Question about Hamstrings

[LadyCatherine]

I guess the simplest way to phrase this question is...Can you have tight hamstrings if your pelvis has an anterior tilt?

The reason I'm asking is because I suffer from a horribly tight left hamstring. In a standing straight leg raise test I can probably only lift my leg about 45 degrees before there's a catch up around what feels like my left SI joint. My pelvis however has a 4 degree anterior pelvic tilt. I have no doubt my Psoas is the cause of that, along with weak glute max. So my question is, with this description what is happening with my hamstrings? Are they short and tight (which seems counter intuitive to my Anterior tilt). Could it just be the short head of the biceps femoris is my problem and not the other hip extensor muscles of the hamstrings?

I've tried researching on my own with little luck of a def. answer. I've seen things say yes, stretch those tight hamstrings, and NO! don't stretch them, they're already long and weak and only feel tight because that's what the nerve is mistakenly telling you. So i'm not sure what to believe at this point and would really like to solve this problem cause it is painful and restricting my mobility. I obviously have a poor understanding of how the hamstrings affect the two joints it crosses over, so any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Oh Balls!]

From what you describe your symptoms to be, this sounds like more of an SI issue than a hamstring issue. I would investigate this first. If you get your SI(s) moving better, the hamstring my no longer be a proble.

 

[wella]

how are you quantifying left hamstring tightness? by that i mean, what test are you using to look at its length? sit-and-reach, standing toe touch, lying straight leg raise, etc.....(all test have limitations).

A lot of times i find people who may be tight in a straight leg raise, however it just appears taht way because they have an exaggerated anterior tilt of the pelvis, which is limiting the amount of flexion the hip can get. also, the core may be weak, which means it doesn't fire at the appropriate time to stabilize the pelvis prior to allowing the leg to raise, which limits ROM. In which case, you are dealing with patterning problems and movement impairment issues.

On the standing toe touch test, a lot of times people will cry tight hamstrings, but in reality it is the calves that are tight, and limiting the individuals ability to bend over and bring their fingers to their toes. As they bend forward, the plantar flexors are firing (instead of lengthening) due to chronic over-activity and that limits their ability to bend forward and the hamstrings to shift posteriorly (IE, their are in an anterior loaded position all the time through out the day).

sit and reach test i don't use so much.

as walt said, check your SI mobility and make sure that it is aligned...check alignment at the ankles, knees, ASIS, illiac crest, and PSIS. Also, I check mobility with the standing hip flexion test (moving the ilium on the sacrum and the forward flexion test (moving the sacrum on the ilium).

Good luck!

patrick