SupremeStretch every day. Still tight?
You've done the toe touches. You've held the stretches. The backs of your legs still feel like guitar strings. If stretching hasn't fixed it, flexibility probably isn't the problem.
Nick Monczakowski 4.9 from 74 Google reviews · 13+ years
Muscle, nerve or old strain?
Hamstrings that stay tight despite stretching usually have one of three causes. None of them is fixed by stretching harder.
Tissue that won't let go
Tightness deep in the muscle and its wrapping that stretching can't reach. Direct hands-on work gets to it.
A sensitive nerve
The sciatic nerve runs right through the back of the thigh. When it's irritated, it feels exactly like a tight hamstring. Nick works this out from how the tissue behaves and treats accordingly.
A strain that never fully healed
Old scar tissue changes how the muscle takes load. The muscle stays guarded and the same spot keeps going.
Tight hamstrings pull on everything.
They tilt your pelvis.
Tight hamstrings tuck the pelvis under. Your lower back flattens and starts to ache.
They load your knee.
The outer hamstring attaches just below the knee. When it's tight, the outside of the knee feels it.
They do your glutes' job.
Sit all day and the glutes switch off. The hamstrings pick up the slack and get overworked.
The whole length, top to bottom.
Biceps femoris
The most commonly restricted hamstring and the usual site of repeat strains. Heavily loaded in runners and cyclists.
Semimembranosus & semitendinosus
Often missed. Tightness here limits bending and adds to inner knee tightness, especially in desk workers.
The sitting bone
Where the hamstrings start. A deep ache here when sitting or on first strides is common in runners and cyclists. Direct work makes a big difference.
Sciatic pathway
When the nerve is part of the problem, treatment targets its path through the buttock and thigh rather than just the muscle.
Hamstring myths. Busted.
“I just need to stretch more.”
Tap to flip →If daily stretching hasn't changed it, more of the same won't. Find out whether it's the tissue, a nerve or an old strain and treat that.
“Tight means short.”
Tap to flip →Often the muscle is a normal length but guarded or irritated. It feels tight because it's protecting itself, not because it's short.
“Once it's healed, it's done.”
Tap to flip →Strains come back when the scar tissue was never properly worked. Treatment between flare-ups is what stops the repeat.
Which one is you?
Runners
The highest-risk group for repeat strains. Treatment between injuries, not just after them, breaks the cycle. Plenty of local club runners manage this through marathon blocks. Massage for runners →
Cyclists
Hours in a shortened position leave the hamstrings tight and weak at once. A deep ache at the sitting bone after a long ride is an early sign.
Desk workers
Sitting all day shortens the hamstrings and switches the glutes off. Tight and under-used at the same time. Massage for desk workers →
Footballers
Sprinting, kicking and stopping hard. The classic setting for a hamstring that keeps going in the same place.
Gym regulars
Deadlifts and squats with hamstrings that never get released. Strong but stiff.
Over-stretchers
Stretching hard every day with no change. A sign the cause is a nerve or old strain, not flexibility.
One hour. Looser legs.
- 01
Talk
Your training, how long you sit and any strains you've had before.
- 02
Assess
Hands-on assessment along the whole hamstring, from the sitting bone to behind the knee, to find whether it's muscle, tissue or nerve.
- 03
Treat
Treatment aimed at the actual cause, which is why it holds when stretching hasn't.
- 04
Plan
Loading and stretching advice that fits your training, plus an honest view on sessions.
Legs that feel lighter.
“I'd been having a few issues with stiffness and general tiredness in my legs. After seeing Nick those aches and pains were long gone!”
Charlie G. · Leg stiffness“I play football and he really helped me with my recovery and making sure my body felt good week after week.”
Joshua · Footballer“Seen a lot of specialist in the time but the way Nick spoke to you and explained the plan he had for as very reassuring.”
Gary · CricketerBefore you book for tight hamstrings.
Why are my hamstrings always tight even though I stretch?
Hamstring tightness that doesn't respond to stretching usually comes from one of three things: an irritated sciatic nerve that feels like tightness, restriction deep in the muscle and its wrapping, or ongoing guarding from an old strain. All three need hands-on treatment rather than more stretching. Stretching helps for a while but doesn't touch the cause.
Can sports massage help recurring hamstring strains?
Yes and this is one of the most useful things it does for runners and footballers. Strains come back because the tissue is never fully restored between episodes. Old scar tissue changes how the muscle takes load and creates a weak point. Treatment between injuries, not just after them, is the best way to break the cycle.
Could my tight hamstrings be neural tension rather than a muscle problem?
Possibly. When the sciatic nerve is irritated along its path through the buttock and thigh, stretching feels exactly like tight hamstrings even when the muscles aren't short. Nick works this out during the session from how the tissue behaves and responds. If the nerve is involved, treatment targets its pathway rather than the muscle.
How many sessions will I need?
Most people notice better range and less background tension after 2 to 3 sessions. For runners with repeat hamstring problems, 4 to 6 sessions alongside simple strengthening work gives the most reliable long-term result. You'll get a specific recommendation after the first session.
When to see your GP first
Call NHS 111 or see your GP before booking if you have hamstring pain with any of these:
- You felt a pop or snap with sudden pain and can't walk normally
- Heavy bruising spreading down the back of your thigh
- Numbness, tingling or weakness down the leg
- Pain alongside lower back pain and changes in bladder or bowel control
Not sure? WhatsApp Nick a quick description first. If massage isn't the right first step, he'll tell you before you book.
Hamstrings are connected.
Stop fighting your hamstrings.
- £80 first session, assessment included
- Mon–Fri 11am–7pm
- Near New Malden station · free street parking
- Personal reply from Nick, usually same day
“Has been great for me not only helping me heal but also helping me to understand how to fix it and how it happened.”