I pulled my hamstring while playing soccer. How long will it take to heal?
Q. I am a 22-year-old soccer player who felt a pulling sensation high up in the back of my left thigh while playing soccer last weekend. I went to an urgent care center where they told me I had a pulled hamstring muscle and that if it wasn’t better in a few days, I should see an orthopedic surgeon. It is still painful and weak. How long will it take to heal and do I need to see the orthopedic surgeon?
A. The hamstring muscles run along the back of the thigh. Their function is to flex the knee and extend the hip. Injuries to these muscles are common in track, soccer, football, running and basketball. A hamstring muscle tear can occur anywhere along the course of the muscle from the pelvis to the knee.
Muscle injuries can be minor, such as a grade one or micro tear. Grade 2 injuries are partial tears of the muscle. A severe muscle tear is considered a grade 3 injury.
The location of the hamstring tear combined with the degree of muscle tearing determines how long the injury will take to heal. Grade one injuries in the middle of the muscle may take a week or two to heal. Grade three injuries sometimes take a couple of months for the athlete to return to high-level sports. Most hamstring injuries will recover with a physical therapy program aimed at regaining motion, restoring flexibility and strengthening.
High hamstring injuries, where the hamstring is torn from the pelvis, may require surgery to fix. I recommend you see an orthopedic surgeon to diagnosis the extent of the injury and work towards a successful return to soccer.
Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and director of Miami Sports Medicine Fellowship, Doctors Hospital. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 12:14 PM.