Hamstring Tendinopathy
What is it?
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The Hamstring group is made up of 3 muscles which attach from behind the knee to a bony prominence in the buttock and thigh bone. This group of muscles helps to bend your knee and to move your leg behind you.
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Pain arising from the hamstring tendons is usually due to an overuse injury and is commonly seen in runners, or those who participate in kicking or jumping sports.
Typical Symptoms/features:
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Pain deep in the buttock or the back of the thigh. Sometimes this can radiate to knee.
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Pain typically increases with repetitive activity e.g. long-distance running.
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Pain with prolonged sitting or driving.
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Pain with increased speed or sprinting.
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Pain when bending at the hip e.g. putting on shoes or bending to pick something up from the floor.
Management:
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Activity modification
- When you first start noticing hip pain, it may help to reduce your activity for a short amount of time to allow the pain to settle.
- However, there is strong evidence that says keeping active and slowly returning to your normal levels of activity can actually help the pain to settle quicker.
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Ice or heat
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Pain relief
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Physiotherapy including range of movement exercises and a graded strengthening programme.
Do I need imaging?
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Imaging (X-rays or scans) is rarely required to diagnose hip adductor pain
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Many people, even without hip pain, will have findings on imaging such as joint space changes, and osteoarthritic changes.
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These findings are unlikely to change how your hip pain is initially managed.
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X-rays and scans are most appropriately used after a serious injury
