Hamstrings and Balance
Most runners have frequent and recurring hamstring problems. It seems endemic to the sport. And it’s debilitating – if your hamstring is talking to you, then in Bob Dylan’s words, “You Ain’t Going Nowhere.” The anatomy and biomechanics of the lower extremity is complicated. A chart noting interrelated muscular actions in Joseph Hamill’s Biomechanical Basis of Human Movement provides a clear picture of how each muscle, joint, and tendon plays a role in proper movement in running gait. The three hamstring muscles (semimembranosus, biceps femoris, and semitendinosus) form the “meat” of the posterior (backside) thigh. And attached to these three, either directly or indirectly, are about a dozen muscles attaching to the hip and knee. If that isn’t involved enough there are the anterior (frontside) muscles that serve as antagonists to the posterior muscles. For example, the four quadriceps flex the hip while the hamstrings extend it. It’s a beautiful system when it works as designed! But few of us have perfect biomechanics and things happen, the most noteworthy being imbalances. These may be minor, for which we tend to compensate without notice. But over time these imbalances build up and result in some muscles having to work harder than … Continue reading