Hamstring strains: when to stretch and when not to

Hamstring strains are the injury we see come back most often, and the reason is usually not the first injury. It is what happened in the ten days after it.

The first week

A strained hamstring is a muscle with torn fibres in it. Stretching a fresh tear pulls those fibres apart again. So for the first five to seven days the rule is simple: walk normally as soon as you can, do not stretch, do not sprint, and keep the leg moving through gentle, pain-free range. Ice helps with comfort. Rest helps nothing beyond the first two days.

Week two onwards

This is where the work starts, and it is loading, not stretching. Bridges, then single-leg bridges, then the exercises that lengthen the hamstring under load, the Nordic curl and the single-leg deadlift being the two we use most. They feel like the wrong thing to do to a sore muscle. They are the right thing, and they are what stops it going again.

When to stretch

Once the muscle is strong through its full length, which on our tests is usually three to four weeks in, stretching is fine and can help. It just does not do the job people hope it does, and doing it too early costs more than skipping it altogether.

Why it keeps coming back

Almost always because the athlete went back to sprinting when it stopped hurting, rather than when it was strong. We test hamstring strength on both legs before we clear anyone to sprint, and the numbers, not the pain, make the decision. If yours has gone twice, book an assessment with Daniel or Callum before it goes a third time.