Hamstring injury symptoms

Cramp or injury?

When you feel a painfulsensation in your thighs while you run, it is likely that you willthink that you have just pulled a hamstring. But, that may not be thecase, as you might just be feeling a muscle cramp. This happens whenthe muscle does not receive enough oxygen at that time. To injure thehamstring, you would have to extend it suddenly. What causes hamstring injury isexcessive stretching or extreme contraction. This type of injuryusually happens when you start to exercise but haven't warmed upbefore that. The importance of a warm ups is that it makes the musclesflexible and endurable, thus ready for exertion.

Hamstring and hamstringinjury

The hamstring is referred to as agroup of muscles that are located in the thigh, and is comprised ofthree muscles. Hamstring injuries can be regarded as mild, if it ismicroscopic and consists of a minute tear in muscles. This type ofinjury takes a few days to heal. Moderate injury is followed by immediate and moderate pain and involves a larger tear in the muscletissue. It takes a month to heal. Severe injury is caused by a tearof the muscle. It is extremely painful, and takes two to three monthsto heal.

Symptoms

In mild injury, there is nopain until after the exercise, and pain is mild and present in restor with light muscle use. Avoid excessactivity as it can cause mild injury to develop into a major injury,and rest the thigh and knee on some kind of support. Muscles alsoseem weak and tired, but there is no or little swelling andirrelevant amount of internal bleeding.

In moderate injury, pain ismore intense and it increases with contraction and relaxation ofmuscles. There are problems with walking, and the injured area issore red, due to internal bleeding. There is also bulging or swellingin the injured region. is observed. First aid may be necessary andrest after the injury is a must.

Pain in severe injury is ofextreme intensity, and the large tear in the muscle is followed byheavy internal bleeding of muscles and large swelling, and inabilityto move or bend the injured leg. Pain and bleeding can be so severethat they can knock a person unconscious. In some cases, all threemuscles of the hamstring muscle are injured severely. This conditionrequires medical intervention within 48 hours after the injury.

Precautions

To avoid hamstring injury,avoid excess strain on your hamstring muscle, wear flexible trousersor track pants while exercising and start their physical activitieswith a warm up. A small step is the key toprevent hamstring injury.