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Groin Injury
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Hi everyone Was wondering does anyone have any advice or go through something similar so I might know how it's all going to turnout. Here's my experience to date: 68 days ago I engaged in a tough cardio session involving sprints etc. I had had an underlying groin injury for a few months prior to this that was getting steadily worse but not enough to stop me doing anything. After the session I had a sharp pain in my left groin area. I rested for two weeks and was still there. Went to physio who told me to rest for another 4 weeks which I did. Went to specialist, got MRI and a cortisone jab. Specialist said it was rectus abdominus. Went back to physio who has given me certain core (lower 6-pack) exercises. Pain is very dull now. Am really hoping to avoid surgery but am advised that this might drag on for years and it's better to just sort out now under the knife? Any thoughts or anyone have similar experience who ended up getting better? Am going mad not being able to run. Can cycle but find it boring! Thanks My history running history is 10 years with no groin problems. I am 33 and would run 2-3 week.
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I have had the very same type of issue, couldn't say so medically as it still is not accurately diagnosed, but I did the 70 mile Wall run in June and limped on blisters for a week afterwards, and found I had groin problems when the initial pain went, and ever since.
I have also taken to biking instead of running, Yoga and Pilates.
In the last month I've given up on any running and stuck to the bike, one day limping one day good, and it's finally coming right to the point I could run again (6 miles in 12 weeks!) but I'm holding out for another 2 weeks before trying it out slowly.
I avoided the cortisone offer and stuck to Ibruprofen and stretching, but boring as it is, biking is the best cure, I'm 53 and before this would run maybe 90-100 miles per month. You're right about one thing I'm going mad not running as well
I quite often get groin pain- not sure if its the same as what you have but it is to do with pushing things that little bit extra and the pain can remain for weeks and even months.
I've no one cure but many little things help. Stretching post warm up (or exercise) helps, static stretching post-exercise, dynamic stretching pre-exercise, aim to hold stretches for 1 second per 1 minute run.
Others also swear by a foam roller- your looking at stretching and massaging the area around your quads and your buttock, its these areas which have become tighter and have pushed the emphasis onto your groin.
Three stretching which have helped me:
Pidgeon pose (a yoga pose) see if you can lean fowards as much as possible.
Quad stretch but with your bent knee on the ground, heel touching or as close as possible to your bottom, front leg bent in a lunge and lean forwards until your backwards-bent leg feels the stretch in your groin area. Hold as long as you need to relax the stretch.
Third stretch would be a normal calf stretch, (one knee bent, heel touching bottom and both knees level and touching, don't be tempted to cock one leg to the side or to push one leg backwards or forwards) flex your foot at the ankle to intensify the stretch.
No doubt there are other stretches and other techniques and if you can afford one a proper physio and sports massage will no doubt do amazing things but these (above) are what I've found have helped me and don't cost anything. Just remember to warm up fully before any static stretches.
Thanks for the replies.
Latest is: still heavily involved with physio. Two weeks of stomach crunches and now doing two weeks of lunges. Will hopefully be back running soon; this is next stage of pysio. Pain largely gone but still feel a very dull pain when sitting. Am so afraid it will come bak when I get into running again! Damn you stupid rectus abdominus - sounds like a Transformer!
Sounds like your doing the right thing though- if the origin of the problem isn't dealt with it will come back as you fear, but the fact your doing something and working on building up the muscles which it sounds like have weakened (those in your core and quads) which should mean that once you pick up running again your less likely to have the problem come back.
Your physio should be able to help you but one important thing to work in is teaching your body to use the correct muscles when you do run as with some people your body can just prefer using certain muscles even if they are weaker just because this is what its used to or the way you hold yourself/posture.
Hey Steve,
How do you warm up before a run? All my life I've followed the advice I had as a youngster - to thoroughly stretch before exercise.
Then I did a course with UK Athletics... and they told me I was doing it wrong, and that I should do dynamic warm ups, without stretching. I followed this advice, and within 1-2 weeks, a dull nagging groins strain pain, that had been hanging around for 4 months suddenly went. As I'd previously had a similar injury when younger, that took a year to go away, I'd been expecting it to hang around for many more months... certainly until after my marathon, when I could finally rest it properly.
I can't say for sure that it's the change in warm up routine that did the trick, but if you stretch before exercise, then it might be worth a try. I can give you a few more details if this sounds like a possibility.
Yes, I always stretched before running but I guess I didn't warm up...what's involved with dynamically warming up?
Thx
Dynamic Warm-up:
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Before-You-Run-The-Dynamic-Warm-Up.htm (for the background)
Basicly its about mobilisation. Swinging your leg back and straight ahead making the swings or kicks as high as you can without losing form in your upper body.
A dynamic stretch on your upper body could be swinging your arm sideways outwards and then bending your elbow so your forearm and hand swing close to your chest.
I think theres probably a dynamic stretch to every part of your body and its important to remember it is a warm up and to start of small and slow, then to build up speed and how far your range of movement is.
If you look through YouTube there are many many videos, it could be worth looking for exercise specific dynamic stretches. Just remember to use a pinch of common sense whenever following anything on there!
Hi everyone
I started running gently in December and began full training for half marathon in April this year. Pain was very dull and went away usually after 3km. By May was back playing tennis - the most minor of pain. Happy to say as of July it feels 100%.
Moral of story is groins take a long time to heal but you need to be patient. Worth avoiding surgery I think - but hard to understand when you're not injured. This groin, for the record, took a full 12 months to be back 100%.
cheers