🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉
🗓️ Book a free 20-minute Injury Chat with Brodie 📞
📄Learn more about Brodie's PHT AI Assistant 🔍

In this episode, Brodie breaks down a newly published review paper that takes a deep dive into what’s actually happening inside painful tendons — far beyond the usual “overuse” explanation. You’ll learn how healthy tendons are structured, what changes at a microscopic level when tendinopathy develops, and why pain severity often doesn’t match what shows up on scans. The episode explores how factors like load management, low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, ageing tendon cells, and overall metabolic health all interact to influence tendon pain and recovery.

Brodie also discusses what this emerging science means for real-world rehab — including why rest alone doesn’t work, why exercises sometimes stall progress, and why a more holistic approach is often needed. The episode finishes by looking ahead at future treatment directions, from improved diagnostics to regenerative and molecular therapies, while grounding everything in practical takeaways runners can apply right now. If you’re dealing with persistent tendon pain — especially proximal hamstring or Achilles tendinopathy — this episode will help you understand why recovery can be slow and what actually gives you the best chance of long-term success. 

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉
🗓️ Book a free 20-minute Injury Chat with Brodie 📞
📄Learn more about Brodie's PHT AI Assistant 🔍

In this episode, we break down a brand-new randomized controlled trial comparing individualized physiotherapy with shockwave therapy for proximal hamstring tendinopathy. I walk through how the study was designed, what each treatment involved, and why the results showed no meaningful difference between the two approaches. We also explore the role of education, load management, and compressive tolerance, and what this means for your rehab decisions moving forward. If you’ve ever wondered whether shockwave is worth trying or how it stacks up against a structured strength program, this episode gives you a clear, evidence-based answer.

Paper 1: Physiotherapy Compared With Shockwave Therapy for the Treatment of Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Paper 2: Treatment of Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy with Individualized Physiotherapy: A Clinical Commentary

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉
🗓️ Book a free 20-minute Injury Chat with Brodie 📞
📄Learn more about Brodie's PHT AI Assistant 🔍

For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice.

Research Deep-Dive: Hamstring Strength & Running Biomechanics

This episode reviews the study: “Hamstring Strength and Architectural Properties Are Associated with Running Biomechanics”, including findings from ultrasound imaging, EMG analysis, and 3D running mechanics. 

Key Study Questions

• Do stronger hamstrings create better running mechanics?
• Do better mechanics help build stronger, longer hamstrings?
• How do strength, fascicle length, pelvic position, and muscle activation interact?

🔎 Main Findings From the Study

1. Stronger Hamstrings = Better Running Mechanics

Athletes with higher eccentric hamstring strength had:

• Higher stride frequency (cadence)
• Better control of decelerating the swinging leg
• Lower ground contact time (improved efficiency)
• Lower hamstring activation at sub-max speeds → reduced overload 

2. Longer Hamstring Fascicles = Safer, More Efficient Loading

Runners with longer fascicle lengths showed:

• Less anterior pelvic tilt
• Lower hamstring activation
• Better ability to tolerate late-swing loading (a high-irritation phase for PHT) 

3. A Two-Way Relationship Exists

Strength ↔ mechanics influence each other.

• Stronger hamstrings → better running technique
• Better running technique → better hamstring loading → stronger, longer muscle structure over time
   This creates a positive adaptation loop. 

4. Over-Reliance on the Biceps Femoris = Red Flag

Runners with weak or short hamstrings tended to over-activate the biceps femoris long head — the most common site of PHT.
Stronger runners shared load better with the medial hamstrings, reducing tendon stress. 

🏃 Practical Rehab Takeaways

1. Build Eccentric Strength

Eccentric strength is one of the strongest predictors of hamstring injury risk.
 Examples Brodie recommends:

• Hamstring sliders
• Weighted eccentric sliders
• Single-leg sliders
• Assisted → full Nordic drops
• Deadlifts (when tolerated) 

2. Improve Fascicle Length

Eccentric exercises at long muscle lengths help lengthen fascicles naturally — more so than stretching alone.

3. Strengthen the Medial Hamstrings

To prevent overload of the biceps femoris:

• Use toes-in hamstring curls
• Toes-in sliders
• Toes-in deadlift variations
   These help redistribute load more evenly across the tendon. 

4. Slightly Increase Cadence (~5%)

A small increase in stride frequency may reduce late-swing strain and improve running economy.

