With the beginning of the spring sports season, comes increased risk of groin injuries. The groin is defined as the area where the thigh and pelvis meet. The adductor muscle group of the thigh is located in the groin region. The adductors are the muscles responsible for pulling the leg toward the body and stabilizing the inner thigh. The specific adductor muscles include he adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, pectineus, and gracilis. When the groin muscles are undertrained or flexibility is poor, the muscles are vulnerable to injury. Direct trauma to the groin and inguinal hernia are other notable types of groin injuries.
Common Groin Injuries
- Groin strain - The most common groin injury is a groin pull or strain. This injury occurs when the muscles in the groin are stretched beyond their normal capacity. This results in microscopic damage to muscle fibers in mild cases, or outright muscle tearing in severe cases. This type of injury occurs most commonly during explosive athletic moves, including sudden starting and stopping.
- Direct trauma – A direct blow to to the groin can result in a focal bruise at the site of trauma, which can be painful, and limit lower extremity function. More severe trauma can cause a fracture of the lower pelvis, or can injure the urinary bladder.
- Hernia – Defined as a defect in the abdominal cavity, hernias or the groin or “inguinal hernias”, involve a defect of the inguinal canal. Inguinal hernias usually occur from repeated increase in abdominal pressure, causing eventual failure of the internal inguinal ring. Inguinal hernias can also occur acutely, with a sudden tear in the inner ring.
Treatment of Groin Injuries
- Groin strain – Treatment of groin strain or groin pull involves the R.I.C.E. regimen – rest, ice, compression and elevation. Anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, can help decrease inflammation in the short term. An athlete with a groin strain should remain at rest until the pain resolves. When returning to full activity, care should be taken to avoid re-injury, particularly in the first one or two weeks.
- Direct trauma – For soft tissue trauma, the R.I.C.E. regimen is appropriate in the short term. For bone injuries, treatment is as directed by a sports medicine physician.
- Hernia – Hernias generally do not heal spontaneously. Most hernias require surgical repair.
Prevention of Groin Injuries
- Groin strain - Prevention of groin strain depends on three factors: strengthening of the adductor muscle group through resistance training, maximizing flexibility by stretching, and proper warm up of the muscle group prior to high level activities.
- Direct trauma - Prevention of direct trauma injuries is difficult, but use of proper protective gear, when available, is helpful.
- Hernia - Prevention of hernia depends on use of proper technique when performing resistance training. Avoiding breath holding when lifting weights is essential. When an athlete holds his/her breath and strains to lift the weight, intra-abdominal pressure is increased (the so-called Valsalva maneuver) , increasing the risk of hernia.
Steven M. Cohen - Dr. Steven Cohen is a practicing physician, specializing in Diagnostic Radiology. Dr. Cohen, a member of the American College of Sports ...
