The Hidden Link: How weak hamstrings and glutes compromise your ACL

If you've ever had an ACL injury, or know someone who has, you probably know how frustrating and painful it can be. ACL tears are one of the most common sports injuries out there, and they don’t just happen to elite athletes. The surprising part? The cause isn’t always where the pain is.

At our Myotherapy clinic, we often see people who think their knee injury came out of nowhere. But more often than not, it’s been building up for a while, thanks to weak or underactive hamstrings and glutes.

Let’s break it down in simple terms.

So, What Exactly Does the ACL Do?

The ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) is one of the main ligaments inside your knee. It keeps your shin bone from sliding too far forward and helps control twisting or pivoting movements, like when you suddenly change direction during a game or land after a jump.

When this ligament is overstressed, it can tear. And trust us, it’s not fun. Surgery, rehab, and time off sport are all likely to follow.

Anterior View of Right Knee

The Real Issue: Weak Hamstrings and Glutes

We’re going to let you in on a not-so-obvious truth: a lot of ACL injuries are related to muscle imbalances elsewhere in the body, especially in the hamstrings and glutes.

The Hamstring’s Job

Your hamstrings sit at the back of your thigh and help bend your knee and extend your hip. They also help prevent the shin from moving too far forward, a job they share with the ACL.

When your hamstrings are weak or slow to activate, they can’t help out properly, so the ACL ends up doing all the heavy lifting. That’s a recipe for trouble, especially during high-intensity moves like jumping, sprinting, or stopping suddenly.

The Power of the Glutes

The glutes (especially the Gluteus Maximus and Gluteus Medius) are major stabilisers. They keep your hips steady and help prevent your knees from caving inward, a movement called knee valgus. This inward collapse puts a lot of strain on the ACL, and it’s one of the biggest red flags for injury.

If your glutes are lazy or weak, your knees don’t stay in proper alignment during movement. That’s when the ACL is forced to deal with abnormal pressure and twisting, leading to tears over time, or even in a split second.

Bonus Problem: Quad Dominance

A lot of people, especially those who spend a lot of time sitting, are quad-dominant, meaning their front thigh muscles do most of the work. This adds more forward pull on the knee, again putting the ACL in the firing line. Without strong hamstrings and glutes to balance things out, your knees are basically set up for failure.

Anterior View of Right Knee Illustrating Complete Tear of the ACL

How Essbee Myotherapy can help

This is where we come in.

Our goal is to treat the real problem, not just the symptoms. When it comes to preventing or recovering from ACL injuries, we:

• Do movement and posture assessments to see what’s working (and what’s not)

• Use hands-on techniques to release tight or overworked muscles

• Work on activating and strengthening your glutes and hamstrings properly

• Give you a personalised exercise plan to improve strength, control, and coordination

Bottom Line: Strong Glutes and Hammies = Happy Knees

If you want to keep your knees healthy, your first step should be to check in with your glutes and hamstrings. These muscles are your ACL’s support crew, and when they’re not doing their job, the ligament takes the hit.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, playing sports, or just want to move better, getting on top of these muscle imbalances can make a huge difference.

Need help getting those muscles firing again?

Book in for a session at our clinic. We’ll help you figure out exactly what’s going on and get you moving pain-free.