Flexible, strong hamstrings are happy hamstrings. Hamstring injuries are one of the most common and bothersome soft tissue injuries suffered by athletes. There are two main types of injuries: acute strain and proximal hamstring tendinopathy, and chronic overuse injuries, often associated with poor movement patterns and muscle imbalances. Regardless of the cause, hamstring problems can be difficult to resolve.
“The longer you leave a problem alone, the more your body will compensate and adapt, and the harder it will be to get rid of the problem, even if you see improvement,” says Nicole Haas, a board-certified orthopedic specialist and physical therapist in Boulder, Colorado. . “Like a scab, if you keep tugging and irritating it, the injury will never heal.”
Because the cycle can be difficult and relapse is common, it is essential to avoid recurrence of damage through an injury prevention procedure.
The hamstrings are a group of powerful muscles that extend from the pelvis to the knee on the back of the upper leg. Their two main roles are to extend the leg (pull back) and bend the knee, movements that we use both in mountain walking or running and in everyday life. We use and overstress our hamstrings more than we realize, which creates tension and can lead to acute or chronic overuse injuries. For example, when you run or hike uphill, it may seem like you're mostly using your quads, but you're also straining your hamstrings, especially if you're overexerting yourself or taking a big step to navigate over rocks or roots. Eccentric hamstring control is also important for going downhill.
“You have to have good control of the entire kinetic chain so that you have proper mechanics and not load the hamstring more than necessary,” Haas says.
This requires not only good strength and mobility in the hamstrings, but also in the hips and glutes to properly distribute the workload.
The exercises mentioned below, recommended by Haas, cover the critical fundamentals of preventing hamstring injuries—mobility, strength, neuromuscular control, and stability—with the ultimate goal of making your hamstrings stronger, more balanced, and resilient to mountainous terrain. Do these exercises three to five times a week, either on their own or as part of your regular workout routine.
Tools you will need:
- Massage roller
- Elastic band for Pilates
- Kettlebells or dumbbells
Dynamic hamstring mobilization
Role of the exercise: Gently warms up the hamstrings.
How to do it: Start in a squat position with your hips hips apart. Place your hands on your knees or thighs. Lift your pelvis by gently straightening your legs until you feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings. Pause for a few seconds, then return to the starting position. Keep your back straight and don't put too much strain on your hips by pulling too hard.
The knees-and-hands-down pose also provides a good stretch to the upper hamstrings and relieves tension there, a common site of hamstring injuries.
Volume: five to ten repetitions.
Knee tendon problems
The hamstring is a band of three muscles that is located at the back of the thigh and just behind the knee. Often, it is because of dysfunction of the patellar tendon that people cannot move their legs and arms. A person of any age can have a sprain.
As a result, the elasticity of the hamstring tendon is lost, which entails a pathological alignment of the natural curve of the lumbar and also a loss of elasticity of its muscles. The muscle bundle and tendons play the role of flexor of the leg in the knee joint, raise the heel towards the back, straighten the hip and keep our back in the correct position.
Compression of the tendon in the popliteal region often causes pain in the gluteal region, in the upper and posterior plane of the thighs. Soreness occurs with weakening of the elasticity of the tendon.
How exercises help
Basic exercises that will help you get rid of tendon spasms:
- Starting position, sitting, spread your legs in different directions, but without bending your knees, then clasp your hands behind your back and pull your lower arm up. At the peak point, hold this position for 30 seconds.
- Starting position, stand with the heels of both feet at a slight elevation of about 10 cm. Next, lean forward slightly, but do not allow your hips to turn out. Toes should point in one direction. If you follow all measures, you will feel muscle stretching. You should remain in this position for at least 30 seconds.
Manifestation of inflammation and drug treatment
The inflammatory process, as a rule, has its own external manifestations, namely redness of the skin and the formation of a tumor in the knee area. Physiologically this is felt as pain. Moreover, if rest and local measures do not relieve pain, you should consult a traumatologist.
Among experts, there is a point of view that when treating tendons of the knee area, you should not use corticosteroid drugs, since the risk of tendon rupture increases many times over. If there are no positive indicators during local treatment, surgical intervention should be resorted to. Treatment should begin with painkillers, for example, Naproxen or similar properties. These remedies provide temporary improvement and relief from acute pain. In addition, physical therapy can help alleviate symptoms.
Using the iontophoresis method, namely low-power electrical impulses, the skin is enriched with corticosteroids. Recently, a procedure has become increasingly popular in which plasma enriched with platelets is injected, which forms new tissue connections, which leads to complete restoration of damaged areas.
