That sharp, deep ache right under your bottom, or at the back of your knee, is probably Hamstring Tendinopathy. This common issue makes fast movements feel risky and painful. It affects everything from pushing off to sprint to simply sitting for long periods.
This frustrating pain does not have to be a permanent barrier to your activity. Sports therapy offers clear, focused support to resolve the underlying issue.
We concentrate on rebuilding the strength and capacity of your hamstring tendons so you can move powerfully and confidently again.
The hamstrings are a group of three muscles running down the back of your thigh. They attach via strong tendons either to the base of the pelvis or just behind the knee joint. These muscles are vital for running, jumping, and bending your knee.
Tendinopathy occurs when these tendons are repeatedly overloaded without enough time to recover and adapt. The tissue structure becomes sensitive and disorganised which reduces the tendon’s ability to handle high forces efficiently.
The location of the pain helps identify which tendon is affected. Pain high up under the gluteal fold is often proximal tendinopathy. Pain behind the knee is often distal tendinopathy. Understanding the location guides the treatment plan.
Hamstring tendinopathy is very common in sports that involve high-speed movements. Sprinting, football, and kicking activities place massive, eccentric demands on the hamstring muscles and tendons. Eccentric contractions involve lengthening the muscle while it is under tension.
The injury often happens when athletes suddenly increase their training volume or intensity. Running faster or adding high-volume kicking drills without preparation can overwhelm the tendon. The load exceeds the tendon’s capacity to cope.
Even simple actions like quickly bending over or performing deep squats can contribute to the strain. Treatment involves identifying which daily movements or drills are contributing the most load to the sensitive area.
The health of your hamstring tendons relies heavily on the strength and balance of the surrounding muscles. Tightness in the hamstrings themselves can place excessive strain on the tendon attachment points. This constant mechanical pull causes chronic irritation.
We also look closely at your gluteal muscles, or glutes. If these are weak or slow to activate, the hamstrings are forced to compensate. They work harder than they should to control the hip and pelvis during movement. This leads to overuse.
Sports therapy assesses the coordination between the hips and the hamstrings. Addressing this imbalance is key to ensuring the load is shared effectively. This reduces the primary stress on the hamstring tendons.
Sports therapy provides a comprehensive approach, combining hands-on techniques with targeted exercise. The tendons need the right type of load to adapt and heal, not complete rest.
Manual techniques like Sports Massage (including Deep Tissue and Hot Stone) are used to reduce tightness in the gluteal and thigh muscles. This helps relieve the excessive pull on the sensitive tendons.
Acupuncture can be used to manage deep hip pain, and Cupping may be applied to the glutes to relieve tension.
For chronic tendon irritation, Shockwave Therapy is often highly effective. Ultrasound Therapy can also be used locally. We support the core strengthening with Kinesiology Taping for positional awareness. The entire recovery is guided by a Tailored Rehab programme and advice on supportive Supplements.
For persistent or high-grade cases of hamstring pain, particularly proximal hamstring tendinopathy (high in the gluteal fold), Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) is a key intervention.
The deep location of the hamstring origin often means poor blood flow, hindering natural healing. ESWT delivers focused, high-energy acoustic pulses directly to the tendon’s attachment site on the ischial tuberosity.
This intense mechanical stimulus is uniquely effective here as it forces the deep tissue out of its non-healing state, actively breaking down scar tissue and reducing the localised pain sensitivity.
Crucially, the treatment stimulates cellular remodelling, encouraging the regeneration of organised collagen fibres, which is vital for the tendon to safely tolerate the high tensile forces involved in sprinting and dynamic activity.
Returning to high-speed and high-force activities requires a meticulous, phased approach. Your therapist will guide you through a deliberate progression back to full sport. We ensure the tendon is ready for the intense demands of sprinting and kicking.
Early recovery focuses on strength training that is low on speed and high on control. We then gradually introduce controlled speed drills and low-level running. This teaches the tendon to tolerate the force-velocity relationship needed for sprinting.
We help you manage training volume and intensity carefully. Learning to grade your exposure to speed prevents painful setbacks. This phased approach restores not just function, but also confidence in your fastest movements.
Hamstring Tendinopathy can make your leg feel unreliable during speed and power demands. But your hamstrings are designed to be resilient, powerful, and fast. They just need the right structure to regain their confidence.
Sports therapy provides the expertise to address the imbalance, ease the tension, and guide the strengthening process.
It is about returning to a place where sprinting, kicking, and pushing off feel natural and pain-free. If hamstring pain is limiting your performance, let us help you build lasting resilience.
