Symptoms of a Pulled Hamstring

Symptoms are really dependent on the severity of your injury, however the most common ones are noted below.

A sharp pain or pulling may be experienced along the length of your hamstring or at a specific point on the back of your thigh. You will feel tightness, tenderness and/or muscle spasms in your hamstring muscle during active and resistive movements. Point tenderness may also be present, especially when touched. If you have a chronic injury, you may feel more of a dull ache that lasts for long periods of time. Pain can be experienced while sitting or walking up or down stairs/hills.

You may experience stiffness or decreased range of motion (ROM), such as difficulty bending your knee, as a result of a pulled hamstring muscle.

Swelling in your hamstring muscles is a result of your tissues becoming inflamed; this normally occurs with a more serious hamstring strain. Warmth and redness may accompany swelling in severe cases. You may also feel a gap, dent or bulge in your muscle that is not normally present.

Weakness or complete loss of function of your hamstring muscle can also be experienced as a result of a pulled hamstring. This along with your other symptoms may make it difficult for you to walk or run and can result in you walking with a limp.

Occasionally, bruising (broken blood vessels) and discoloration (black, blue and/or purple) over your hamstring muscle may appear immediately or after a few days with severe hamstring strains.

A popping or snapping sensation at the back of your thigh can often be heard and felt when your hamstring muscles are tearing. This often happens with a large force of hip flexion, when your knee is extended (straightened), and may make your fall to the ground.