Knee ligament rupture
The most severe consequences of mechanical damage to the knee joint are ligament ruptures. As a rule, this is accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the circulatory system and blood entering the joint. If there has been a rupture, then fixation of the joint and cold bandages, which will narrow the blood vessels, should be undertaken to stop the hemorrhage.
Treatment of the rupture involves taking anti-inflammatory drugs that do not contain steroids. For external use, including for pain relief, there are various ointments and lotions. After the primary symptoms are relieved, the mandatory use of physiotherapy, a set of special exercises and massage. If we are talking about a complete rupture, then surgical intervention is applicable.
If you contact a specialist in a timely manner, you will receive quick help, and rehabilitation will take the shortest possible time.
If the injury is local, a cast is placed on the thigh and lower leg at an angle of 170°. It is this degree of slope that determines the most effective fusion of tendons. After a minimum of 4 weeks, the cast can be removed. Author: K.M.N., Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences M.A. Bobyr
Side ridges with resistance band
Role of the exercise: Strengthens the hip abductor muscles.
How to do it: Place an elastic band around your ankles and place your feet together. Bend your knees slightly and place your hands on your hips to keep them still. Then slowly take steps to the left, making sure that your toes are pointing forward and the level of your step to one side is about 30 centimeters, and then, with the same step, return your foot to its place. Continue in the same direction for 15 steps, then repeat in the opposite direction to the right. Pay special attention to proper technique and do not allow your knees to bend inward, as this incorrect movement can cause knee injury.
Volume: three sets of 15 reps on each side.
Lower back stretch
Lie on your back and bend your knees. Feet together, arms apart. Gently begin to tilt both knees from side to side as far as possible. You should not experience discomfort, but only feel a stretching in the lower back. Do 5-10 bends in each direction.
Why it is important to do this exercise: The lower back is also loaded during long periods of walking, running and sitting still.
Reverse Slip with Resistance Band
Role of the exercise: Strengthens the buttocks and thighs to reduce stress on the hamstrings.
How to: With an elastic band around your ankles, stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent. Take diagonal steps back, alternating sides. After each step, connect your legs: take a step back with your right leg, bring your left one to it; step back with your left foot, bring your right foot to it. And so on. With each step, step on your heel so that your foot is parallel to the floor, rather than standing on your toes. As with the previous exercise, keep your toes pointed straight ahead and focus on knee position and proper form.
Volume: three sets of 15 repetitions on each leg.
Front thigh stretch
Stand on your right leg, bend your left knee and take it back. Hold your left ankle with your left hand, slightly pulling it up. You should feel a pulling effect in your left thigh. Repeat for the other leg.
Why this exercise is important: Stretching the front of your thighs reduces muscle tension and prevents you from feeling stiff in the morning. The exercise also helps in preventing knee injuries.
Hamstring flexion
Role of the exercise: Strengthens the hamstrings and makes them elastic through eccentric lowering. According to a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, this exercise reduces the rate of hamstring injuries by half when included in an injury prevention program.
How to: Start kneeling on the mat with your shins parallel and directly behind you and your knees hip-width apart and bent at a 90-degree angle. Have your partner hold your ankles or lock your legs under a stationary object. Tighten your abs, keep your arms at your sides, then extend your knees and lower your upper body as slowly as possible. Land in a push-up position to cushion the impact, then use your arms to push up sharply to the starting position for one repetition. Don't bend your hips—your upper body should remain in line from your knee to your head.
Volume: three sets of 10-15 reps (or as many as you can do; proper technique is key).
Single Leg Row (Runner's Row)
Role of the Exercise: eccentrically targets the hamstrings, training control of the articulation of the back of the legs and body and balance through a functional movement pattern.
How to do it: Stand on one leg with your knee slightly bent. Without rounding your back, lean forward and down toward the floor, lifting your free leg behind you and onto the same horizontal plane as your torso. Continue lifting your free leg (keep it as straight as possible) and lower your torso until your legs are parallel to the floor or as far as you can without compromising proper form. Then slowly return to the starting position. Remember to keep your hips level (think about guiding your raised leg gently and smoothly toward the floor) and your back straight and focused on controlling your leg.
Start with your body weight, and once you can perform the exercise with proper form, use weights such as kettlebells or dumbbells in the opposite arm of your grounded leg.
Volume: three sets of 10-15 repetitions on each leg.
Lunge with torso rotation and toe touching
Role of the exercise: Activates neuromuscular control and proper functioning of the entire kinetic chain from the moment the foot hits the ground.
