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Groin
Injury - Causes & Prevention
A
Guide for the Treatment & Prevention of Groin Injuries!
Groin
pain; Groin strain; Groin pull injury; or Adductor strain.
Call it what you want, the fact is, it's a very common muscle
strain injury that currently plagues sports like soccer,
basketball, football, hockey, track & field and racquet
sports.
The
groin, described as the junction between the lower limbs
and torso, is vulnerable to a lot of different injuries.
Hernias, stress fractures, and avulsion fractures are all
common injuries that affect the groin, but for this issue
we'll be focusing on one of the most common groin injuries;
groin pull or groin strain.
In
this issue I'm going to take a slightly different approach
to the way I usually write these articles. Firstly, I'm going
to talk briefly about what a groin pull is, what causes a
groin pull and what to do to prevent a groin pull. Then I'm
going to reproduce a detailed management plan for the correct
treatment and complete rehabilitation of a groin strain.
This
detailed management plan comes from one of my old university
text books, called "Modern Principles of Athletic Training" by
Daniel D. Arnheim. It's one of those 900 page door-stoppers,
but it's the book I refer to most for information on sports
injury prevention and rehabilitation. It's extremely detailed
and a valuable resource for anyone who works in the health
and fitness industry. So...
What
is a Groin Pull?
Depending
on the severity, a groin pull can range from a slight stretching,
to a complete rupture of the muscles that attach the pubic
(pelvis) bone to the thigh (femur) bone.
A
groin pull or strain specifically affects the "Adductor" muscles.
(Adductor; meaning, moves part closer to the midline, or
middle of the body) These muscles are located on the inside
of the thigh, and help to bring the legs together.
The
adductor muscles consist of "Adductor Brevis", "Adductor
Magnus" and "Adductor Longus," all of which
are displayed in the picture to the right. Adductor Longus
has been cut to display the muscles underneath.
Of
these three, it is Adductor Longus that is most susceptible
to injury, and the most common place of injury on Adductor
Longus is the point at which the muscle and tendon attach
to the femur (thigh) bone.
What
Causes a Groin Pull?
Competitors
that participate in sports that require a lot of running
or rapid change in direction are most susceptible to groin
injuries. Other activities like kicking, jumping and rapid
acceleration or deceleration also place a lot of strain on
the groin muscles.
Another
activity that puts a lot of strain on the groin is any movement
that results in a sudden pressure being applied. Such as
a fall, landing awkwardly, twisting, or bending while stress
is applied to the groin muscles.
How
to Prevent a Groin Pull?
The
basis of prevention comes down to two simple factors. A thorough
warm-up and physical conditioning, ie: flexibility & strength.
Firstly,
a thorough and correct warm up will help to prepare the muscles
and tendons for any activity to come.
Secondly,
flexible muscles and tendons are extremely important in the
prevention of most strain or sprain injuries. When muscles
and tendons are tight and stiff, it is quite easy for those
muscles and tendons to be pushed beyond their natural range
of movement, which can cause strains, sprains, and pulled
muscles.
To
keep your muscles and tendons flexible and supple, it is
important to undertake a structured stretching routine. For
a comprehensive reference of over 100 clear photographs of
every possible sports related stretch, get a copy of The
Stretching Handbook. If you're interested in stretches for
the groin, The Stretching Handbook has over 7 different stretches
you can do. Order your copy now!
And
thirdly, strengthening and conditioning the muscles of the
groin will also help to prevent groin strain. There are a
number of specific strengthening exercises you can do for
these muscles, like cable adductions and machine adductions.
For
A Complete Treatment and Management Plan for Groin Strain
Click Here
Article
by Brad Walker. Brad is a leading stretching and sports injury
consultant with over 15 years experience in the health and
fitness industry. For more articles on the prevention & treatment
of sports injury, subscribe to The Stretching & Sports
Injury Newsletter by visiting http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com
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