Hamstring Injury: Treatment, Recovery Time and Returning to Sport

Hamstring injuries are among the most common injuries in sports involving sprinting, and they often come back. Rushing back too early is the biggest reason. A gradual, exercise-based plan makes re-injury much less likely.

Imagine sprinting for the ball in a weekend match and feeling a sudden sharp pain at the back of your thigh, like being shot. You pull up limping. A week later it feels better, so you play again, and it goes again, worse this time. That second injury is what proper rehab prevents.

Signs

• Sudden pain at the back of the thigh, sometimes with a pop
• Pain when straightening the leg or bending forward
• Swelling and, later, bruising
• Weakness in the leg

Treatment and recovery

• First few days: protect the leg, use ice and compression, and elevate it
• Start gentle movement and walking as pain allows
• Progress to strengthening exercises, including eccentric exercises such as Nordic hamstring curls, guided by a physiotherapist
• Mild strains often take a few weeks; more severe tears can take months

But when is it a serious tear?

See a doctor promptly if you heard a pop, have major bruising, can’t walk properly, or feel a gap in the muscle, especially near the buttock. A tendon tear off the bone may need surgery, and timing matters.

Sources: NHS (Hamstring injury), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, British Journal of Sports Medicine consensus statements. This guide is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or physiotherapist.