Hamstrings: More than just a muscle to stretch
We compartmentalize the body for easier understanding of its functions, but when managing muscular pains or stiffness, it is helpful to view it more holistically. With sedentary lifestyles, lower back pains are a common complaint and treatment often targets the area of pain, yet most do not realize that a lot of it stems from hamstring tightness.
The three hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus) all originate from the sitting bones (ischial tuberosity) of the pelvis and insert into areas on the lower leg bones (tibia and fibula). Sitting for extensive periods contracts the hamstrings to some degree and with time tends to result in shortening and decreased flexibility of the hamstrings (Allam et al., 2023).
Because the hamstrings originates from the pelvis, which is a major origin point for many of the back muscles as well, tight hamstrings have a “tug of war” pull on the back muscles which heavily influence the position of the pelvis (Allam et al., 2023). With hamstring muscles also crossing the knee joint, tightness in these muscles can also cause a small but constant amount of knee flexion which puts more pressure on the quad muscles of the thigh. This strain leads to a greater amount of force from various activities to be absorbed by the knee joint which can develop into knee pain (Allam et al., 2023).
Despite how the body is sectioned, it really works as one whole unit and thus other areas can be strengthened to lessen the load on other muscles that have been compensating for a lack of stability. Adequately strong glutes, spine and core are responsible for stabilizing the pelvis and carrying out movements of the hip such as extension and flexion. When these are weak, however, due to the hamstring’s connection to the pelvis, they often compensate for this weakness by contracting constantly even if you are not consciously doing so. Engaging in activities such as Pilates that focuses on developing core, spinal, and glute strength, as well as pelvic stability would be beneficial to lessen the load and work required by your hamstrings.
To learn more on hamstring tightness and its connection to back flexibility, visit Allam, Nesma M., et al. ‘The Association of Hamstring Tightness with Lumbar Lordosis and Trunk Flexibility in Healthy Individuals: Gender Analysis’. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, vol. 11, Sept. 2023, p. 1225973. PubMed Central, https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1225973.
Joyce-Rose Lee | Student Intern
Medical Sciences BSc/Psychology Minor and Co-Curricular Med Plus IV at Brock University