Groin Pain in footballers
Football sport is a strenuous game involving various movements in different directions like running, kicking, jumping, racing, turning, and sometimes even sudden awkward movements that pose a risk of injuries. Groin pain is one of the common injuries among footballers.
The groin is the curved edge between the lower abdomen and upper thighs on either side of the body. Groin pain is a general term as the pain is due to injury in different regions. Your groin involves pelvis, lower abdomen, and upper hip. When the muscles, tendons, and ligaments are injured in these regions, it results in groin pain.
Causes
- The inner thigh muscles may get overstretching or pulled during time of practice or in the game, causing groin pain.
- The repetitive forceful movements such as extending hip backward and outward may irritate and inflame the tendon in the inner thigh, causing groin pain.
- The muscle imbalances in the lower abdomen and inner thigh may pull the muscles to the stronger side, causing pain in the groin.
- An accident such as direct blow or hit on the abdomen and thigh may also inflame the groin, causing
Symptoms
- Sharp pain in the groin
- Swelling
- Difficulty moving hip
- The weakness of muscles in the hip and abdomen
- Pain increases with activity
- Pain may radiate to abdomen and hip
Physiotherapy management
- Stretching exercises: groin stretching exercise may help reduce the pull from the stronger muscles and help balance their strength, reducing pain, and improving function.
- Strengthening exercises: in footballers, lower limb muscles are stronger than abdominal muscles. Strengthening exercise helps strengthen core muscles and weak hip muscles.
- Range of motion exercises: Active range of motion of hip may be painful. Gentle, assisted movements may help maintain joint motions and prevent stiffness.
- Taping: taping may help continue to sport. It helps support the injured area, immediately relieve pain and prevents from overstretching.
- Compression wraps: following the blunt injury, painful swelling may appear in the groin. The compression wraps may help reduce pain and swelling.
Conclusion
Groin pain may affect the quality of sporting and may emotionally get demotivated. But with the appropriate process of sports practice and being mindful about the possible injury during the game may help prevent groin injury.