How to do it: Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Take an extended step forward (about two feet), then lower your hips into a lunge phase until your front thigh is parallel to the ground (or as deep as is comfortable). The knee of the front leg should be behind the toes of the same front leg, squat. From here, slowly move forward to touch your front leg with your opposite hand, focusing on proper foot placement and alignment of your posture—don't let your knees bend inward and avoid rounding your back as you reach the goal. Return to a vertical lunge position, then stand with your legs straight and feet together to... Step forward again with the opposite foot and repeat the above.
Volume: three sets of 10-15 repetitions on each leg.
Chips for happy hamstrings
Myofascial release releases muscle tension to improve mobility. Use a foam roller or foam roller to gently roll out the hamstrings, applying tension but not so much that it hurts. Take comfort from working on any overly difficult or sensitive areas. It should be beneficial, not painful. If you have hamstring issues, Haas recommends a massage stick over a foam roller because you can use it in a bent-knee position, which takes tension off the hamstring, whereas a foam roller requires a straighter leg. In an ideal world, you'd roll on a foam roller daily before a workout to relieve tension in the hamstrings, says Haas, and again after a workout to relieve the same tension from exercise.
Anatomy
Start
The muscle starts from the lateral condyle of the femur and the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus, then descends medially and attaches to the tibia. Because the popliteus muscle (PM) runs behind the top of the tibia and joint capsule, it is the deepest muscle of the knee joint.
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Its tendon pierces the joint capsule (but does not enter its cavity), and intersects with the arcuate ligament, lateral collateral ligament and biceps femoris tendon. The popliteal bursa, which is usually a continuation of the synovial membrane, separates the muscle from the lateral condyle of the femur. An additional head of the PM can be formed from the lateral head of the gastrocnemius muscle.
Attachment
The PM inserts on the tibia, slightly proximal to the line of the cobaloid muscle, but below the tibial condyles.
Innervation
The PM is innervated by tibial nerve fibers (L4-S1), originating directly from the tibialis posterior nerve and also (in some cases) from the knee joint nerve. These nerve fibers go to the PM as part of the fourth and fifth lumbar nerves, as well as the first sacral spinal nerve.
Blood supply
The popliteal muscle is supplied by the muscular branches of the popliteal artery.
Warm-up
Before your workout, do a dynamic hamstring warm-up. "There are 5,000 ways to warm up your hamstrings—it's just a matter of using different types of movements similar to the ones you're going to do," Haas says. For example, if you're going to climb rocks, use a box, bench, or boulder to simulate steps and ledges to gently activate your hamstrings.
Dynamic Hamstring Mobilization - Swing your leg back and forth while holding onto a stationary object. A good way to warm up your hamstrings before hiking, running, biking, skiing or climbing. When moving your legs, be careful if you are going to twist your back while trying to touch your toes, as this will tighten other muscles, taking the emphasis off the hamstrings.
Functions of the popliteus muscle
The PM assists the flexor muscles of the knee joint.
- When the knee flexes under conditions of an open kinematic chain, the PM rotates the tibia medially.
- Under conditions of a closed kinematic chain, the PM rotates the femur laterally (at the very beginning of knee flexion).
- The PM pulls the lateral meniscus back during knee flexion and therefore prevents injury.
- The PM is often connected to the lateral part of the knee joint capsule. This gives the muscle the ability to stabilize the knee joint in the posterior-lateral part. Krudwig views the TM as an important structure that prevents excessive external rotation of the tibia, even if all posterolateral ligaments are cut.
Avoid harmful movements
Avoid movements that put too much stress on the hamstrings. Steep inclines cause you to lift your legs and bend over when you run, hike, or walk—this is quite normal when your hamstrings are strong and can handle the load, but if they are weak or already overextended, you are at risk for serious injury or recurrence. If you activate your hamstrings and start to experience pain in them, reduce the load or avoid that particular movement altogether. If hamstring injuries begin to plague you frequently, consult a qualified trainer or physician for a biomechanical analysis.
Participation in sports[edit | edit code]
As one of the most important internal rotators of the lower leg, the popliteus muscle plays a large role in the movements of alpine skiing when maneuvering and straightening the skis.
| Kind of sport | Movement/hold | Function | Load | Types of abbreviations |
| Ballet, figure skating | Rack | Support leg stabilization | Strength endurance | Static |
| Skiing | Maneuvering | Internal rotation of the leg | Fast, explosive, strength endurance | Dynamic concentric and static |