Hamstring discomfort during and after exercise is a very common symptom for athletes. Hamstring pain and discomfort can often be caused by excessive exercise, improper training methods, or misuse of the body. In this case study, we present the case of a patient with hamstring pain during running.
Patient’s Situation
This patient (male in his 30s) started having pain in his hamstring tendon after running 2-3 km after completing a full marathon. The cause was that his hip joint and pelvis were not interlocked properly, and he was overstriding with his left leg far forward. This running style placed excessive stress on the hamstrings, and continued running in this state caused inflammation of the hamstring tendons. In addition, his ankles were tight and he was unable to place his weight properly on the center of his feet, which also contributed to the strain on his hamstrings.
Treatment
In the treatment, we first checked the patient’s running form in order to find the cause of the pain. After checking the movement, we practiced how to apply force to use the hip joint while stabilizing the pelvis, utilizing PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) in order to use the hip joint well. PNF is a physiotherapy technique that allows muscles to be used efficiently in movement and is expected to improve body control by moving them in a certain direction (pattern) of movement. In addition, hip manual therapy was also performed to try to produce mobility of the hip joint.
Postoperatively
By the third session after treatment, hip flexibility was virtually unchanged from side to side, and tendon pain had decreased. However, even though the tendon pain itself has decreased, the tendon tissue remains weak (not stronger), so we are currently working on improving the strength of the hamstrings and hip area, trunk stability, as well as ankle flexibility to prevent recurrence of pain and further improve performance.
