Groin Strain
Groin strain is a very painful injury. It is a strain to the muscles on the inside of the thigh which attach to the pelvis. They are are called the Adductors. Their function is to support the pelvis on the front and bring the legs together. When they are put under pressure by overstretching them or turning quickly during a match, they can be strained. This happens particularly if there has already been pain or tightness there over the previous weeks or months, even from the previous season.
It is important to look after a groin strain properly, as when a groin strain becomes longstanding, it is more complicated to deal with. If this happens during a match, come off and put an ice pack on the area for 5-10 minutes. Reduce the weight on your leg, and rest it up until you can contact your Chartered Physiotherapist to be assessed and the a treatment plan worked out for you.
Treatment usually involves reducing any swelling in the area initially, then loosening up the tight muscles and prescribing exercises to stretch and most importantly strengthen the area. Gay Peart-Murphy at Adare Physiotherapy Clinic has several teams attending , so is well experienced treating these injuries.
If this is a recurring problem, working on your core stability may be important as weakness can occur from inactivity. Other medical issues need to be ruled out in a recurring strain, especially in a younger players, as ignoring this can cause a longer recovery time.
