A group of muscles at the back of the thigh, which flex the knee and extend the gluteus maximus.
Any of three powerful muscles at the back of the thigh.
The hamstrings are a collection of muscles situated at the rear of the thigh. The upper extremities of these muscles are attached to the pelvis by tendons, while the lower extremities are connected to the tibia and fibula, also known as the hamstrings. These hamstring muscles are responsible for bending the knee and facilitating the backward swing of the leg from the thigh.
Hamstring muscle tears are frequent in sports. This injury occurs abruptly and is associated with intense pain. Bruising in the injured area usually appears a few days after the incident. Constant strenuous exercise could lead to muscle sprains. Many such injuries can often be averted through appropriate warm-up exercises.
Sometimes, painful contractions of the hamstring muscles can occur as a protective reaction to a knee injury. By inhibiting the motion of the injured knee joint, these muscle spasms aid in preventing additional damage.