Diagnosing a Sports Hernia

Generally speaking, if a physical exam doesn't reveal an inguinal hernia or other causes of groin pain, the condition is classified as a sports hernia. It is one of the most difficult groin conditions to diagnose, because it is a subtle muscle injury with no visible hernia (bulging tissue).

To help your doctor achieve a proper diagnosis, he/she will begin with a medical history about you, your current condition and symptoms. He/she will inquire about the intensity of your present pain, the duration of your symptoms and the limitations you are experiencing. Details about what instigated the problem, when it started, and whether or not you have ever had treatments for this or a similar condition in the past, are very helpful in assessing your injury.

A physical examination will be performed to determine if you have any signs of a sports hernia or other pelvic or groin injuries. Your doctor will visually assess and palpate (feel) the bones and soft tissue in and around your pelvis and groin area as well as your genital area, hip and upper thigh to evaluate sameness (symmetry), recognize differences and identify pain and tenderness. This will help to discover any abnormalities, such as mild or severe inflammation, fluid, bone or tissue deformity, and weakened muscles. He/she may ask you to complete a series of abdominal and hip movements such as doing a sit-up or rotating your hip inward to see what motions cause pain, weakness, or instability. He/she will also evaluate your gait (the way you walk) to determine if you have any adductor or other muscle weakness.

Most Common Diagnostic Tests for a Sports Hernia

Although diagnostic tests will not identify a sports hernia, they will often rule out other conditions that cause groin and abdominal pain.

X-rays will provide a two-dimensional image of the overall structure of your pelvis. They are helpful in identifying pelvis instability, abnormal bone shapes (bone spurs or bone cysts, fractures, wear and tear on the joints) and/or other groin or hip problems. A herniography (x-ray involving an injection into the membrane of your abdominal cavity) is rarely used anymore, as other diagnostic tests are available and there is a risk of sticking the needle into your intestines.

Isotope Bone Scans are used to identify bone abnormalities, such as a tear, inflammation, fracture or infection of the pubic bone. It will also identify whether other groin conditions are present (osteitis pubis).

MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) will provide more detailed information and will help to evaluate the soft tissues in and around your groin and pelvis (muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and other connective tissues). It can identify ligament or tendon damage, and can help to determine the extent of your injury, the displacement and degree of your tear or inflammation, as well as other associated groin conditions.

Diagnostic ultrasound (ultrasonography) or a CT scan (computerized tomography) will be used to provide a more thorough 2 or 3-dimensional assessment of the soft tissues, organs and bones in and around your groin and pelvis.

Groin Injury Treatments

If you have a muscle pull or strain in your groin, resting it is recommended. Avoid activities that cause pain or may have caused the injury and begin cold compression treatments as soon as possible.

There are healing tools that can help treat your groin strain and speed up the healing process so you can reduce your pain and get back to daily life. Ultrasound thereapy is an easy and effective way to promote healing in your muscle while reducing the amount of scar tissue that forms during the healing process. Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy^™ (BFST^®) will promote blood flow to heal your injury faster and more completely than any other methods available.

Freezie Wrap^® Cold Compression Therapy

To decrease inflammation of your muscle pull when the strain first occurs doctor's recommend cold compression therapy. For an acute strain, cold compression therapy within the first 48 - 72 hours and after any restrain is important to limit the amount of damage done to your tissue. Cold compression therapy will relieve pain and swelling as needed and will reduce, or even eliminate, the need for NSAIDs and pain medications.

The Leg/Arm Freezie Wrap^® is the cold compression tool you need to treat your groin pain in an effective and convenient way. It is so versatile it can be worn anywhere on your body, wherever you need treatment.

Cold Compression Therapy works by interrupting and slowing nerve and cell function in the injured area and reducing swelling that can block blood vessels. This is important because once blood vessels are blocked or damaged, they can no longer carry oxygenated blood through your muscle and tissue cells begin to break-down. Without cold compression therapy cellular break-down and tissue damage continues as the cells do not get the oxygen they need to survive. By limiting the amount of damage done to your tissue, you also limit the amount of healing that needs to occur. This is a very important step to heal your muscle strain faster and with less pain!

The deep cooling effect provided by the Freezie Wrap^® slows cell metabolism thereby reducing cellular break-down and tissue damage. Furthermore, because the cold wraps gently numb the nerves, the wraps also reduce pain!

The Freezie Wrap^® uses a supercharged cooling gel pack, that chills in the fridge, not in the freezer like ice or other freezer packs, giving you deep cold therapy without the risk of 'cold burns' or cryoburn.

