IF there’s one injury you just can’t predict, it’s a hamstring strain.

Anyone who has ever suffered from one will tell you it feels as though something has “clasped the back of your leg” so tightly that it’s not only impossible to move, but it’s horrendously painful.

Steven Gerrard is the latest victim in the Premier League this week and the former England captain is now likely to be out for two weeks.

As hamstrings strains go, that’s actually pretty mild.

There are different levels of a strain to the hamstring, so let me talk to you about them so you can recognise how long you can expect to be out if it ever happens to you.

Grade 1 tear – this is usually a very minor cramping sensation felt in the hamstring. You know something isn’t quite right, you feel like you can run it off, but every time you do something just “bites”. Then, when you stop, it does too and the pain eventually goes away. The temptation is to always think that with a good night’s sleep, it’ll probably be okay in the morning, but that is rarely the case.

With this type of strain it’s better to be cautious and give it two weeks or so rest and get treatment on it in the form of a massage and stretching. It’s usually okay to keep active by jogging, cycling and swimming, too.

Grade 2 tear – this one hurts! And if you’ve ever ran for a ball or set off to sprint and the back of your leg feels as though a “vice like grip” has took hold then you have probably got a pretty serious strain. It will be painful when you walk and you may even struggle to sleep as the muscle “bites” sharply every time you do.

Expect some form of swelling and bruising to appear in the next few days and at least 3-4 weeks on the sidelines. I’d say this is the most common type of a hamstring strain.

Grade 3 (complete) tear – this one usually requires surgery and you’d find it almost impossible to even hobble or limp, let alone walk if you ruptured the hamstring muscles completely. It’s rare in grassroots sport (it usually happens to athletes running at super high speeds) but it can happen.

The pain will be very similar to that of a grade 2 tear only with this one you’ll see a lot more bleeding and bruising happening inside the muscle and it would never let you walk or run without severe pain. It can take up to three months post surgery to heal.

So there you go, the different types of hamstring strains and how to recognise each one.

I’ve personally suffered with a hamstring strain (type 2) while playing cricket so I know only too well how painful it can be.

Maybe next week I’ll talk you through the precise recover tactics that you should use to recover. Head to my website to get more tips in the mean time: paulgoughphysio.com/sports-injury-clinic