Groin Strain (Adductor Longus Tear)
A groin pull — or groin strain — results from putting too much stress on muscles in your groin and thigh. If these muscles are tensed too forcefully or too suddenly, they can get over-stretched or torn. The groin muscles, called the “adductor muscle” group, consists of six muscles that span the distance from the inner pelvis to the inner part of the femur (thigh bone).
Groin pulls are common in people who play sports that require a lot of running and jumping. In particular, suddenly jumping or changing direction is a likely cause. Groin pulls often appear in people who play soccer and football, and they make up about 10% of all injuries in professional hockey players.
Symptoms
- Pain and tenderness in the groin and the inside of the thigh
- Pain when you bring your legs together
- Pain when you raise your knee
- A popping or snapping feeling during the injury, followed by severe pain
Groin pulls are often divided into three degrees of severity:
- 1st degree: Pain, but little loss of strength or movement
- 2nd degree: Pain and some tissue damage
- 3rd degree: Pain, loss of function, and a complete tear of the muscle
To diagnose a groin strain, your doctor will give you a thorough physical exam. Tests like X-rays and MRI scan may be needed to rule out other problems.
Conservative Treatment
Most groin strains heal on their own. You just need to give it some time and rest. To speed the healing, you can:
- Ice the inside of your thigh to reduce pain and swelling. Experts recommend doing it for 20-30 minutes every three to four hours for two to three days, or until the pain is gone.
- Compress your thigh using an elastic bandage or tape.
- Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like voltaren, ibuprofen, etc. will help with pain and swelling. However, these drugs can have side effects; they should be used only occasionally, unless your doctor specifically says otherwise.
Platelet Rich Plasma PRP Injections
Most of the time, these conservative treatments will do the trick. In 3rd degree strains (which are actually complete tears of the muscle, usually the adductor longus), we do platelet rich plasma PRP injections under ultrasound guidance to the area of muscle tear. The ultrasound scan is used to localise the area of injury to facilitate accurate injection of the PRP into the injured area. This shortens the healing process significantly.
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