Hamstring Muscle Strain

Common Symptoms

• Sudden pain in the back of the thigh, often during sprinting or a rapid stretch
• Swelling or bruising that can appear over the following days
• Tenderness over the muscle belly rather than up at the sit bone
• Pain with resisted knee bending or stretching the hamstring
• Difficulty sprinting or running at full speed

Why It Happens

Hamstring strains typically occur when the muscle is forcefully lengthened while contracting, most often during sprinting, and are common in sports involving fast acceleration or deceleration.

Why It Can Become Persistent

Muscle tissue heals in phases, and re-injury risk is highest in the weeks after a strain if return to sport happens before the tissue and surrounding muscle have adequately recovered strength and length.

Who Commonly Gets It

Sprinters and field-sport athletes (soccer, football, track) are classically affected, along with anyone with a prior hamstring strain, since previous injury is one of the strongest risk factors for a repeat one.

How It Is Usually Diagnosed

Diagnosis is clinical, often supported by ultrasound or MRI to grade severity (from a mild strain to a more significant partial tear) and guide the expected recovery timeline.

Traditional Treatment Options

• Rest and activity modification: Protecting the muscle in the acute phase, with a graded return to activity.
• Structured rehabilitation program: Progressive strengthening and loading is the well-established foundation of hamstring strain recovery.
• Ice and compression: Commonly used for acute symptom control.
• Gradual return-to-sprint progression: A criteria-based, staged return to full-speed running to reduce re-injury risk.

Why Someone Might Start Looking for Another Option

Athletes are often eager to return to sport as quickly as safely possible, which has led to interest in adjuncts like shockwave therapy alongside a structured rehab program.

Where Shockwave Therapy May Fit

A sham-controlled randomized trial in semi-professional athletes with an ultrasound-confirmed acute hamstring muscle strain found that shockwave therapy added to a rehabilitation program led to a faster return to sport (about 25 days vs. about 28 days with sham treatment) and better preservation of hamstring strength versus the uninjured leg. Re-injury rates were similar between groups. This is real, randomized evidence, but from a single, fairly small trial — the difference, while statistically real, is a matter of days, not a dramatic change in recovery.

How Shockwave Treatment Works for This Area

Acoustic pressure waves are applied to the injured portion of the muscle once you're cleared for treatment, alongside — not instead of — a structured rehabilitation and return-to-sprint program.

What the Treatment Feels Like

Most patients describe a firm tapping or pressure sensation over the tender area; your provider will discuss timing relative to your injury and what to expect.

What Happens During Your First Visit

Your visit begins with a provider evaluation focused on your history and a physical exam relevant to your complaint. If shockwave therapy is determined to be clinically appropriate, your first treatment can typically be provided the same visit. See our What to Expect page for the full walkthrough.

Who May Not Be Appropriate

• Anyone who has not yet had a medical evaluation to grade the strain and rule out a more significant tear
• The acute, most tender phase immediately after injury, per your provider's guidance
• Active infection, open wounds, or certain bone conditions at the treatment site
• Certain circulatory, neurological, or bleeding-related conditions, per your provider's screening

This list is not exhaustive. Your provider will screen for contraindications during your evaluation.