Anyone ever had a "Sports Hernia" aka: "Sportsman's hernia", "Gilmore's groin", or &quot

Back in January/February I had similar symptoms. Aggravating but not debilitating pain in my lower abs & groin that would get worse during some runs but not always. After about 6 weeks with Boston on the horizon I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Excercise induced asthma that may have contributed to or exacerbated the 'actual inguinal hernia' that I also had. My doc sent me to a surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis and asked if I preferred to wait until after Boston to get it fixed. He said that based on the extent of the hernia,etc… that it was okay to wait which I did. I scheduled the surgery for a week after Boston. They did an inguinal hernia repair with mesh - much like they would do for the 'sports' hernia. I was running about 3-4 weeks later. Everything seems fine - some discomfort but mostly just healing and nothing like it used to be. Doing NYC in a few weeks - so all in all it was worth doing.

Bradley, my symptoms sound idnetical to yours (3 months, dull pain, rest, won't go away). I scheduled an appointment with Meyers - first avl. time was 10/30, with surgery in 11/1 if deemed necessary. Question - did he say anything about heat VS ice? I've alternated - everything on the web says ice, but my Doctor who diagnosed the sports hernia (and recommended Meyers for surgery if necessary) said heat.

That's interesting.

He didn't mention anything about heat versus ice though. So I don't know.

Also, JLB,

Did he say anything about when to use heat? Did he say using ice would hurt it more or just not help any?

And just to clarify/confirm this: when you set up the appt. with Meyers there was over a full month already booked and unavailable?

Hi all..I had same problem 6 months ago,I dont really know how it happend but I know I was in a gym ,and next day when I woke up could feel pain in my groin,went to my GP 3 times and he gave me pain killers,after a month i got really pissed and went to private physiotherapist..after like 5 minutes he told me its Sportsman's hernia..He send a letter to my GP and now im waiting to see consultant..I think if am lucky enough I will have operation in 6 months time...but it cost me a year off the training..

[quote]the disabled peg leg wrote:

SIX MONTHS?!?!?

What is the deal with these waits?

Does everyone have a sports hernia?

Seriously six months?

Ok, I read a lot of this thread, and feel pretty confident I have a sports hernia. I play American football at a major Division 1-A school, and have had this pain for just about 2 weeks. It started just before our 3rd game of the season, with pretty sharp pain in my left groin at the attatchment, and a little in my left hamstring at the attatchment right next to the groin. Progressively it got worse, and by our 4th game it was killing me along my pubic bone at the base of my abdominals as well. I've been seen by our trainers and team doctors and have been getting "treatments" involving exercises and muscle stim.

Initially they told me it was a groin and hamstring strain, which I didn't agree with because there was no incidence I could remember. Last night after practice our team orthopedic doctor looked at me and said it was osteitis pubis (i think, tendonitis he basically said). I have asked them about it being a possible sports hernia, but they just kind of shrug it off, like they're just assuming it isn't. I've also had an ultrasound done to rule out a conventional hernia. Anyways, they are giving me some sort of injection on thursday to relieve the pain, but I don't know if it will. Does this sound similar to the sports hernias you have all experienced? If it is will injections help me get through the season so I can get it repaired after the year?

Basically it kills when I sit up, squeeze my legs together, change direction, run, sprint... basically anything. It also hurts slightly in my left lower abs, inside my hip flexor away from the bone...

Anybody got any recommendations or guesses on what this could be?

I feel for ya, AFp. Your symptoms seem a lot more intense than mine, and I still don't have any clue whether mine is a sports hernia or not, just suspect that due to the length of time it's gone on for me (about 3 months now) without showing any progress. I don't have any of these severe pains sitting up, turning over, walking, etc. Only hurts when I try to run. I went to the doctor I had to go to and now I've got 2 weeks passive rest. After that if it still hurts I guess I'm going to a sports medicine doctor.

Anyway, I hope your injury gets better and you get some good responses from people who have had confirmed sports hernias here.

i had a partial avulsion fracture of my adductor longus. 3 months of passive treatment then doctor performs adductor release. 1 month of rehab and massage therapy...attempt to run adn still pain. have a rather bony bump above right around wehre the muscle would attach, still hurts a lot with slightest pressure. pain with seated adduction amchine at weights as light as 20lbs and when rotating leg outward...any help would be greatly appreciaetd

Shawn Springs of the washington Redskins has to go back to Dr. Meyers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/27/AR2006092702183.html

Hey,

It sounds like the real solution is with the surgeon in Germany. Anybody know more about these people or got contact info for PROF? I've been following this thread for over a year and talked with Dr Cattey and that boy meyers. These people in Germany sound even better than those in Canada.

I would personally like to hear from several of the people earlier on this thread, if they still read this. If you had the surgery, how are you doing? Many accounts of the surgery on this thread are from people who only had it a few weeks ago at the time of posting. Where are you people now? Did you stop posting because (I hope) it got better and you're running now?

Please somebody update us.

hey guys

yes, i also think that germany is the way to go. that is why i had my surgery done there. not only is the cost doable, but the level of care is unsurpassable.

muschaweck knows her stuff!!! the hospital is unlike any other i have been to. the nurses are very pleasant as well, i must add.

