Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauses and TriggersWhen Is It Serious?Pain ReliefAdditional InterventionsReducing Pain During Healing
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes and Triggers
When Is It Serious?
Pain Relief
Additional Interventions
Reducing Pain During Healing
Hamstring issues are a significant cause of pain behind the knee. Your hamstrings consist of three long muscles that run down the back of the thigh, cross over the back of the knee, and connect to bones in that area.
You might experience hamstring pain behind the knee when the muscles in that area are overworked, inflamed, or injured—such as from activities like running, walking, dancing, soccer, or basketball.
Causes and Triggers of Hamstring Pain Behind Knee
Pain behind the knee may be the result of ahamstringinjury. Below are possible types of injuries and their causes.
When Is Hamstring Knee Pain Potentially Serious?
Sometimes, hamstring knee pain is mild and goes away with rest. In other cases, it can be more severe, signaling atorn muscle.
Hamstring knee pain may be serious if you experience the following:
See a healthcare provider if you experience any of these symptoms.
A Word From Verywell
—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MPH, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
How a Provider Assesses Hamstring Pain
A healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms andinjury, including what you were doing when the pain began.
They will also do a physical examination, which may include pressing on the back of your thigh to look for swelling, bruising, tenderness, or bunched-up muscles that could indicate a tear.A healthcare provider may ask you to perform specific resisted movements, such as themanual muscle test, and they may measure your range of motion.
Other diagnostic testing can include anX-rayormagnetic resonance imaging(MRI) to help determine the degree of the injury and which soft tissues or bones may be involved.
How to Relieve Hamstring Knee Pain at Home
The first line of treating hamstring knee pain at home is usually theRICE protocol. This includes:
Additionally, you can use at-home pain relievers likeTylenol(acetaminophen) ornonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) like Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen).
Over time, and depending on the severity of your injury, your healthcare provider will advise you on gentlehamstring stretchesand how to ease back into physical activity.
Prescribed and Surgical Interventions
Depending on the severity of your condition, a healthcare provider may recommend additional interventions, such as:
Platelet-rich plasma(PRP) has come into use as an adjunctive treatment for hamstring muscle strain or tendonitis.This involves injecting a solution made from your own blood into the muscle to help with healing.
During Healing: How to Minimize Hamstring Pain
It’s hard to predict how long a hamstring injury takes to heal and how long you’ll experience pain. The answer depends on your injury’s type, location, and severity.
Lesser injuries (like tendonitis or a mild strain), naturally, may take less time to heal—sometimes only a few days. However, it’s essential to avoid reinjuring the area so the condition doesn’t become chronic (long-term).
Some steps you can address to prevent reinjury include:
Summary
Strains, tendonitis, bursitis, and muscle tears are all possible explanations for a hamstring injury that leads to pain behind the knee. It’s worth discussing your pain with a healthcare provider, especially if it comes on suddenly during exercise. They can help identify the exact cause and offer guidance for rehabilitation, including a referral to a physical therapist.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Health Service.Tendonitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Hamstring muscle injuries.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Pes aserine (knee tendon) bursitis.Mount Siani.Hamstring strain - aftercare.Seow D, Shimozono Y, Tengku Yusof TNB, Yasui Y, Massey A, Kennedy JG.Platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of hamstring injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis with best-worst case analysis.Am J Sports Med. 2021;49(2):529-537. doi:10.1177/0363546520916729
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Health Service.Tendonitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Hamstring muscle injuries.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Pes aserine (knee tendon) bursitis.Mount Siani.Hamstring strain - aftercare.Seow D, Shimozono Y, Tengku Yusof TNB, Yasui Y, Massey A, Kennedy JG.Platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of hamstring injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis with best-worst case analysis.Am J Sports Med. 2021;49(2):529-537. doi:10.1177/0363546520916729
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Health Service.Tendonitis.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Hamstring muscle injuries.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Pes aserine (knee tendon) bursitis.Mount Siani.Hamstring strain - aftercare.Seow D, Shimozono Y, Tengku Yusof TNB, Yasui Y, Massey A, Kennedy JG.Platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of hamstring injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis with best-worst case analysis.Am J Sports Med. 2021;49(2):529-537. doi:10.1177/0363546520916729
National Health Service.Tendonitis.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Hamstring muscle injuries.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: OrthoInfo.Pes aserine (knee tendon) bursitis.
Mount Siani.Hamstring strain - aftercare.
Seow D, Shimozono Y, Tengku Yusof TNB, Yasui Y, Massey A, Kennedy JG.Platelet-rich plasma injection for the treatment of hamstring injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis with best-worst case analysis.Am J Sports Med. 2021;49(2):529-537. doi:10.1177/0363546520916729
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