Adductor pain still an issue after Sports Hernia surgery

Brian,

How long ago did you have the surgery and did you have an adductor release with it? Who did the surgery - Meyers?

I had the surgery 2.5 years ago and I still occasionally get adductor pain/stiffness. It flairs up from time to time, but it does not inhibit me from training and racing as much as I want. I'm convinced it's not muscular pain but actually a nerve that gets aggravated.

I had the surgery on July 7th and started back running some 16 days later (I was walking and cycling a bit sooner). I didn't have th adductor release. I had the surgical mesh repair with a surgeon in Lincoln, Nebraska who works with UNL sports teams. My problem had an upper pelvic aspect and an adductor aspect and the surgery took care of the upper pelvic stuff (seizing up and spasms/tightness that forced be to stop running completely). The adductor part is still there. Both sides hurt, but I'd say the right is about twice as bad as the left. All this crap started to be a huge issue, rather than an occasional irritant after workouts when I took a round of Levaquin for pneumonia back in March and I wondering if the adductor part is tendon stuff. The locus of the pain is that sort of "chicken wing" tendon/muscle that is right in the crook between the upper thigh and pubic area on the medial upper thigh - it hurts to touch". When it flares up, the pain goes halfway down the inside of my leg and even around to my hamstring. Even hip flexion as well as adduction hurts and just feels generally weak. It grabs hard if you accidentally slip and unconsciously catch yourself or when rolling around in bed at night.

This sounds more serious than post operation soreness/nerve irritation. I'm sure that's not what you want to hear.

I had my pelvic floor repair done by Meyers in Philly. He doesn't use mesh. There used to be a massive thread on this subject.

It will seem to be on a trajectory of improvement (with ups and downs within that trajectory) and sometimes after a tempo-pace run I am relieved to find it hasn't falred up too much (and is runnable the next day) and other times a tempo hurts it. I had some modest optimism until I went to the track on Sunday (my first time on the track since Dec.).

Yeah, I have gone through the epic sports hernia thread, but not so much there dealing with the adductor aspect of the problem - most people find it clears up eventually after the surgery. The surgery definitely did something because for about 6 weeks pre-surgery I could only manage to run once or at most twice about every 4 or 5 days and everything else was cycling. I haven't missed a day of running since I started back in late July, but have run through some painful days.

Brian, did you ever get this resolved?

Have had this chronic condition going on 10 months now.

Yes, I did get it resolved. It was a matter of stressing the repair (which initially heals rigidly) and allowing the stressed area to rescar a few times. I am totally fine now (at least in the groin). Surgery was totally worth it.

hmm. what do you mean by "stressing the repair"?

I ask because I had this surgery a few years ago and my adductors and quad are still very tight on the side of the hernia repair. I don't have the chronic pain as you did, but the leg on the repair side is tighter than the other side, no matter how much I stretch. Tightness just seems to be the default mode on that side.

perhaps he means scar tissue--the adductors heal up all mangled like meat gristle because they've been torn to hell when you tried to run on it. You need to work out the "gristle" over a period of time to get it feeling loose and good again. Have you tried foam rolling, or deep tissue massage or ART?

I had a bilateral adductor release and pelvic floor repair by Dr. Meyer in Philly a few years back. About 3 months post surgery, I felt a snap and heard a pop during a sprint work out. I thought I had torn a muscle involved with the surgery site, but Dr. Meyer assured me that it was normal and good that this happened because it helped break up the scar tissue at the surgery site. I was completely fine the next day, and had a great season. That was my last year in college, and I don't train as I did then, but I haven't had many problems since I had that "pop" and broke up the scar tissue. The only thing I would caution someone with about this surgery is that I hate getting touched at the incission sites. If the surgery is avoidable at all, avoid it, because I now have two 3" long scars on both sides of my pubic area that drive me nuts! It's annoying to wash, to shave, and I absolutely hate it when my girlfriend touches the scars. With just competing at the college level, I wouldn't undergo the surgery again. I would have toughed out my last season. If you make a career out of athletics, it may be a worthwhile surgery. Anyone else have a similar experience?

