The muscles that makes up the groin are the hip adductors. The hip adductors are highly susceptible to injury during participation in any physical activity that involves quick movements or high speeds with lateral movement.In order to treat groin pulls effectively, options such as prevention, passive treatment and rest are recommended.
Rest
One of the first treatment options for groin pulls is simply resting the hip adductor muscles. Recovery from a groin pull can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. In the March 2007 American Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers investigated the effectiveness of rest as a treatment option for athletic groin injuries. Participants in the study did not participate in any weight-bearing activities for 12 weeks while injured. Results of the study indicated that complete rest allowed 89 percent of the participants to resume sporting activities without pain.
Passive Treatment
Passive treatment involves the use of different equipment modalities that promote healing and recovery in injured areas of the body. In the December 2001 Journal of Athletic Training, researchers investigated the effectiveness of passive treatment management on professional soccer players with groin injuries, using treatment options such as ultrasound, electric stimulation, massage and anti-inflammatory medication. The result of these passive treatments was an earlier than-anticipated return to full sports participation. In this case of this study, participants were able to return for the next soccer season completely recovered.
Exercise
While rest and passive therapy have been shown to be successful treatments for groin injuries, rehabilitation-based exercise can be considered a treatment option as well. In the March 2009 issue of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Rehabilitation, Therapy and Technology, researchers conducted a comprehensive review of exercise therapy options for groin injuries in athletes. The results of the review indicated that many studies provided evidence that strengthening of the musculature around the groin helped athletes return to full sports participation after just a few months.
References
- American Journal of Sports Medicine: “Outcome of Conservative Management of Athletic Chronic Groin Injury Diagnosed as Pubic Bone Stress Injury”; G. Verrall, et. al. March 2007.
- Journal of Athletic Training: “Osteitis Pubic Syndrome in the Professional Soccer Athlete: A Case Report”; C. Rodriguez, et. al. December 2001.
- Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Rehabilitation, Therapy and Technology: “A Systematic Review on the Literature of the Effectiveness of Exercise Therapy for Groin Pain in Athletes”; Z. Machotka, et. al. March 2009.
