Back of thigh pain??

[lgb0250]

I'm a 58 yr old male and my main form of exercise is playing golf. Two nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night with a severe cramping to my right leg. The cramp was high up in the back of the thigh and moves down to the middle of the thigh. Eventually I got it to go away and was able to return to sleep.

Played golf yesterday and wasn't sure I was going to be able to finish because of the pain. Didn't really hurt to walk. The pain really came on the follow through to my golf swing.

Got up today and the pain is greater. Went to the golf range and just chipped for awhile with no pain. Decided to try the driver and the pain was almost unbearable.

Came home and iced my leg down. I can sit in my easy chair with the footrest up with no pain but when I try to bend over I can feel the back of my thigh tightening up quickly.

Does this sound like a hamstring bruise or possible tear? If so can I just put an ace bandage on it and work through the pain? Will it eventually heal itself or do I really need to see a doctor? Thanks in advance.

[Heidi]

Hi, You shouldn't ever work through pain. Pain is there for a reason, telling you something is not right.

I suspect your hamstring pain may be related to the sciatic nerve. This nerve is the main one in the upper leg and passes from the lower spine, through the buttocks and down the hamstrings.

The most usual causes of sciatic pain are chronic muscle tightness or lumbar disc herniation. I think as your pain is not present during walking and smaller golf swings it is more likely to be muscle related.

Have a look at this page to find out more:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/back/buttocks/piriformis.htm

Although it says pain in the buttocks this can be lower down and radiate into the hamstrings.

My advise would be to start with a stretching program, concentrating on the hamstrings and buttock muscles. Have a look at our stretching pages for ideas:

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/stretching/allstretches.php

Hold each stretch for 30 seconds, gradually increasing the depth of the stretch. Repeat this three times a day.

I would also recommend some sports massage treatment to really loosen off the involved muscles. If after 2-3 weeks of continuous stretching and a couple of massage treatments there is no improvement, visit your Doctor.

Good luck!