Hamstring Rehab in Columbia, SC: Full Recovery From Strain to Sport

Pulled your hamstring? Whether it happened sprinting, lifting, or slowly over time, proper rehab is the key to avoiding setbacks and returning stronger. At Vertex PT Specialists, we treat hamstring injuries every week at our clinics in Columbia, Cayce, and Irmo—from first-time strains to chronic tendon pain that hasn’t responded to rest.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the exact rehab progression we use in the clinic, with video demonstrations, pain guidelines, and return-to-sport benchmarks.

What Are the Hamstrings?

The hamstrings are a group of three muscles on the back of your thigh:

• Semimembranosus
• Semitendinosus
• Biceps femoris

They help extend the hip and flex the knee. Hamstring injuries typically happen due to eccentric overload (lengthening under tension), especially during sprinting, deceleration, or high-speed lifting.

Common symptoms:

• Sudden pain or “pulling” sensation in the back of the thigh
• Tightness, swelling, or bruising
• Pain with stretching or walking
• Stiff-legged gait

The 6-Phase Rehab Progression We Use at Vertex PT

Step 1: Calm Down the Pain

Goal: Reduce discomfort to improve movement and re-engage the muscle.

Interventions may include:

• Dry needling
• Body tempering
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Foam rolling
• Isometric exercises

Isometric holds are one of the best ways to decrease pain and keep the muscle engaged. Here are two you can try:

Isometric long lever bridge

 

Isometric elevated bridge

Step 2: Bridging Progressions

Once pain improves, we progress to bridging to reintroduce movement without over-lengthening the hamstrings. These build foundational strength across the hip joint without stressing the knee.

Key tip: Move your heels away from your glutes to shift the load to the hamstrings.

Long Lever Bridge to Single Leg Progression

Elevated Bridge to Single Leg Progression

Step 3: Controlled Lengthening & Mobility Work

At this stage, we add exercises that lengthen the hamstrings across both the hip and knee—but in a safe, graded way. Start light, and use reps to build tolerance.

Banded Primer

Hamstring Slider

Step 4: Loaded Eccentrics

This is where real progress happens. Eccentric loading helps rebuild strength and reduce reinjury risk. We teach and load proper hinge mechanics, progressing from bodyweight to heavy compound lifts.

Progressions include:

• Hinge with Dowel (drill technique)
• Goat Bag Hinge
• RDL
• Deadlift
• Single-Leg RDL

Goat Bag Hinge

RDL

Deadlift

SL RDL

Step 5: Plyometrics

Once eccentric loading is tolerated, we increase the speed and reactivity of the hamstring. This is essential for return to sprinting, cutting, or lifting explosively.

Examples:

• Banded Kettlebell Swing
• Russian Kettlebell Swing
• Hamstring Slam
• Hamstring Med Ball Kick

Banded KB swing

Russian KB swing

Hamstring slam

Hamstring Med Ball Kick

Step 6: Sport-Specific Activities

Depending on your goals, we reintroduce:

• Sprinting mechanics
• Agility and change of direction
• Jumping and cutting drills
• Advanced deceleration work

Key Tips for a Full Recovery

Pain Should Be Tolerable—Not Zero

A little discomfort is okay. We aim for pain 3–4/10 or less, and use that to guide loading. If pain increases with each rep or set, modify or regress the movement.

Don’t Rest Completely—Use Relative Rest

Rest doesn’t mean stop training. We encourage patients to stay active with:

• Upper body training
• Cycling
• Squats/lunges within tolerable range
• Daily activity and walking

Avoiding deconditioning is critical to a strong return.

Progress Isn’t Always Linear

You might fly through phases 1–4 in one session, but need to back off the next day. That’s normal. Hold onto the drills that work for you and continue using them for warm-ups and recovery, even after you’re “cleared.”

Every hamstring recovers on its own timeline.

Hamstring Physical Therapy in Columbia, Irmo, and Cayce SC

We treat hamstring strains, chronic tendinopathies, and high-level athletic injuries at all three of our Midlands locations. Every session is 1-on-1 with a Doctor of Physical Therapy—no techs, no fluff.

Ready to Start Real Hamstring Rehab?

Don’t settle for passive care and cookie-cutter plans. Get personalized physical therapy with real results.
Contact Us ​to schedule an appointment today.