Click here to learn more about Cold Compression Freezie Wraps^®

Once the inflammation of your groin injury has been reduced, nourishing and strengthening the muscle tissue and surrounding area is recommended. Using Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy^™ will speed your recovery and heal your muscle fibers more completely preparing them for strengthening exercises. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to find out which exercises are appropriate for your situation.

Inferno Wrap^® Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy^™

After severe inflammation and swelling is reduced you can begin to treat your groin with Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy^™ (BFST^®). BFST^® increases the amount of blood that flows naturally to your muscle fibers to nourish your soft tissue which speeds healing.

When you rest your leg and stop moving around because it hurts, the natural blood flow to your muscles is reduced, limiting your body's ability to heal itself.

By treating your groin with BFST^® you can increase your body's blood supply to the muscle fibers and increase your body's natural healing power.

The Inferno Wrap^® is the tool you need to treat your sore groin because not only does it speed healing, it relaxes all your muscles. With BFST^®, tissues are safely and gently stimulated. Your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area, increasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to injured tissue cells to promote healing and loosen the tissue. Our Leg/Arm Inferno Wrap^® provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief and healing with no side effects.

In addition, the improved blood flow whisks away dead cells and toxins that have built up from your groin pull, further reducing tightness and pain. When you stop moving your leg due to pain, your muscles and other tissue can become weaker and dead cells and toxins in the area can cause further tissue deterioration - this can lead to atrophy (muscle weakness and/or deterioration). By clearing the area of toxins and increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients to your muscle and other tissue, the risk of atrophy is greatly reduced. Keeping your leg muscle tissue as healthy as possible throughout the healing process will allow you to improve leg and hip strength again once your pain has gone and your strain has healed.

Click here to learn more about how BFST^® and Inferno Wraps^® work.

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound therapy is a great therapeutic option to compliment your BFST^® treatments. Ultrasound therapy will decrease inflammation and pain, prevent knots from forming in the muscle fibers, and soften scar tissue. Therapeutic ultrasonic waves increase tissue elasticity while promoting healing in your groin muscles by opening up the blood vessels to allow greater blood flow.

If you are experiencing pain in your hip, knee, or ankle because of your groin injury, you can use therpeutic ultrasound to treat these areas as well. With groin pain you often readjust your posture and gait to take the pressure off. This puts extra pressure on other parts of your body and can cause strain. Using a home ultrasound will allow you to treat all the areas that need to heal easily and help you maintain a healthier body.

During the healing process, scar tissue builds up to 'repair' the damaged tissue. Unfortunately, scar tissue can bind your muscle fibers and other tissue together abnormally. The inflexible scar tissue causes more pain and limits range of motion.

If scar tissue is left untreated, your groin may stiffen making movement difficult and in some cases, impossible. At the very least, scar tissue leaves your muscles weaker, leaving you at greater risk of further injury. Fortunately, you can treat your leg muscles with MendMeShop^® Ultrasound System to soften scar tissue and improve the tightness in your leg.

Please Note: Ultrasound is not recommended for use directly over your spine or any organs.

Ultrasound can also be used to administer therapeutic medicines deep into your injured muscles. This is a process known as phonophoresis. Ultrasound therapy with phonophoresis is rapidly becoming more popular than ultrasound therapy alone.

Therapeutic ultrasound with phonophoresis is safe, convenient, and easy and requires 5-10 minutes per treatment. It is based on a form of deep tissue therapy, which is generated through high frequency sound waves (that we can not hear). These waves send micro vibrations into your body and carry medicated molecules within the ultrasound gel deep into your muscle tissue to enhance your ultrasound therapy. Ultrasound waves and medicated ultrasound gel penetrate deep to relax your muscles, decrease inflammation and accelerate your recovery rate, so you can return to your daily activities as soon as possible.

Using MendMeShop^® Lavender Infusion Ultrasound Gel during your ultrasound therapy gives you 2 therapies in 1. You get the benefit of the regenerating sound waves from the ultrasound device itself AND the added bonus of the therapeutic ingredients inside the gel being delivered into your muscles where it is most effective to reduce your pain and heal. 1 FREE bottle of MendMeShop^® Lavender Infusion Ultrasound Gel comes with every MendMeShop^® Ultrasound System and it contains the therapeutic essential oils of natural Bulgarian lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, and menthol.

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With these 3 easy therapies, cold compression, ultrasound and BFST^®, you will notice significantly reduced pain and an incredible improvement in your groin pain.

During your recovery, you may have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort in your groin and leg until your pain and inflammation settle. The more diligent you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results!

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