Groin Injury With No Clear Diagnosis

[BUFB2012]

I play American football, and during practice back in late September my hip-flexor area became painful. It's hard to explain, but it didn't bother me too much while sprinting or changing direction, but in-between plays it was almost unbearable. However, the day I felt this pain, the very next day it was gone. I chalked it up to my body just being weird.

Three weeks later, the pain came back out of nowhere with a vengeance. I played my last three games with the pain, and was told it was a hip-flexor strain, though my strength in my leg was not reduced by the injury and I could lift weights and do abdominal work without pain or discomfort.

After the season, I took three weeks of rest (I am on the third week right now) with no lifting, running, etc. and was examined by a team doctor for a possible hernia, which luckily he did not find. However, he suggested that I could have a sports hernia, since I noted some tenderness in my abductor (or adductor, I forget which one he said) area. The other give-aways for a sports hernia were not present (no pain doing abdominal work, no discomfort when I wake up in the morning, no lower abdominal pain). He then said I could just have an abductor strain rather than a hip-flexor strain, but he didn't rule out a sports hernia. The only time I experience discomfort was when he put his hands on the inside of both of my knees and told me to squeeze my legs together.

Can anyone give me some insight on what is going on with my body?

[Heidi]

Doing the movement you described shows there is definitely a problem in the groin muscles (adductors).
You have done the right thing to rest. Is it still causing you any pain on a daily basis, or is it pain-free currently?

[BUFB2012]

Thank you for the response!

I do not experience pain or discomfort throughout the day. I've "dug" around the area with my fingers and can't find a point of tenderness, though if I am sitting upright and place my fist inbetween my knees and squeeze, I experience tenderness in my adductor (left leg only). I have resumed lifting and light running, and I do not experience pain during those actions, yet I can just "feel" that something is not quite right in my adductor region.

I saw a specialist today who stated that it doesn't seem to be a sports hernia, but has ordered an MRI for my groin next week. He is looking for a possible stress fracture, and also any problems along my adductor tendon (?). He used a longer name, but I know for a fact he said tendon because my pain during football came from deceleration.