8 weeks post op- feeling better but with lots of intermittent pains. apparently nerve pains as reaction to new activity. but, it is most important to note that i went for 18 months without diagnosis and treatment, and that can make a big difference in symptoms and outcome. both sides were injured. without the diagnosis, my body went through readjustments in order to funciton (the psoas muscles are affected in the injury- your heart of your core). i am going to take a while to recover via phys therapy and whatnot in order to get my musculoskeletal system back into normal function.

there is no doubt that i needed the sugery. i was in agony beforehand, but saw some releif via phys therapy to address my musculoskeletal imbalances. but never would have gotten fully better without the surgery.

so if you do in fact do have a sports hernia, by all means i think you should get it fixed (but then again i am no doctor, i am only speaking from personal experience). i *think* that they only get worse with time as most injuries do.

dr muschaweck is very personable and i believe that she is the world's expert on the sports hernia (she calls it the sportsman's groin). her site is

www.hernien.de

go from there and see what i mean. she never does surgery in the states or anywhere else besides germany. but munich is very nice, worth spending your money on the plane and hotel as opposed to spending it on extra anesthesia, pt, and hospitalization. i am very glad i made the choice to see her instead of anyone else.

i hope it helps, feel free to contact me if you have any questions, maybe i can help. at least i will give it a shot with what limited knowledge i have.

by the way, if your doctor(s) think that since you have already had an mri and/or ct scan that you don't have any injury, they are probably wrong. the sh is very rarely seen on either test since the body is still during the imaging tests.

I'll bite.

I had Meyer's one side ab fix with an adductor release a year and 3 months ago. It was touch and go for 6 months and then I started to come back with a vengence. Within 9 months I was running faster than I had run since college (I'm 35) and I won a half marathon. I have done a trail run averaging around 15 miles per day of high altitude rough trails for 5 days consecutively. I can do more ab work than I ever did before I tore it so I am strong and can test the surgical site with no pain. The only thing I notice now is that my adductor feels tight right at theinsertion but not painful. It feels like the insertion has been moved but I am used to it so it is fine. The function is perfect and pain free. I consider the surgery a complete success and I was not able to run more than few miles without pain before the surgery.

All I can say is take it easy the first 6 months. Expect that the scar tissue with be coming apart with stress and be painful at times. Let it recover and keep slowly testig it and getting flexibility and ROM back. You will have many ups and downs too. But after 6 months I felt like I was linearly improving. And I feel great today and am as fit and pain free as I was in college 15 years ago.

Hope that helps!

Thanks, great story!

Jerdeutsch wrote:

My main symptoms are pain in the right testicle, pain through the inguinal ligaments on that side as well as hip and sometimes lower right back. Frankly sometimes it can go up and down my whole right side. I also have some pain up and down the shaft of my penis on the right side that feels like a pulling sensation. . . .

Jerry

HOLY COW!! Those are my exact symptoms. Seriously, Jerry, I feel your pain. Although, mine seems to be bilateral.

I\'m 43,and I believe that the pain came on after I tried to run through a cold when I was coughing terribly this May. In fact, it was aggravated by another cold last week.

The pain is constant but low grade. Certainly, though, my running has been curtailed. I find that I can ride the bike but that sometimes aggravates the pain in the side.

I\'ve had the following tests: blood work up - prostate\'s fine; MRI - lumbar and thoracic spine are pristine; CT of the pelvis and abdomen - no cancer; Ultrasound of bladder and kidneys - negative.

I had a vascectomy in November without complications, and neurontin did not help the symptoms which probably rules out any complications of that procedure.

Any suggestions? What do people think?

Although the pain can generally be dealt with, it\'s been pretty constant since the spring, and it\'s starting to affect my mood and quality of life. I\'ve picked up 10 pounds, too, which isn\'t helping.

Sorry to be late to the \"sports hernia party.\" I was just going to lurk on this thread, but I figure I might as well beg for advice too.

BTW, my \"sports medicine doctor\" really has no grip on this condition and seems to shrug it off. The P.T\'s are trying adductor/abdominal strengthening and stretching but it\'s not helping.

- john

BTW, as a follow up to my previous post, my pain is also in the perineum and there is a pressure sensation in what I would call the prostate area.

Johnny - thanks for those excellent posts in response to Jerry's original post. They were helpful to me as well.

- john

Hurt Bradley wrote:

SIX MONTHS?!?!?

What is the deal with these waits?

Does everyone have a sports hernia?

Seriously six months?

I believe that "ped" is from the UK and the wait for elective surgery is quite long... Not that I want to get into a discussion on the merits of socialized medicine. If he's not from the UK or Canada, I'm way off base and apologise.

Hello to all. I have been following this thread for 3 months now and the info i have recieved has been invaluabele. It is time to give back.

. I have had pain right on my pubic symphis,left testicle and grion area for 4 months now. If I try and work out the next day i can barely walk. I had a ct scan and there was no hernias present.

I will be going to germany on oct.25 to have surgery.

I will post my experience with any who wish after surgery.

All i can tell you right now is that plane tickets are

about 1500 round trip per person. and the cost of surgery

is about 5100$ per side.( you have to pay in euro though and pay after the surgery ).

If you email

info@hernien.de

a woman named Martina Resch

will give all info needed. Martina is dr mushawecks secratary.

Now I have a question for johnny. Did your insurance cover the cost of surgery? if so how did you get them to cover it?

Good luck everyone!