Groin injury, only in the morning!

Hi all, im at my wits end here and this thread is the last thing i can think of. If anyone out there has any advice it would be much appreciated, sorry about the length of it!

I'm 28 and I sustained a groin injury ~10wks ago in our last game of the season - overstretching for the ball with 30min to go and I felt the pull on the inside off my right thigh up near my pelvis, although I was able to carry on playing until fulltime. For 1wk after, i was wary of it but it wasn't too bad, so i thought it was just a minor sprain. Played indoor football 1wk after the game and halfway through it just went, i couldn't kick a ball after that...in hindsight I shouldn't have played because I think this aggravated the original injury.

For the next 2wks i did nothing, just rested it. Most noticable symptom at this stage was a dull pain and stiffness deep in the groin area that lingered for a 3 or 4 hours every morning that i am still getting today, 10wks after original injury. This pain is gone by the afternoon.

Up to now i've had 6wks of resting and 3wks on bike/Xtrainer (3/wk, 20min each, physios recommendation), but i am still getting this soreness in the morning and it's not getting any better. I feel i can run, cycle, in straight lines but cannot twist or turn while running , or kick a ball - the impact of kicking sidefoot would cause pain in the groin area. It just feels like it's something that is not going away and that is totally depressing, i just want to play footy again!

Physio said he's never heard of this 'morning pain' before, which is strange. Has anyone out there ever heard of or experienced this symptom before and is there something more immediate that will fix this?? (injections, operation, compression shorts??). Should I risk it and try and play through the discomfort? (I did this before with a hammy and it was perfect after!). Physio also mentioned that i have fairly flat feet? Could this be having an impact? Should i get high insoles?

Thanks for listening!

Does it hurt to cough/sneeze? And do you struggle to get out of bed in the morning?
At the moment I wouldn't recommend playing until you know what it is as you may make things worse.

Hi Karen, thanks for your reply....no, it doesn't hurt when i cough or sneeze, and I'm able to get out of bed OK. It's just for 3-4hrs every morning, it feels tender/uncomfortable/sore/dull pain, hard to desrcibe to be honest but it's very limiting. I'm at a loss with it

Originally Posted by eomahony Hi Karen, thanks for your reply....no, it doesn't hurt when i cough or sneeze, and I'm able to get out of bed OK. It's just for 3-4hrs every morning, it feels tender/uncomfortable/sore/dull pain, hard to desrcibe to be honest but it's very limiting. I'm at a loss with it

The route I was thinking down was of a Spotsman's Hernia (otherwise called Gilmore's Groin). It is a common injury in footballers and is normally causes a dull nagging pain deep in the groin.

If no other treatment for a groin strain is working, you could try some rehab for this condition to see if it helps. This involves core stability work. Best using a gym ball to tone up the deep lower abdominals. There are numerous exercises so might be best looking on the internet for some or buying a book.

Hi ,
Do u have a sciatic pain associated with the groin pain?can u bend to pick up objects from the floor -as an example?

thanks again for your feedback folks. A friend of mine had an op for gilmore groin last yr but his symptoms don't sound anything like mine to be honest and I'm not getting any abdominal pain or discomfort at all. It's more concentrated at the top of the leg i think, just under pelvis.

I'm not sure what sciatic pain is but no, I don't have a problem with picking objects off the floor. But if i stand on bad leg and rotate hips, that would be sore ie when i put pressure on the inside of leg I think! It does get much better when i warm it up by running so I'm thinking it's a musculer issue? Physio is kinda at a loss also but seems to think maybe it's caused by the way my hip joints are orientated due to flat feet...does this make any sense?

Gilmores Groin will not normally cause abdominal pain. It is basically the tearing of the adductor longus tendon off the pubic bone, so this is where the pain would be. It should be more painful during hip rotation in standing than in sitting as more stability is needed in the pelvis when weight bearing.

I understand what the physio is saying about flat feet, but why has it suddenly come on now if that were the case. If you want to look into this further a podiatrist is the person to see, but personally don't think it will solve your problem.

Hi,
Now i know that u have no Sciatica-a pain with the involvement of the sciatic nerve,whichn causes the pain fom the pelvis to the whole leg.Fine,what is the treatment ur taking now?HOT PACKS wud be soothing,can also try IFT.
Ur flat feet has nothing to do with the pain,so don bother.uma madhu.

