Everything You Need to Know About Groin Strains

 Groin strain could be defined as a sports injury that affects the adductor muscles or muscles present in the inner thigh. Sudden movements such as twisting, kicking, jumping, and changing direction while running generally trigger a severe groin strain. The following write-up specifies symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Please check it out now.

Symptoms

A renowned sports medicine doctor said that symptoms of groin strains range from moderate to severe based on the extent of the injury. They include:

·         Pain that starts in the inner thigh and then spread down to the knee and up to hip

·         Alleviates strength in upper leg

·         Bruising

·         Inflammation

·         Difficulty running or walking

·         A pop sound when the injury occurs

Risk Factors

The most crucial risk factor for groin strains is indulging in a physical activity that involves jumping, kicking, and turning abruptly. Needing to change directions often is also considered a risk.

The athletes who are most likely to get groin strains are ice hockey and soccer players. However, you are at risk if you play football, basketball, rugby, tennis, and do martial arts and skating. Athletes who do not train during offseason lose muscle flexibility and strength at a faster pace. This puts them at a huge risk.

 

Diagnosis

Your doctor will first ask you how the injury happened and find out if the circumstances indicate groin strain. Next, the doctor will perform a comprehensive physical examination. This involves stretching the adductor muscles and testing the motion range. Any pain you feel will help your doctor identify where the injury is exactly located.

Could the injury be something else?

Groin strains are confused with several other issues. You may suffer from similar symptoms if you have:

·         Stress fracture - a hairline breakage in the pubic bone

·         Bursitis - swelling of the fluid inside the hip joints

·         Hip sprain - swelling of the muscles or tendons of the hip

Your doctor starts with X-ray and then follows up with MRI scan to rule out other injuries and authorize the diagnosis.

Treatment

Your chief objective will be to reduce the inflammation and pain as much as possible. For the first few days, rest as much as possible, apply ice cubes, apply compression, keep the leg in an elevated position, and take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Depending on the severity of the injury, you may have to opt for additional treatments such as massage therapy, physiotherapy, electrotherapy, and heat therapy. They speed up healing.

According to the best sports medicine doctor, the only viable way to prevent groin strains is not using the adductor muscles without preparation and proper training. If you play sports or hit the gym regularly, please strengthen and stretch those muscles. Also, continue training the entire year.

The number of days you take to recover from a groin strain depends on how fit you were before the injury. There is no concrete time frame as it is different for each individual. That being said, be ready to rest for a couple of weeks, and then you can return to your daily activities in a hassle-free manner.

 

A Detailed Overview of the Sports Injuries and Its Types

Sports injuries have now become an integral part of the athletes and even for the weekend warriors. It can be categorized as chronic or acute. In different expert studies, it was revealed that more than 90% of all the injuries in sports are either strains or contusions. Sports like soccer, hockey, etc., are more prone to cause contusions. But on the contrary, sports like sprinting and jumping causes muscle strains.

Other factors also contribute to injuries like fatigue, chronic overload, muscle architecture, improper warm-up, muscular imbalance, etc. The best way to deal with any given injury in sports is to seek attention from a professional sports medicine physician.

This post talks about different types of sports injuries that commonly happen with athletes.

·         Eye Trauma

As per the database or United States Eye Injury Registry (UNEIR), more than 13% of ocular injuries happen because of sports and recreational activities. Contact sports that do not use protective gears and involve stuff like high-speed balls are remarkably hazardous in this context.

The most common sports include cricket, squash, baseball, hockey, etc. The level of injuries can vary from minor abrasions through retrobulbar hematoma to open injuries globally.

·         Cerebral Aneurysm

It is an assimilated focal abnormal opening of the wall of an artery inside the brain. In most the cases, this injury is induced hemodynamically; the trauma could contribute to the formation.

In addition, the impact of strain and effort can trigger through hemodynamic effects. And the common outcome is that athletes suffer from the headache of variable character that was never experienced before.

·         Joint Dislocation

It is a situation in which there is a complete parting of two different enunciating bony surfaces. It usually happens because of the exertion of high-speed energy. Some common examples of dislocations include elbow, shoulder, patella, hip, finger, and knee.

Delay in the right treatment from a professional sports medicine doctor or medical consultant can cause irreparable damage to the joint surface with lifelong consequences and even post-traumatic arthritis.

·         Orbital Fractures

One of the biggest causes of traumatic injuries in sports and exercise activities. The blunt trauma to the globe can result in the orbital floor and even medial wall fractures. In some cases, it is also accompanied by fractures of the posterior. In children, the bone of the orbit is more elastic, and it can cause fracture commonly known as “trapdoor.”

·         Concussion

Also known as mild traumatic brain injury, concussion usually happens either because of a direct blow to the head or it could be the transmission of an impulsive force to the head. The symptoms of this injury are categorized into three different groups –somatic, cognitive, and effective. Combining cognitive and somatic symptoms is the most common occurrence, and it is always best to seek help from a professional sports medicine doctor.

If any of these injuries or ones apart from them, make sure to get in touch with a professional sports medicine physician to heal and recover from the same. 

How to Prevent Stress Fractures? Five Effective Ways to Consider

 

Stress fracture is known for being the most common running injury. It also accounts for approximately 45% of all other sports injuries. Why? Because our bones tolerate stress whenever a specific amount of force is inflicted on them.

The force can come from the push and pull of a muscle or from the shock of the foot or leg hitting the floor abnormally. In the following write-up, I have jotted down a few ways to prevent stress fractures. Please check them out now.

Increase Calf Flexibility

A reputed musculoskeletal doctor said stress fractures often occur due to tightness in the calves. It forces the heels to lift prematurely while running and transfers substantial force to the forefoot. To increase calf flexibility, carry out the below-mentioned steps:

·         Stand near the wall. Keep one foot in front of the other and bend the knee.

·         Lean on the wall while bending the back knee and keeping the heel firm on the ground.

·         Feel a sort of stretch in the lower portion of the calf.

·         Hold the position for at least 30 seconds.

 

2.      Consume Dairy

It will beneficial to detect the foods, dietary patterns, and nutrients that trigger stress fractures and changes bone density. By consuming skim milk and dairy products with abundant calcium, you will be able to lower the risk to a great extent. Animal protein and potassium also help.

Also read: Foods to Incorporate in Diet when Recovering from Sports Injuries

 Avoid Nonsteroidal Drugs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs can be harmful when addressing a stress fracture. They interfere with the structural integrity of the bones and alleviate tendon repairs after a sports injury. So keep a distance from them if you wish to continue your athletic career without any hassle.

4.      Put On Proper Footwear

It is necessary to invest in proper shoes with enough support. If you are not sure what type of shoes will help, please ask the staff at the sneaker stores. The footwear is considered ideal if it feels compatible with the overall shape of your foot.

You may have neutral, high, or flat arches. For the neutral, moderate stability shoes are believed to best. Flat-footed need shoes with high stability. High arches must select cushioned shoes that guarantee midsole padding.

5.      Allow Bones to Heal Properly

Early return to the field and gym can pave the way for irreversible complications. If you already got a stress fracture, please go through an MRI before resuming training. If the bones are yet to heal, take rest and limit movement.

According to a renowned musculoskeletal doctor, prevention and immediate intervention are preferred, but it is quite challenging to predict injuries. The athletes, after all, are different from one another in terms of the training methods they follow, their biomechanical predisposition, and other factors – muscle stretch, flexibility, diet, etc. A typical treatment plan comprises of two phases. The first phase includes medications and physical therapies, while the second one focuses on endurance and gait drills.