Muscle strains Strains of the muscles around the hip and pelvis can cause pain and spasm. The most common strains are groin strains and hamstring strains. What is a groin strain? A groin strain is an injury to the muscles of the inner thigh. These muscles are called the "adductor muscles" and attach from the inner pelvis to the inner part of the femur (thigh bone). These muscles pull the legs together, and also help with other movements of the hip joint. The adductor muscles are important to many types of athletes including sprinters, swimmers, soccer players, and football players. What happens to the muscle with a groin strain? it is these adductor muscles that are strained, ie it is strained, the muscle is stretched too far. Less severe strains pull the muscle beyond their normal excursion. More severe strains may tear the muscle fibers, or even cause a complete tear of the muscle. Most commonly, groin strains are minor tears of some muscle fibers, with the bulk of the muscle tissue remaining intact. What are the symptoms of a groin pull? An acute groin strain can be quite painful, depending on the severity of the injury. They are usually graded as follows:
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Groin strains are often seen in athletics who participate in sports such as hockey and football. These injury may be in part predisposed by hip muscle strength, preseason conditioning, and previous history of injury to the area
What can be done about this? The following are the common treatments used for groin strains:
What can be done to prevent groin strains? Proper conditioning is of utmost importance to prevent the occurrence of a groin strain injury. Athletes, especially hockey and football players, should incorporate adductor stretching exercises , hip adductor and abductor strengthening exercises, pelvic stability exercises (gluteus medius and maximus) and core strengthening exercises (including abdominal and lumbar strengthening) into their workouts to prevent further injury. Please read our disclaimer. |