Groin strain injury from football? Physio can help treat and prevent

[Micheal Alexander]

With a long football season coming to an end, our bodies are tired, and you’ll be ready for a much-needed break. Maybe you have been playing through some injuries with the hope that the rest of the off-season will see your pain resolve. Hip and groin injuries are common in athletes, and the most common of those in footballers are adductor strains.

The Adductor muscles are a group of 5 muscles that primarily work to adduct (move towards the body) the leg at the hip. Adductor injuries can be caused by a direct force such as studs or knee to the muscles, forceful contraction of the muscles, such as that when kicking, running or changing direction or microtrauma from repetitive injury. Home Physio

Adductor-related injuries are likely to present as pain deep in the groin that can be present on longer runs as the muscle becomes fatigued as well as with quick turns, twisting, kicking, standing on one leg and even coughing and sneezing. Groin strains most commonly occur on the dominant leg and can vary in severity.

Grades of acute strain:

Grade 1: When less than 5% of the muscle fibres are involved. Pain with no loss of function or strength.

Grade 2: More than 5% of the muscle affected without affecting the whole muscle belly. More severe pain with some weakness and likely to present with local bruising and swelling.

Grade 3: The most severe. Complete muscle tear and complete loss of function. Likely
heavy bruising and swelling of the area- this grade may need surgery to repair.

If you are in doubt about your injury- see a professional.

Chronic adductor strains:

Grade 1 and 2 acute injuries will often heal and with the correct rehabilitation can be as strong as they were before your injury. However, without the correct rehab these previous injuries, alongside reduced hip adductor compared to abductor strength, lack of sports-specific training and reduced core strength are big risk factors to developing future adductor injuries. These risk factors can lead to recurrent and chronic adductor strains that can seriously hamper your training and your game time.

If this sounds familiar to you why not try the Holmich protocol. an 8–12-week active strengthening programme, which has been shown to be effective in treating chronic groin strains. If you would like some guidance or more information about these injuries and how physiotherapy can help, give us a call, we are more than happy to advise!

Preventing groin strains:

The increased risk of recurrent groin strains following the first and the effect that groin strains can have on your sporting and day to day life means that the prevention of them is definitely better (and often cheaper) than the cure. A combination of core stability, coordination and strengthening exercises can be helpful in reducing your risk of injury.

If you are experiencing any issues with groin-related pain or any other injuries and would like any further information, get in touch on newagemobilephysio.com.au