5. Integrate Running Into Rehab

Before adding speed:

• Build to 30 minutes continuous, easy running → symptom-free
  Then introduce:
• Strides (15–20 sec at ~75% speed, 4 reps)
• Gradual progression based on symptoms the next day 

Final Thoughts

Hamstring strength, muscle architecture, and running technique are deeply interconnected. Improving one helps improve the others — creating a pathway toward better performance and long-term PHT resilience.

🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉
🗓️ Book a free 20-minute Injury Chat with Brodie 📞

For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice.

Paper Title 1: Porcine Collagen Injection Therapy Affects Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy in Athletes by Reducing Time to Return to Sport
Paper Title 2: Estrogen and progesterone exhibit distinct yet coordinated roles in the regulation of tendon extracellular matrix remodeling 

 🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉
🗓️ Book a free 20-minute Injury Chat with Brodie 📞

For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice.

In this episode, Brodie reviews brand new research exploring patients’ real-life experiences receiving physio-led rehab vs shockwave therapy for proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT). This qualitative study highlights what people found most helpful, frustrating, and effective during rehab—revealing valuable lessons for anyone currently recovering from PHT. Brodie also provides a personal update on his own hamstring rehab and HYROX training progress.

Check out the paper here: Education, rapport and convenience are key to participants’ perceptions of receiving physiotherapy or shockwave for proximal hamstring tendinopathy: a qualitative study

 🎉🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉🎉
For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice. 

 🎉🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉🎉
For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice. 

 🎉🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉🎉
For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice. 

🎉🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉🎉
For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice.

In this episode of the Overcoming PHT Podcast, I dive into a valuable supplemental resource created by researchers at La Trobe University as part of their clinical trials on proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT). This patient education file breaks down everything from diagnosis to discharge advice—and I highlight the key takeaways that can help you better understand and manage your recovery.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

CHECK OUT THE PAPER HERE

• Understanding PHT – what causes it, why tendinopathy is the accepted term, and the typical prognosis.
• Treatment options explained – the pros and cons of rest, injections, surgery, shockwave therapy, and why individualized physiotherapy remains the gold standard.
• The role of strength training – how heavy, slow resistance can improve muscle strength, tendon stiffness, and even brain-muscle connections.
• MRI myths – why structural changes don’t always match up with pain and function.
• Pain monitoring principles – why tendons respond differently, and how to use the 24-hour pain response as a guide.
• Compression and load management – understanding high vs low tendon loads, how sitting and stretching impact PHT, and why gradual reintroduction is key.
• Discharge advice – the importance of ongoing strength work, flare-up management, and avoiding extreme “all or nothing” approaches with sitting and stretching.

Why This Matters

Whether you’re new to PHT or have been struggling for years, this episode gives you a clear, research-backed framework for understanding your pain and making smarter rehab choices. It’s not just my perspective—it’s guidance from some of the leading tendon researchers in the world.

🎉🎉 Sign up for the FREE PHT 5-Day Course HERE 🎉🎉
For ALL Other Resources, Visit the Website proximalhamstringtendinopathy.info
Run Smarter AI Assistant: Access personalized, research-based answers to your running and rehab questions. This tool integrates Brodie’s database of research papers and podcast episodes for tailored advice.

In this episode, Brodie reviews a brand-new 2025 clinical commentary on the treatment of proximal hamstring tendinopathy (PHT) with an individualised physiotherapy approach. The paper, authored by experts including Jill Cook and Aidan Rich, outlines a comprehensive, stage-based rehab protocol grounded in tendinopathy principles and adapted for the unique demands of the hamstring complex.

CHECK OUT THE PAPER HERE

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why recent systematic reviews still show insufficient evidence for one superior PHT treatment.
• The three core pillars of the proposed protocol: education, progressive strengthening, and graded exposure to compressive/sport-specific loads.
• How the five rehab stages work:
  1. Isometrics – for pain relief and warm-up effect.
  2. Isotonics – to build strength and endurance.
  3. Kinetic chain training – targeting glutes, calves, adductors, and lumbopelvic control.
  4. Compressive load reintroduction – safely restoring tolerance to hip flexion positions.
  5. Energy storage/release drills – for athletes with high-speed or power demands.
• The importance of pain monitoring, “hurt vs harm” education, and avoiding rapid spikes in load.
• How to individualise the program based on goals, deconditioning level, and activity demands.
• Practical tips for combining stages, structuring training cycles, and maintaining long-term tendon health.