Category: Lifestyle

GROIN PAIN

26/2/2020

Do you Suffer from Groin Pain?

Although there are many causes of groin pain one of the most common is a groin strain. This is a layman’s term for a muscle strain of the adductor muscles. A strain can be soreness from unaccustomed exercise or due to damage to the muscle structure including the bony attachment and tendon⁽¹⁾.

For more information on muscle injury classification systems see our earlier blog, here:

https://www.peakmsk.com.au/blog/munich-beerhalls-and-muscles.

The muscles in your groin help bring your legs together, steady the ball in socket position of the hip joint and assist the hamstrings. The most common muscle that gets injured in a groin strain is the adductor longus⁽²⁾. A groin strain usually occurs with high-speed activities such as kicking, change of direction or sprinting. This suggests poor control of you lower body dynamics. That may be a skill or sport specific issue, but usually also includes the body's motor coordination system (motor control) and retraining this is paramount to re-injury prevention.

Groin Pain - Symptoms

• Groin pain and tenderness⁽²⁾

• Pain when stretching the painful leg out to the side⁽²⁾

• Pain when bringing the leg inwards (soccer kick motion) ⁽²⁾

• Difficulty standing, walking or running without groin pain⁽²⁾

Groin Pain - Treatment

After suffering a groin strain, you should immediately follow the P.E.A.C.E. protocol for the first 48 – 72 hrs which stands for protect, elevate, avoid anti-inflammatories, compression and education⁽³⁾. If walking hurts, it is wise to use crutches for a day or more.

Physiotherapy management following a groin strain aims to promote tissue healing, restore movement, maintain or improve pelvic stability, restore muscle balance, prevent further injury, and aid in return to sport⁽⁴⁾.

A graded pain-free rehabilitation program is essential in effectively healing the injured muscle and includes gentle and appropriate exercises to restore hip range of motion and strength⁽²⁾. Exercise is used to remodel the healing scar tissues so that the healing fibre tears are aligned in the direction of movement. This includes reforming and improving your motor control. Click on the link below for a video demonstration on some effective exercises to commence following a groin strain.

References
1. Mueller-Wohlfahrt, H.W., Haensel, L., Mithoefer, K., Ekstrand, J., English, B., McNally, S., Orchard, J., van Dijk, C.N., Kerkhoffs, G.M., Schamasch, P. & Blottner, D. (2013). Terminology and classification of muscle injuries in sport: the Munich consensus statement. Br J Sports Med, 47(6), 342-350.
2. Thorborg K, Reiman MP, Weir A, Kemp JL, Serner A, Mosler AB, HÖlmich P. Clinical Examination, Diagnostic Imaging, and Testing of Athletes With Groin Pain: An Evidence-Based Approach to Effective Management. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(4):239-249.
3. Dubios, B & Esculier, J. Soft tissue injuries simply need PEACE & LOVE. BMJ. 2019:Retrieved from https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2019/04/26/soft-tissue-injuries-simply-need-peace-love/
4. Haroy J, Clarsen B, Wiger EG, et al. The Adductor Strengthening Programme prevents groin problems among male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2019;53:150-157.

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Tablets Down! Is it in the School Bag?

28/1/2017

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The start of the school year heralds much blogging on childhood and adolescent back pain. School bags seem to feature prominently in these. But what is really important for healthy young backs? We will dip into a bit of back ground but then come back to the bag.

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6 tips for sitting through Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

19/12/2015

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The highly anticipated seventh installment of Star Wars will bring over 2 hours of action-packed fun for the family. Trailers have been trickling out for the last couple of months leaving fans itching for its release. I've got my tickets already and have been playing with my figurines for the last month in preparation. I’m all set!

But if you want to stay nimble, agile and healthy like Master Yoda instead of hunched over like Darth Sidious, then here are 6 tips that may help!

Book a centre seat: Not only do you get the best view, but you also wont be spending the whole movie with a twisted or extended neck being too close or too far to side of the of screen!
Preload: Drink and eat adequately. You will need your energy to pay full attention to epic light sabre battles between the Sith and the Jedi. Don’t overload to soon though or you will experience the full power of the force that will likely take you away from the screen.
Wear loose clothing: Master Luke looks pretty relaxed in his Jedi robes. As you grip the seat, the chair or the person next to you in suspense you wont want to be fighting your clothing too!
Arrive early-ish: Undoubtedly the queues will be long and trudging through them will be a bigger battle than Luke Vs Darth Vader. Seriously, who wants to stand in queue for ages getting sore and bored.
Relax: Try not to stiffen up in the chair – relax! Try clenching and relaxing your bottom, or pressing your feet to lift your heels a few times. Let the movie build suspense, not your body!
Light sabres. No amount of physiotherapy can help someone who has been struck down with one of these. Leave them at home.

So there you go! Even if you haven’t just watched all 6 previous episodes in preparation, these tips will ensure that you are nice and comfortable in the cinema enjoying the film to its fullest. So go, have fun and may the force be with you!

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