What I meant is that the repair initially heals while you aren't using it, so the scar tissue isn't subjected to any range of motion. You start using it and it stresses it and has to rescar over the stressed area.

I am 100% groin-wise. Now if I could just figure out what to do about my priformis/IT band/sciatic pain.

Hi,

I had bilateral sport's hernia surgery last spring. I was able to run soon after. Last January I was skiing some moguls and felt sore the next day. I have not been able to run without pain at the incision sites and the pain goes all the way down both adductors. I have tried taking close to three weeks off and have even ridden a bike. It actually feels worse since I stopped running.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Rory

Don't want to hijack the thread, but all of you that had surgery - did you pay out of pocket or did your insurance cover it? I'm starting to get a lot of these symptoms and I'm nervous that don't have a couple grand to splash around.

So I a had bilateral pelvic floor repair in Philly in march and then april. My first side feels greet. Hover, the left is a complete mess. My addector hurts all the whether it\\\'s simply walking or actually trying my normal workout routines.

because my adductor is so weak. It is throwing off the rest of my gait as well.I have no idea what to do Anymore

Skeletorj wrote:

So I a had bilateral pelvic floor repair in Philly in march and then april. My first side feels greet. Hover, the left is a complete mess. My addector hurts all the whether it\'s simply walking or actually trying my normal workout routines.

because my adductor is so weak. It is throwing off the rest of my gait as well.I have no idea what to do Anymore

Brian, I am going to give you some advice which may determine whether you are ever able to train again:

be patient.

i think it is a blessing you did not have the adductor release.

Meyers released mine to such a length that i lost stability in my knees (remember the adductors are medial stablizers for the knee!!), and when i returned to running i promptly tore cartilage in both knees. end of running, and i went from 100mpw and PRs the year of my injury to 5-10 mpw of painful hobby jogging. my life hase never been the same.

i attribute this to the adductor release, and I rue the day i went into him like a sheep telling him to do whatever he needed to do.

your adductors are tight because they were overworking for so long to stablize your pelvis that they have overtightend...almost to the point of compartment syndrome.

but i strongly recommend you pursue a patient regimen of massage and flexibility exercise for these muscles. i bet 6 months from now you will feel 100% better.

dean moriarty wrote:

Don't want to hijack the thread, but all of you that had surgery - did you pay out of pocket or did your insurance cover it? I'm starting to get a lot of these symptoms and I'm nervous that don't have a couple grand to splash around.

i heard Meyers stopped taking insurance, but that is because he's such a celebrity now...he used to take it until a couple years ago. but this procedure is done by lots of DRs and insurance should cover it. it covered mine. you just have to find a DR willing to take it.

but i am telling you...beware of the adductor release!

Dean, I had to pass out of pocket. We are still fighting with the insuranc company. Meyers office is very helpful. I would definitely suggest seeing him despite my issue. What insurance do you have?

Brian- I did have bilateral partial adductor release.

Just had bilateral sports hernia repair with mesh with doc at Upenn. Was wonderful doc to work with on it. Had it last wed and started walked 15 min and now 30 min Friday after. Now having pretty bad pain in region abovenpubis bone that's pulsating. Soreness in adductors. Anyone have similar post op pain? Upenn doc pretty much just recommended walking 30 min a day till first post opp.

Thoughts?

Hi,I had the surgery on March 16, 2015. I am going through rehab with a physio. I have the similar problems. Cannot run fast. Feel pain on surgical area and some discompfort on abductors. I am confused whether I quit running and do just stretching and core exercises. Can anyone provide us some instructions please?Thanks in advance.

Mpc wrote:

Just had bilateral sports hernia repair with mesh with doc at Upenn. Was wonderful doc to work with on it. Had it last wed and started walked 15 min and now 30 min Friday after. Now having pretty bad pain in region abovenpubis bone that's pulsating. Soreness in adductors. Anyone have similar post op pain? Upenn doc pretty much just recommended walking 30 min a day till first post opp.

Thoughts?

It is 3 years now since I had Sports Hernia surgery with Meyers. He really stressed to me that scar tissue is biggest problem and to massage it daily. I am 100% happy with my results and still field questions from this forum on his protocol and my surgery. Please ask anything.