Both Uses

hamstrung
in
Before I Fall
(Auto-generated)

Never mind the cramp snaking up my hamstrings and thighs: I've got amazing gossip to spread.†
p. 158.8 *

hamstrings = makes less effective or powerless
I'm not sure my hamstrings or my psyche could take it.†
p. 159.1

Definitions:

(1) (hamstrung as in: hamstrung by excessive rules)
make less effective or powerless

Hamstrung originally referred to cutting of tendons or hind legs of cattle or other animals, so that they could not escape.
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
In addition to using hamstrings in the sense of "making less effective," such as "Their interference hamstrings our progress," in anatomy and sports, hamstrings typically refers to prominent tendons at the back of the knee that attach to the large hamstring muscles which flex the knee. A pulled hamstring is a common athletic injury.