What is a sports hernia, and how can your sports chiropractor help? According to Wikipedia, “Athletic pubalgia, also called sports hernia, core injury, hockey hernia, hockey groin,[1] Gilmore’s groin, or groin disruption, is a medical condition of the pubic joint affecting athletes. It is a syndrome characterized by chronic groin pain in athletes, accompanied by a dilated superficial ring of the inguinal canal. Football and ice hockey players are most frequently affected. Both recreational and professional athletes may be affected.” Interestingly, they do not include runners, although I have treated runners for the condition. Typically, painful hip extension, twisting, and turning are primary symptoms, and often, there is confusion regarding the pain being caused by a groin pull as the pain radiates into the adductor. Any exertion that increases intra-abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, or sporting activity, can cause pain. In the early stages, the person may be able to continue playing their sport, but the problem usually gets progressively worse. Diagnosis A thorough history and evaluation are essential, and patients will experience pain while trying to do a sit-up or sitting in the frog position, with the patient lying on their back with knees bent and heels together. An MRI may be helpful, but often, the evaluation can show where the pain is coming from. Often, the injury is caused by tears or scarring at the pubic insertion of the musculature and fascia, but may involve the fascia transversalis, tears of the abdominal oblique insertions, and other soft tissues in the area of the groin or the muscular insertions by the pubic bone. Treatment While Wikipedia mentions surgical repair, which is a helpful option to resolve the condition and prevent it from recurring, proper management of the condition using chiropractic conservative methods may help resolve it as well. Many of the conservative approaches such as stretching are not very helpful long term although methods such as instrument assisted soft tissue methods such as Graston to the site of pain can help. From a chiropractic management perspective, active evaluation and treatment to improve core stability, joint movement using manipulation, and problem-focused exercises can help the patient improve. A personalized approach is always more effective than a protocol-based one-size-fits-all approach because the term Sports Hernia describes a category of conditions. Treating the problem without a manual understanding of the tissues will lead to ineffective care. In my personal experience treating these patients, a non-invasive patient-focused approach can be most helpful. Sports chiropractors are often your best first option for evaluating and treating the condition. The good news is that most casual athletes do not develop the condition. Men’s Health recently offered some advice on the condition. Check out the article below. Everything You Need to Know About Sports Hernias Need help today? Book online.