Hi Uma, only treatment at the moment is 1hr with physio every week, where he manipulates the upper leg/hip joint alot, putting pressure on the joint here and there + heat for 10min. He's not sure what it is though...I will buy hot packs and use them at night. Can I get these in a regular pharmacy? What is IFT?

Yeah Eomahony,u can get gel pads,where u can either dip in hot water for a hot pack or put it in the refrigerator for a cold pack.If u cant get it,a hot water bag wud do the job.If u still cant find one,wring a soft towel in hot water and use it as a pack.u will be fine.Do the movements which u can,don take bed rest.uma madhu.

eomahoney, please see my response to a similar problem in a thread named
"Overuse groin injury with very specific cause"
. Your problem is almost certainly a spinal referred one. Neuralgia ( nerve pain ) and other altered neural effects would most easily and logically answer the Why part of your dificulty. The What to do part is also covered in the other thread. In adddition , having had an observation of pronation ( 'flat feet " ), puts further points on the likely cause being your lumbar spine. Suitably made and fitted anti pronation orthoses would be beneficial in eliminating what would be an ongoing biomechanical contributor to spinal protective responses causing your neuralgia.
Cheers.

Originally Posted by eomahony Hi all, im at my wits end here and this thread is the last thing i can think of. If anyone out there has any advice it would be much appreciated, sorry about the length of it! I'm 28 and I sustained a groin injury ~10wks ago in our last game of the season - overstretching for the ball with 30min to go and I felt the pull on the inside off my right thigh up near my pelvis, although I was able to carry on playing until fulltime. For 1wk after, i was wary of it but it wasn't too bad, so i thought it was just a minor sprain. Played indoor football 1wk after the game and halfway through it just went, i couldn't kick a ball after that...in hindsight I shouldn't have played because I think this aggravated the original injury. For the next 2wks i did nothing, just rested it. Most noticable symptom at this stage was a dull pain and stiffness deep in the groin area that lingered for a 3 or 4 hours every morning that i am still getting today, 10wks after original injury. This pain is gone by the afternoon. Up to now i've had 6wks of resting and 3wks on bike/Xtrainer (3/wk, 20min each, physios recommendation), but i am still getting this soreness in the morning and it's not getting any better. I feel i can run, cycle, in straight lines but cannot twist or turn while running , or kick a ball - the impact of kicking sidefoot would cause pain in the groin area. It just feels like it's something that is not going away and that is totally depressing, i just want to play footy again! Physio said he's never heard of this 'morning pain' before, which is strange. Has anyone out there ever heard of or experienced this symptom before and is there something more immediate that will fix this?? (injections, operation, compression shorts??). Should I risk it and try and play through the discomfort? (I did this before with a hammy and it was perfect after!). Physio also mentioned that i have fairly flat feet? Could this be having an impact? Should i get high insoles? Thanks for listening!

Please tell me you've found a solution to your problem. I'm encountering exactly the same sypmtoms and I'm am beyond frustrated with my situation. What can I do??? I haven't played soccer for weeks and weeks and I've had little or no improvement.

no haven't found exact solution but its a year on now and it's much better. I'd suggest rest it for a while and then start building it up in gym once you feel up to it. It will get stronger. I'm not playing footy at the moment because of a back injury (another suggestion; don't try and compensate for injured groin/hamstring, it will go straight to your back! So mind your back), but my groin feels well up for football if i can get my back right. hope this helps....

Originally Posted by eomahony no haven't found exact solution but its a year on now and it's much better. I'd suggest rest it for a while and then start building it up in gym once you feel up to it. It will get stronger. I'm not playing footy at the moment because of a back injury (another suggestion; don't try and compensate for injured groin/hamstring, it will go straight to your back! So mind your back), but my groin feels well up for football if i can get my back right. hope this helps....

Thanks for the reply! How many weeks of rest did it take before the groin was better? Maybe if I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel it will be easier to deal with.

hard to tell, but if its long term like mine id suggest the following. i had difficulty running or kicking ball (ie any impact sports) so i would stick to non impact exercise like cycling and swimming for 3 months at least. Any light or gentle groin stretches and groin machine would be beneficial also i reckon. Ease yourself back into kicking ball or running. U'll know your own limitations anyway. And mind your back