Groin Injury Management
Groin injury can mean a lot of things
The groin area includes the lower abdominals, the hip, the adductors, the upper thigh, the inguinal region, the perineum and the inner thigh.
It can be a strain, a sprain or a tear. It can be described as tendonosis, tendonopathy, tendinitis, osteitis pubis, athletic pubalgia, sportman’s hernia, or perhaps simply groin pain.
A DIAGNOSIS FROM AN EXPERT CAN DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT IS CAUSING YOUR GROIN PAIN
What sort of people get groin pain?
- Kids from about 5 years up
- Teenagers who can sustain bony injuries
- Footballers with tight groins
- People in their 20s to 40s with early arthritis of the hip
- Women simply from everyday activities
- Women involved in sport especially distance runners
- People with hip arthritis wanting to put off an operation
- People who have had hip or groin surgery
- Tradies with groin pain affecting their work
Why choose us?
Groin injury is an area of special interest for the clinic. Paul Coburn was the Richmond Football Club physio for ten years. Paul Coburn & Tania Pizzari have been involved in AFL research on osteitis pubis. They have presented at scientific conferences, university level post graduate sports medicine courses and spent time with several American Football teams.
What do we do at Mill Park Physiotherapy?
- Give you an accurate diagnosis
- Use soft tissue & manipulative techniques where appropriate
- Use diagnostic ultrasound to correct muscle imbalance
- Provide specific exercises to unload the forces on the groin
- Where appropriate check running technique
- Write specific return to sport programs
- When necessary refer you to the right specialist who understands the type of groin pain you have
Common questions
Do I need a referral?
You do not require a referral to see a physiotherapist.
Will I need surgery anyway?
Usually not. Most patients recover without surgery providing they perform appropriate rehabilitation.
Some people do end up having surgery but even for them it is important to initiate a specific groin exercise program rehabilitation prior to attending surgery. Groin pain causes muscle inhibition that results in loss of muscle bulk. This should be addressed by an appropriate exercise program as soon as possible as it more difficult to restore muscle than maintain it.
Do I need an x-ray taken before I attend?
If you previously have had any investigations, bring them along. Otherwise wait until you have seen the physiotherapist. Different conditions require different scans or tests depending on what your physiotherapist discovers in your assessment.
Five mistakes people make in treating their own groin injury
They stretch
Stretching the adductor muscles may indeed cause the groin pain to worsen due to the unique anatomy of the groin region. There are cases where groin stretching is appropriate however it must be based on the particular injury an individual has sustained.
They strengthen the wrong abdominals
Abdominal strength is indeed important for the rehabilitation of many types of groin pain but performing standard abdominals can actually cause the important muscles to underperform. Abdominal strengthening is a skill that needs to be taught by an experienced practitioner to ensure recovery.
They believe they will make a full recovery simply by resting between seasons
A common occurrence at our clinic is seeing players debilitated by a groin injury in March that occurred in the previous year. The player limps through the last part of the season and expects that rest over Christmas will result in recovery.
By its nature, groin pain usually does not get better with rest. This is because most people’s groin pain results from muscle imbalance. Muscle imbalance does not resolve with rest. It requires specific training.
They don’t maintain their exercises after they return to sport
A number of different types of groin pain will recur after return to activity. It is important that an appropriate maintenance program of exercise is sustained. Your treater should be able to prescribe you with exercises and strategies to perform should your pain return.
They expect surgery will substitute for rehab
The right surgery will have an impact on groin pain but not without the appropriate rehabilitation. Many conditions cannot return without rehab as the causes that resulted in the problem initially have not been addressed. Further to this, progressive loading specific to your condition is essential following a period of groin pain as the general condition of the body region has deteriorated during this time. A successful sustainable recovery requires appropriate rehabilitation