Sports-Hernia?? (need advice)

try to get an appointment with someone who specializes in sports hernias. most doctors dont know much about them and dont correctly diagnose them. if you have seen any of the other SH threads on here you will know about the diagnosis problems.

any good sports team doctor should be aware of these. if you have a pro hockey, football or soccer team see who their players see for this issue. you can probably find there main doctor pretty easily on their website and he/she can let you know who they see for groin/SH issues.

i went months thinking i had a groin strain and eventually saw the right doctor and then had surgery for a sports hernia. back to 100% now.

the really big SH thread has lots of doctor recommendations, but be careful about insurance as some of the specialists dont take it and some insurance companies dont cover SH surgeries.

good luck

I had a sports hernia (actually called athletic pubalgia) for more than 5 years before it finally became unbearable. Dr. Meyers in Philadelphia fixed me up and I was running in 3 weeks. Here is everything you need to know about the subject.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=559820&page=0

SH I was actually reading some of your post lastnight! You even had pictures. What were some of your major symptoms pushing you to go on the with specialists help? I'm a typical stubborn person, but yes it's pretty annoying a doctor didn't really do much help!? I mean just last-night I was sneezing at it felt in that spot it was pulling, just sitting down. Man how frustrating.

glad you found my pics! when i look back it was pretty dumb that i ran with that for months thinking it was a groin strain! i guess runners can be pretty stubborn.

I finally admitted something was really wrong when i went on the kiddie's slide with my son at a baseball game. hurt like crazy to sit up at the end!

hurt to sneeze/cough, hurt to get up from a couch, or get out of bed. couldn't even consider doing situps.

initially it was ok on most runs, but then got worse and worse, presumably as i was doing more and more damage. i worked around it, found that if i showered before i ran it would help, sometimes took ibuprofen. eventually it just got unpleasant and long runs became zero fun.

one "test" i was told about was to squeeze your thighs together when sitting in a chair.

it took the SH specialist about 2 minutes to fully diagnose me. he had absolutely no doubt what it was.

Before you jump to the conclusion that you have a sport hernia, recommend you go to a GOOD sports PT for an eval and rehab plan.

In January 2004 during the beginning of my Junior year indoor track season in college I developed somewhat of a pain on the left side of my groin. I still ended up running both indoor and outdoor as the pain was more nagging than anything. It didn't really hurt but you could tell something was there, so once outdoor track was over I went to see Dr. Richard Cattey in Milwaukee. Apparently he has performed sports hernia surgery on lots of professional athletes and what-not. He diagnosed it as a sports hernia and told me that I could have surgery on it and get the mesh or I could rest it and it might just heal up on its own. So I decided on resting it and was prescribed an anti-inflamatory. I took some time off in the summer and when I did do some running it wasn't anything intense or long distance. I redshirted the Fall CC season and came back for indoor track and didn't really notice my groin bothering me anymore.

It never really "hurt" per say, but it was definitely somehat of an annoyance at the time, especially when doing certain ab exercises, like the one where you are balancing on your ass with both your legs straight out in front of you, raised about 6-8 inches off the ground

Thanks you guys! SF wow..just going down a slide! I appreciate all the positive additions. I did seek some medical advice..but now is a ? on if or when it will get better. Truthfully like you guys I just wanna run. If now is a time to lay low from racing it is now. My big concern is getting out of bed and limited core strength or that "fear" of doing core. Tried doing some light planks the other day..felt like it stretched too much and I stopped. The 1st Dr. did give me vicadin but my body type don't handle that stuff real well. The good news is I don't feel like I'm making it worse running, but I'm certainly not seeing big improvement with all active rest.

I'm in the boat of why not try, but If I continue to run and it still bothers me...will it increasingly get worse?

Here is a discussion on another forum with others who have this condition.

http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/injury-prevention/injuries/sports-hernia-3

I'm finding this perhaps isn't so uncommon!!! Unbelievable. Those of you reading this I'm "not" trying to diagnos my injury! Read my first post. The major concern is 6weeks of almost no running, during that time frame it didn't let up even became more concerning because I wasn't running. I do live in a smaller community and even in college some of the medical staff had hard time dealing with runners. The 1st Dr. I went to seemed as if he was brand new to the injury. He did do the whole cough-tild the head, he did a few stomach pokes, couple leg movements that's basically it. I was tested for a stress fracture "negative" now going forward extensive PT rehab. He was the one who claimed it was a strained groin..which lead down the road of hernias, if not treated.

The more I can learn the better, because at this point I'm totally open for recommendations..that explain me here seeking advice from other runners!

can't believe how many threads there are about hip & groin pain. FYI labral tear can cause groin pain and catching. And labral tears and hernias are linked. Check out other thread on this same page re hip pain, just in case you possibly have labral tear. I also have groin pain and have labral tear. Good luck.

I feel your pain. I tore my inguinal ligament on a run 5 years ago when I was training in college. (I was stupid and attempted to jump over a barricade.) That part of your body is very fleshy and needs blood flow to repair itself. Icing will dull the pain (that you feel rolling around in bed or getting in/out of your car), BUT it will delay your recovery. I know it's cliche' advice, but I suggest swimming, cycling, and lifting (in that order of regularity). I got in the habit of swimming (freestyle) about 1.5 miles a day. The other strokes hurt. Biking won't hurt either. As far as lifting goes, all upper body work is fine. You will be limited in what you can do as far as leg and ab work goes. Planks are the only ab exercise I found that did not bother me. Of course push ups are good for the core too. Anyway, hopefully, this helps a bit. I understand that this is a very discouraging injury.

I just went through a checkup for groin pain that radiates down my adductor and that I feel in my lower abs when I sneeze or cough. Negative x-rays and MRI, although the doctor said he saw inflammation in the ligaments and pelvis attachment. He recommended rest (I've run twice in two months), and PT (ultrasound, stretching, massage). I had a big year mileage wise and I really just developed chronic pain and tendonitis in my psoas and front hips and it developed into this painful inflammation that finally shut me down. When it didn't go away after four weeks I finally saw a doctor (which took another three weeks, fyi). I was also worried that it felt bad even after three weeks off, I figured I definitely tore something.

My plan is to work real diligently on stretching and loosening up my hips and try to come back in 2-3 months. I guess I'm glad no major damage was done and that surgery is unnecessary. However, I'm nervous that this thing is going to linger forever without direct treatment. I wish I'd just broke my leg and could cast it, and be done with it.

I appreciate it guys! In many ways I think I'm getting better. Frustrating yes. I'm currently done with racing for the year, just running! I'm doing like 2 consecutive runs no more than 5 miles, then an off day. I'm finding I'm pretty sore after the runs, but not the dull-pain at the end of the day..from non running like I was. I think I will continue running and I cancelled my 2 Chiro appointments this week and just seeing if foam-roller,stretching will help with no Chiropractic work stuff. I say this, because the adjustments and such leave me so sore I can't fully determine any sort of improvements. If some of you would what would be some of the major concerns in trying 3-4 runs a week? Do you all feel it will set me back continuing to run? Stretching and the foam-roller are now a before and after run routine! The Chiropractic help will always be there, but I don't want to make that a constant thing. Thanks again everyone.