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How to Get rid of hamstring cramps: pressure points & Stretches
Body Part:
Leg
Equipment:
Mini Foam Roller, Stretching Strap, Osteopressure Tool
Level:
Intermediate
You’re in a sleep so deep and luxurious it feels like your pillow has cast a spell. Ah, sweet slumber. Suddenly — ouch! A searing pain in the back of your leg jolts you awake. What’s that? A hamstring cramp, that’s what. The spell breaks. You sit up. You grab the back of your thigh. You’re wide awake at an hour when you should be halfway through your forty winks. You punch your pillow.
Unfortunately, this is the most common time for hamstring cramps to strike: when you’re asleep. But it’s not just sleepers who suffer. Professional athletes and dedicated exercisers can fall prey to these nasty knots when they’re awake. If hamstring cramps are killing your shut-eye, ruining your run, or putting the kibosh on your workout, our pressure point therapy and stretches for hamstring cramps can help. You’ll need our Mini Foam Roller, Stretching Strap and the spherical handle from our Osteopressure tool set with the pointed attachment for the routine. If you’re the sporty type, using our program as a warm-up can help prevent hamstring cramps. Jump to our routine to untie the knot, or keep reading to learn more about hamstring cramps.
What are the Hamstrings?
Your hamstrings are a group of three muscles (the bicep femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus) at the back of your thigh. The hamstring muscles begin at your hip, travel down your thigh, and insert into your knee joint. The hamstrings are set in motion when you flex your knee or extend or rotate your hip. This trio of muscles helps you walk, run, squat, climb, and dance.
What is a Muscle Cramp?
A muscle cramp is an involuntary contraction or spasm of the muscle. Also known as a charley horse, muscle cramps are sneaky; they happen suddenly and unexpectedly. When a hamstring muscle contracts, you’ll feel a mild muscle tightness at the back of your leg, followed by a sharp pain. The muscle may feel like a stiff knot under your skin. Hamstring cramps can last up to 10 minutes; afterwards, the area may feel tender.
What Causes Hamstring Cramps?
Hamstring cramps might suddenly turn up because:
- You’re dehydrated. If you are physically active (especially outside when it’s hot) and don’t drink enough H2O, you’re not replacing all the electrolytes you’re sweating out. Losing electrolytes can make your nerves overly sensitive and cause muscle cramping.
- You’ve strained a muscle. If you don’t warm up properly before exercising or playing a sport, or you overdo a physical activity, you’re at risk of muscle strain. Tight muscles are susceptible to cramping.
- You’re mineral deficient. You might be hit with a hamstring cramp if you aren’t getting enough calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Additional risk factors are:
- Age. As we get on in years, we lose muscle mass. Muscles stress more easily in our golden years.
- Certain health conditions. You may get hamstring cramps if you have diabetes, thyroid or liver disorders, or nerve compression.
- Pregnancy. Leg cramps are common among people who are pregnant. 1)
Sometimes, what brings on these cramps that cramp your style is a complete mystery.
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Take me to the shop.Step 1 — Sitting Hamstring & Calf Stretch
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
- Pull your legs toward you from your heels until they’re bent at a 90° angle.
- Grab the ball of your foot of the affected leg and pull it back as far as you can.
- Hold for about 30 seconds.
- Release.
- Place the Stretching Strap around the ball of your foot.
- Pull the Stretching Strap back and slowly extend your leg until your knee is locked.
- Place the Mini Foam Roller under your heel.
- You’ll feel a stretch in your hamstring and calf muscles.
- On each exhale, intensify the stretch by pulling your foot further back. Make sure your back is straight.
- Hold for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- Slowly release your foot.
- Repeat on the other leg if necessary.
Step 2 — osteopressure for the knee
Part 1
- Straighten both legs.
- Press your fingers along the outside of your affected leg next to your knee.
- Move your fingers down until you feel a broad bone.
- Press the spherical handle against the bone.
- Press for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- When the pressure decreases, increase or press the bone from a slightly different angle.
- Finish.
Part 2
- Press along the inside of your leg next to your knee.
- Move your fingers down until you feel a broad bone.
- Press the spherical handle directly onto the bone.
- Press for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- When you feel the pressure decrease, increase or alter the angle slightly.
- Repeat parts 1 and 2 on the other leg if necessary.
Step 3 — lower leg stretch
- Get down on your hands and knees.
- Press your shins and the tops of your feet against the floor.
- Sit back on your heels.
- Hold for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
Don’t sit back on your heels if this position hurts your knees. Bring your buttocks as far back as you can and press your heels with your hands so the tops of your feet are flat against the floor.
Step 4 — standing hamstring stretch
Part 1
- Stand up.
- Step forward with your left leg.
- Point your right foot forward and bend both knees until you feel a stretch through your right calf and into your ankle.
- Be careful not to move your hips. Your thigh should form a straight line with your trunk.
- Hold for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
Part 2
- Straighten your right leg.
- Move your hips forward and down until you feel a stretch down the back of your leg.
- On each exhale, intensify the stretch by moving your hips further forward and down.
- When the stretch reaches peak intensity, hold for 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- Finish.
- Repeat both parts of the stretch on the other leg.
Recommendation for Our Exercises
If you get hamstring cramps regularly, do our exercises 6 days a week and leave one day for rest. If you exercise regularly, or your hobby requires a lot of physical activity, use our routine as a warm-up before you get your muscles moving.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Luo, L., Zhou, K., Zhang, J., Xu, L., & Yin, W. (2020). Interventions for leg cramps in pregnancy. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 12(12), CD010655. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010655.pub3.
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