The adductor group, or more commonly known as the “groin”,
is located on the inside of the upper thigh and consists of 5 muscles:
pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus and gracilis. The main function of this group pf muscles is
to bring your leg closer to the midline of your body or cross one leg in front
of the other. If that isn’t cutting it
for you, think “Thigh Master”! The Thigh
Master works the adductor group and helps tone the medial (inside) thigh.
These five muscles originate on the pubic bone and insert on
the femur (thigh bone). These points of
connection dictate the movements these muscles perform. Shortening of these muscles, or concentric
contraction, bring the femur closer to the pubic bone thus creating the movement
of adduction.
The most common injury to this group is a muscle strain,
also known as a groin pull. Symptoms of
a groin pull include stabbing pain in the groin area that may or may not
radiate down the inside of the thigh, swelling and/or bruising, muscle spasms,
and the inability to adduct the leg. There
are three different grades of muscle strain in the groin.
Grade 1:
Minor tearing of muscle fibers with mild discomfort and mild to no pain while
walking.
Grade 2: Moderate (more than 50%) tearing of muscle fibers with swelling, bruising and moderate to severe pain with difficulty walking.
Grade 3: Almost complete to complete rupture of the muscle fibers and tendon with severe pain and inability to walk.
Grade 2: Moderate (more than 50%) tearing of muscle fibers with swelling, bruising and moderate to severe pain with difficulty walking.
Grade 3: Almost complete to complete rupture of the muscle fibers and tendon with severe pain and inability to walk.
While the belly of the muscle can be injured, the
musculotendinous junction between the belly and the tendon is thought to be the
most commonly injured area of the muscle.
This can cause problems with healing because that area of the muscle has
less blood supply than the belly so it does not get the nutrients needed to
properly heal.
How does one injure their groin? There are several different mechanisms of
injury for a groin pull including sprinting, quickly changing directions,
overstretching the muscle, jumping or landing after a jump, running uphill and
rapid movements against resistance (kicking a ball). Sports such as ice hockey, soccer, football,
basketball, rugby, martial arts, gymnastics, dance and track and field tend to
have higher incidence of groin injuries.
In fact, about 2.5% of all karate injuries are groin related and between
10-18% of all soccer injuries are to the groin.
There are also factors that can increase the risk of an athlete pulling
their groin. Those include not warming
up properly, preexisting weakness in the adductor group, previous injury to the
area, tightness in the adductor group, biomechanical factors and lower back
problems.
Treatment of a groin injury can be tricky depending on the
area of the muscle that is affected.
Injuries to the muscle belly, for example, are best managed with light
stretching, a protocol of strengthening exercises and pretty quick return to
activities. Injuries to the
musculotendinous junction, however, require a more conservative approach to
treatment, including rest until the athlete is pain free, mild stretching and
strengthening over several weeks, working their way up to running and sprinting
then finally running and sprinting with quick directional changes.
In the acute stage of injury (1-3 days), cold therapy such as
ice can help relieve pain and swelling, as well as decrease bleeding within the
muscle that causes bruising. Rest is
also recommended during this time. It is
important for the athlete to seek professional treatment following a groin
injury to help guide them through their recovery. Chiropractors, especially those who
specialize in sports medicine…like most of us at Pro Chiropractic…have many
different tools to aid in recovery.
Modalities used at Pro Chiropractic to promote healing include:
~ Electrical muscle stimulation to
help relax and potentially rebuild injured muscles
~ Therapeutic ultrasound provides
deep heat into the tissue to relieve pain
~ Soft tissue mobilization
techniques (i.e. Graston Technique, fascial manipulation, myofascial release,
etc.) can help guide the healing muscle
fibers to lie in the proper orientation to avoid scar tissue formation and
trigger points
~ Kinesiology tape to decompress
the injured tissue and promote blood flow to the area which aids in healing by
bringing the proper nutrients to the injured muscle
~ Therapeutic exercises and
stretches to actively involve the athlete in their recovery away from the
office
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