Hamstring pain is a common issue that can significantly affect your mobility and overall quality of life.
This article is all about what I have learned about getting rid of hamstring tension, trigger points and creating a plan for making long-term changes.
Jump to:
Understanding Hamstring Pain
Hamstring pain can manifest in many ways. I cover this in depth in my “What causes hamstring tightness” article. Here are the main ways your hamstrings will tighten:
- A sedentary lifestyle
- Overuse or repetitive strain
- Inadequate warm-ups
Other small things like previous injuries, poor posture and not recovering enough will create imbalances that put extra stress on the hamstrings or nearby muscles and joints.
Learn more about the pain referral patterns related to the hamstrings or specifically how back pain and knee pain are caused by tight hamstrings.
But for now, let’s look at thow to fix your hamstrings now.
Immediate Hamstring Relief Techniques
Fast relief is only possible with immediate action. Doing a 5-10 minute deep stretch or trigger point session is how I would immediately get rid of tension in any area of my body.
Here’s how I would do a quick deep stretch on the hamstrings.
First, choose a hamstring stretch that feels right for your flexibility level using my hamstring stretch guide.
Then sink into that stretch for 5 deep breaths.
Pro tip: Each breath you take, allow your body to sink in a little deeper to the stretch.
After 5 breaths, switch legs and repeat 3-5 times on each side.
If you do 5 breaths on each side for three rounds and you let your body relax after each breath, your hamstring tension will be gone for several days, depending on your tension level and specific issues.
Many people also like to incorporate:
- Ice
- Heat packs
- Topical creams
- Professional massage
Another immediate option is a hamstring trigger point session.
I outline this in detail in this trigger point article because this technique has been the most transformative exercise for fixing my hamstrings.
Long-Term Fixes for Your Hamstrings
Most people can’t stay consistent with new habits.
When it comes to the body, many people will feel relief from short-term fixes and assume they don’t need to stretch anymore.
That is ridiculous and it makes me want to smack my head against a wall.
If you are reading this, you are probably somebody who wants to change and have good results for the rest of your life (and back it up with action).
Here’s how:
First of all, don’t trust everything you read on the internet. Not even me.
Test out the strategies for yourself and find what is sustainable for you.
My Recommendations
I stretch daily, so that I don’t have to deal with pain. Every night before bed I do at least one round of stretches that maintain my current mobility and once or twice a week I do a deep stretch and trigger point session.
You don’t have to be like me, but you do need to do enough to see changes.
And making changes is a big undertaking that takes a lot of effort.
Maintaining requires very little effort.
I also recommend learning strength exercises that integrate more mobility into your life. For now, I recommend knees over toes guy.
Eventually, I will have pages that go over my favorite exercises. Until then, just keep learning and find your ideal practice.
When to Seek Help
If a week or two of intense body work doesn’t improve your situation, you probably have a deeper problem that will require professional treatments.
Please speak with your doctor to see whether you need physical therapy, chiropractic care, or specialized massage therapy to find the root cause of your pain.
Then, when you have it under control, come back here to maintain your “brand new” body with my Ultimate Guide to Stretching and my Ultimate Guide to Trigger Point Therapy!
What’s Next
People tend to neglect their hamstrings even though these muscles do so much and can be the cause of many joint problems.
Experiment with the methods I talked about above, track your progress and adjust your routine as needed to get where you want to be.
For further insights and detailed techniques, be sure to explore my Ultimate guides and other articles to learn more.
As always, ask any questions below in the comments and I will get you what you need!
Good luck!
-Nick