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:
- Overstretched into hip abduction or hip extension in sports such as: soccer, football, snow/water skiing, gymnastics, dance or pitching in baseball
- Ballistic activities – rapid acceleration such as in sprinting, speed skating, hockey, high jump or fencing
- Kicking such as in soccer, martial arts, dance & gymnastics
- Rapid stopping & going or directional changes such as in cutting maneuvers in racquet & field sports
- Overuse activities such as in long distance running, skating, swimming (breaststroke & dolphin kick), gymnastics
- Weak knee extensors, hip flexors, hip abductors/adductors & gluteus maximus; Tight hamstrings, hip abductors & hip external rotators
- Sacroiliac, hip, knee & ankle joint dysfunction
- Worn out or improper shoes or orthotics
History:
- Sudden painful twinge or chronic groin pain usually just distal to pubic tubercle in femoral triangle; pain with sprinting, cutting, swimming& stretching
- Limp exacerbated by thigh extension, external rotation or hip abduction
Management:
- Acute:
- Rest for 2 weeks, ice the groin area
- Avoid heat, vigorous manual therapies
- Adjustment or mobilization of back, pelvis & hip as tolerated
- Post-acute:
- Alternate hot & cold when swelling & bruising has subsided
- Start pain free isometrics, easy walking, cycling, stair climbing, swimming (no breaststroke); long easy warm-up before & ice after exercise
- Recovery:
- Deep tissue massage, ART (active release technique)
- 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
- Important to strengthen the core trunk muscles (abdominals, back & latissimus dorsi) & all other hip muscles.
- Start lunges & side lunges
- Sport specific exercises; plyometrics, ballistic, stop & go & proprioceptive drills last (balance board, BOSU ball)
Prognosis:
- Often responds well to conservative treatment & surgery is rarely necessary
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