the first 72 hours of injury, as they may interfere with the body's natural healing process, which is essential for proper scarring and recovery. If needed later, they should be used with caution and medical advice.

The recovery time for hamstring strains depends on the severity of the injury. A mild strain can heal within a few weeks, while a severe one may take months.

Exercises to Strengthen Your Hamstring

You want to avoid re-injuring your hamstring while it heals. Let the swelling go down before trying to exercise.

Active stretching is beneficial during recovery, but it should be avoided in the first 3–4 days after injury to prevent further irritation at the injury site. Once the acute phase has passed and scar tissue begins to form, gentle stretching can be introduced to support healing and restore movement.

Working with a physiotherapist is a great way to learn safe stretches and exercises. Ideally, you want a balance between movements that stretch the hamstrings and strengthen them.

Here are some exercises to try on your own:

Toe touch stretch

Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you. Keeping your back as straight as possible, bend forward at the hips and reach toward your toes. Hold the stretch for 5 to 10 seconds, then relax and repeat a few times. Avoid pushing beyond your comfort level—stretch gently to prevent further strain.

Active hip flexion and knee extension stretch

Lie flat on your back with both knees bent. Gently pull one thigh toward your chest until it reaches a 90-degree angle, holding the back of your thigh for support. Slowly straighten your knee until you feel a light stretch in your hamstring. Avoid stretching to the point of pain. Repeat the movement 10 times, completing 2–3 sets as tolerated.

Wall Hamstring Stretch

Lie flat on your back with your buttocks as close to a wall as possible. Extend your legs upward, resting them against the wall to stretch your hamstrings. Getting into position may take a bit of scooting, but once you're set, it's a gentle and effective stretch.

You can also do this stretch without a wall—just lie on your back and raise your legs straight toward the ceiling, keeping them as extended as possible.

Good mornings

Stand with your feet flat and knees slightly bent, hands gently cradling the back of your head. Keep your back straight as you push your hips backward, lowering your chest until it’s nearly parallel to the floor. Focus on using your hamstrings to pull yourself back up to standing. Start with a set of 10 reps, making sure to move with control and good form.

Hip bridges

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart. You can adjust the position of your heels—closer for ease, farther for more challenge. Tuck your tailbone and slowly lift your lower back off the floor, engaging your hamstrings as you rise. Hold briefly at the top, then lower back down with control.

Start with a set of 10 reps and add more as you build strength. For extra resistance, place a weight on your hips.

To increase difficulty, try single-leg hip bridges. Raise one leg toward the ceiling and perform the lift using the opposite leg. Complete a set, then switch sides.

Prone leg curl (unweighted)

Lie on your stomach with your legs extended. Engage your core muscles to stabilise your pelvis. Slowly curl one heel toward your buttocks by actively contracting your hamstring. If the movement feels comfortable and pain-free, you may hold the end position for 2–3 seconds to deepen the contraction before gently lowering the leg back down.

Find out how UPMC’s expert sports medicine and orthopaedic teams across Ireland can help you recover from injury, enhance performance, and stay strong and healthy.