Here’s another Blog from a Mississauga Chiropractor…

A groin strain is an injury to the adductor muscles, usually the adductor longus in the femoral triangle at the muscle tendon junction.  Groin strains may also involve the following muscles:  upper part of sartorius, rectus femoris or iliopsoas

 

Demographics:

–         Most often seen in young athletes;

–         Involves 2-5% of all sports related complaints

 

Potential Causes:

1. Overstretched      into hip abduction or hip extension in sports such as:  soccer, football, snow/water skiing, gymnastics, dance or pitching in baseball
2. Ballistic activities – rapid acceleration such as in sprinting, speed skating, hockey, high jump or fencing
3. Kicking such as in soccer, martial arts, dance & gymnastics
4. Rapid stopping & going or directional changes such as in cutting maneuvers in racquet & field sports
5. Overuse activities such as in long distance running, skating, swimming (breaststroke & dolphin kick), gymnastics
6. Weak knee extensors, hip flexors, hip abductors/adductors & gluteus maximus; Tight hamstrings, hip abductors & hip external rotators
7. Sacroiliac, hip, knee & ankle joint dysfunction
8. Worn out or improper shoes or orthotics

 

History:

1. Sudden painful twinge or chronic groin pain usually just distal to pubic tubercle      in femoral triangle; pain with sprinting, cutting, swimming& stretching
2. Limp exacerbated by thigh extension, external rotation or hip abduction

 

Management:

1. Acute:
   1. Rest for 2 weeks, ice the groin area
   2. Avoid heat, vigorous manual therapies
   3. Adjustment or mobilization of back, pelvis & hip as tolerated

 

2. Post-acute:
   1. Alternate hot & cold when swelling & bruising has subsided
   2. Start pain free isometrics, easy walking, cycling, stair climbing, swimming (no breaststroke); long easy warm-up before & ice after exercise

 

3. Recovery:
   1. Deep tissue massage, ART (active release technique)
   2. More aggressive stretching & strengthening (no ballistics unless pain free, 100% flexibility & 90% strength in hip muscles.  Warm-up and heat before activity and ice after activity
   3. Important to strengthen the core trunk muscles (abdominals, back & latissimus dorsi) & all other hip muscles.
   4. Start lunges & side lunges
   5. Sport specific exercises; plyometrics, ballistic, stop & go & proprioceptive drills last (balance board, BOSU ball)

 

Prognosis:

1. Often responds well to conservative treatment & surgery is rarely necessary