SOMA Living December 2021

FROM THE DOCTOR

DO I HAVE A GROIN PULL?

A pulled groin or better known as a groin strain results from putting too much stress on muscles in your groin and inner thigh. If these muscles are tensed too forcefully or too suddenly, they can get over-stretched or torn. Groin pulls typically happen to people who play sports with a lot of lateral movement, such as soccer and basketball as well as tennis. Another form of this injury can happen when you suddenly jump or change direction. Some of the associated symptoms can be pain and tenderness in the groin and the inside of the thigh, pain when you bring your legs together, pain when you raise your knee and a popping or snapping feeling during the injury followed by severe pain. A patient can typically experience all of these symptoms or just a few however they are all centrally located on the inner thigh going up to the groin. To classify the severity of the groin pull or strain there are 3 categories of strains that a patient can have. 1st degree: Mild pain, but little loss of strength or movement, 2nd degree: Moderate pain, mild to moderate strength loss and some tissue damage and 3rd degree: Severe pain, severe loss of strength and function due to a complete tear of the muscle. With 3rd degree pulls there may be some bruising of the inner thigh. To properly diagnose a strain, an exam is performed by either an MD or a PT however some patients will undergo some form of imaging such as MRI or X-rays to rule out other issues in the area. If this injury is not properly addressed, it can become a more chronic problem and it can become recurrent as well. This is why a proper treatment plan should be developed by a PT and hips and lower back should be screened to rule out muscle imbalances as well as weakness that may be adding to the groin stress. Some patients take 4 to 6 weeks to recover but it all depends on your healing. When your injured side feels as strong and as the pain free side the patient can slowly resume running and jumping in a slow controlled manner. To avoid this injury from happening, the patient should warm up before playing sports which includes stretching out all of the hip muscles and making sure proper footwear is worn. It is advised to slowly increase your sport activities once you are warm and loose. Strengthening muscles in your hips, thighs, and glutes to help with pelvic stability can also help prevent this kind of injury from returning. It is always best to consult with your therapist about your progress and restrictions.

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DECEMBER 2021 | SOMA LIVING 19

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