Ask an Expert: Upper hamstring lower glut

Sports Medicine

Upper hamstring lower glut
03/17/2009

Question:

I have had pain in my Upper Hamstring and Lower Glut on my left side. The pain is constant. It only doesn`t hurt when I do not move and sometimes it is so severe I can`t move it at all. I have been able to run around a little bit and some days are better than others. I though it could be tendonitous but am not sure. I am 6` 8" tall and weigh about 275 pounds. I played basketball all through college. I do not recall when it happened but it has hurt for about a month in a half.

Answer:

Potential pain sources for your persisting symptoms include, among others:

tendinopathy (problem with the tendon) or muscle strain involving the upper portion of your hamstring muscles;
referred pain from your lumbar spine (lower back);
referred pain from your sacroiliac joint (a pelvic joint);
referred pain from your hip joint; and
bursitis beneath your "sit bone" (ischium).
A history and physical examination by your physician, and perhaps also imaging studies, should narrow down the source of your pain, but appropriate treatment needs to also be based on the cause (for example, hamstring pain can be due to overload resulting from imbalances in muscle strength and flexibility within the hip girdle).

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Response by:

Brian L Bowyer, MD
Clinical Associate Professor
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University