Hamstring pain is one of the most common injuries around the world, and it affects both athletes and sedentary people.

When it comes to hamstring tendinopathy treatment, you might picture the classic bent-over stretch with the leg straight out in front of the body, or a person lying on their back, trying to get their leg over their head.

However, stretching can only do so much for chronic hamstring tightness, especially for the long-term.

The causes of hamstring pain can vary, but one of the most frequent is chronic proximal hamstring tendinopathy — an overuse syndrome that leads to deep posterior hip and buttock pain.

It is often worsened by prolonged sitting or repetition (such as biking or running). This can be debilitating because it affects the patient’s ability to walk, sit, or even lie down. No position is comfortable.

When hamstring pain does not improve with time, some turn to surgery. However, there is another treatment method that can be just as effective and is non-invasive: shockwave therapy.

Shockwave Therapy for Chronic Hamstring Pain

When hamstring pain is chronic (typically defined as ongoing for six months or longer) and traditional treatment isn’t working, shockwave therapy can be most effective.

In the 2011 study, Shockwave Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy in Professional Athletes, 40 professional athletes with chronic proximal hamstring tendinopathy were randomly assigned to try shockwave therapy or traditional treatment.

Three months after treatment began, the shockwave group had their VAS scores lowered from 7 to 2, whereas the traditional group’s VAS only went from 7 to 5. The NPRS score went from 6 to 2 in the shockwave group, and 6 to 5 in the traditional group. 17 of the 20 patients in the shockwave group had pain reduced by at least 50%, compared to only two in the traditional group.

In conclusion, the study found that shockwave therapy is a safe and effective treatment for patients with chronic proximal hamstring tendinopathy.

Lasting Results

Another study, published in 2017, found that shockwave therapy and stretching paired together reduced hamstring tightness in healthy adults and maintained the relief significantly after four weeks.

After only one-to-two shockwave sessions, many patients report complete pain relief or significant pain reduction. The therapy eliminates pain or restores full mobility, thus improving quality of life.

Because it’s non-invasive, it gets athletes back to sport sooner and with less potential for recovery complications.

Discover the Power of Shockwave

Try out shockwave therapy for hamstring tendinopathies for yourself. Shockwave Canada is an authorized distributor of Storz Medical shockwave therapy machines. These can add huge value to your clinic and get patients back to health sooner.

Learn more or schedule a demo today.

Suffering from hamstring pain? Suffer no longer. Get in touch to find a shockwave practitioner near you.

Have you ever used shockwave therapy for treating hamstring pain? What was your experience like? Share with us on social media. Shockwave Canada is on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.