What is it?

The most common cause of hamstring tendon inflammation is overuse. It results from repetitive stress placed on your hamstring muscles and tendons during active sports (especially when running, kicking, jumping, or quick "start/stop" motions); your hamstrings will tighten to prevent your body from falling forward which results in a pulled tendon. Overloading or overexerting yourself by doing too much too soon, and too quickly can also be a cause. This sudden increase in the intensity and frequency of participation after being inactive for a while makes you susceptible to tendonitis. Other causes include: alignment issues (overpronation) and leg length discrepancies, which affect the way you walk, as well as strength differences in your muscles, lack of exercise and obesity, age-related weaknesses and/or degeneration.

Possible Symptoms:

Pain and tenderness in and around the back of your knee, discomfort in your knee and hip when you bend your leg or squat against resistance, or when you straighten your leg and extend your hip, because these tendons are forced to stretch. This pain often develops slowly and becomes more painful when overexerting oneself or after exercise. You may also experience pain with prolonged sitting.

Decreased mobility and stiffness in your hip or knee during and after exercise can be experienced, especially at night. If allowed to progress, you may start to experience stiffness at rest.

Weakness in your hamstring muscles and tendons can also be experienced that makes it difficult for you to walk or run and can result in you walking with a limp/impaired gait.