|
Groin pain is a major issue in almost
every sport. However, it is more common in skating
sports due to the nature of the skating motion which
separates the leg from the body. Groin pain can be
the result of one injury or the accumulation of many
past injuries. Regardless of the scenario it is
wise to ensure that your groin pain is correctly
diagnosed and correctly managed. This article will
cover the risk factors of groin pain and the
recommendations on how to prevent yourself from
having a groin injury. If you currently have groin
pain, it is best to consult your local health
professional who is fluent in manual medicine.
Causes of Groin Pain
Groin pain
can be the result of damage to many structures in
the hip and pelvis. The most common cause of groin
pain are the muscles that are located in the groin
area. As well, the pull from these damaged tendons
often results in damage to the neighboring joint
near their attachment. This joint is called the
pubic symphysis joint and when damaged can present
further pain in the groin area.
Risk Factors for Groin Injury
Due to the increasing number of groin
injuries (especially in hockey players), there has
been extensive research on characteristics of people
who have had groin pain in the past. These are some
of the common findings. To be adequately screened
to see if you have any of these risk factors you
should consult your local chiropractor who is
familiar with preventative exercise and pre activity
performance screening.
Weak groin muscles
Decreased range of motion of the hip joint.
Weak muscles around your core
Previous groin injury (especially one that was
poorly managed)
Involvement in repetitive kicking, twisting, or
skating sports.
Improper warm up
How to Exercise to Prevent Groin Injury
- Core Training
The first
area which you should strengthen is your core.
Everyone thinks that they do “core exercises,”
however, not everyone does them correctly. Begin
your core training with simple exercises that
emphasize a core contraction while maintaining
normal breathing. When I show this to patients they
realize that the “core exercises” that they were
doing weren’t really strengthening the core at all.
There are 29 pairs of muscles that make up your
core, and you should perform 2-3 core specific
exercises per day. Your abdominal muscles actually
have attachments to your groin muscles. So, working
your core will ensure that the abdominal muscles and
therefore your groin muscles are stronger. Consult
your health professional who is fluent in core
exercise principles to find out which exercises are
the most beneficial for you.
- Groin Muscle Training
Once a stable core is built, the groin and hip
muscles may now be trained. Begin by simply
squeezing a soccer or basketball between your ankles
with your legs straight while lying on your back.
Hold this contraction for 30 seconds and complete
this exercise 10 times each day. Perform the same
action but now, place the ball between your knees.
A stronger muscle is able to work harder with more
endurance. Thus a stronger muscle will not fatigue
early in activity and is more able to handle the
stresses of your activity in order to resist injury.
- Balance Training
Once the groin muscles are being
strengthened it is wise to work on balance. Balance
is a result of the core, your arms, and your legs
working in unison to maintain a stable center of
mass. This requires a symphony of muscles which add
to stability and thus help reduce injury. It may be
hard to find an unstable surface (preferably a half
exercise ball or a “wobble board). If you do not
have one of these then you can merely balance on one
leg and challenge yourself to see how long you can
balance for. Perform repeated bouts of balancing
for 5-7 minutes each day as this will facilitate the
core exercises that you perform with this program.
 
-
Active Stretching
When a
muscle is damaged it is wise to stretch that muscle
in an active yet controlled fashion. Perform this
exercise on the edge of a chair or using an exercise
ball. Slowly roll over the ball stretching your
groin gradually to the point where you feel slight
pain then back it off to where you do not feel
pain. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds and
repeat it 5 times each day AFTER YOU PERFORM YOUR
EXERCISE PROGRAM as you should never stretch
prior to activity.
- Performance Care
Range of motion abnormalities at the hip
and low back can create too much movement at the
pubic symphysis and they must be identified and
addressed in any case of groin pain in order to
remove the potential cause of the groin pain.
Abnormalities in range of motion can initially
inhibit performance and eventually cause injury.
Therefore, you should consult your health
professional who is familiar with treating groin
pain and its relative range of motion deficiencies.
- Improper Warm Up
Failing to
prepare your body for activity will result in an
increase risk of injury during the initial stages of
the game or practice. A warm up should be done to
increase blood flow to muscles by performing sport
specific exercises that will be performed during the
game. Most injuries occur early in the game when
players are not physically ready for the task at
hand. Next month I will write about the proper warm
up and how to turn readiness before the game into
results.
Conclusion
Groin injuries are common in sports,
however, they don’t have to be. With the proper
advice regarding strength training, stretching, and
addressing range of motion abnormalities with proper
treatment you can avoid having a groin injury and
stay in the game. Preventative strength training is
the best way to ensure that you have an injury free
season while increasing performance and getting
results.
 Dr. Forbes is a
chiropractor in Sarnia who is devoted to providing
honest, comprehensive
and effective care with
special emphasis on sports injuries and preventative
rehabilitation.
If you would like Dr. Forbes to do a
complementary group/team presentation on a topic
of your
choice please contact him at:
Dr. Jim Forbes
Chiropractor, ART & Medical Acupuncture Provider
Hare Chiropractic and Natural Health Centre
1389 Colborne Rd. Sarnia
519 332 4222
DrJimForbes@Gmail.com
Twitter: @DrJimForbes
For more information regarding
other topics of interest please visit
www.DrJimForbes.com
Follow Sarniasports on twitter
@sarniasports.
Get up to the minute news, and live scores
as they happen from local events. |
