Unsure about rehab of my groin injury

[evh5150]

Hi guys,

I am a 29-year-old soccer coach and player, and I've picked up some sort of groin/hamstring/hip strain that I'm not sure how to rehab.

I play a lot of indoor soccer/futsal, meaning a lot of quick turning and sprinting over short distances. After a particularly hard match recently, I woke up the next morning with what felt like a normal groin strain on my right side, of which I've had many. There was no real pain in the groin, just that dull sensation and slight heaviness that I associate with a strain. It felt like the kind of injury that previously would have taken me maybe three days to get back to normal.

What was odd about this injury, however, were the sharp twinges I was getting when moving sideways - for example, getting into my car. The twinge wasn't in the groin itself, but a couple of inches closer to my hip, right at the very top of my quad. Around this time I also noticed that I have a click in my right hip, which isn't painful but is a little concerning.

As couple of days went by and I was still getting the twinges (no real pain, just a twinge), but I was starting to feel like the injury wasn't in my groin, but closer to my hip, and possibly even my hamstring.

I rested for two weeks, during which time the twinges went away almost completely, but in testing the injury out in another match, there's clearly still something wrong, as I am still feeling that the right leg is a little heavy, and there's some mild pain at the top of my quad, about half-way between my groin and my hip.

Can anyone make a suggestion as to what this injury is? In 20 years of playing sport, this is one I've never had! Any help on rehab and a timetable for doing so would be great.

Thanks!

[Heidi]

Hi
Groin injuries can be very ticky to assess, diagnose and treat. It could be a groin strain, although with the pain now feeling more at the front of the hip it is unlikely.
You haven't mentioned any specific incident so I am guessing that it just appeared overnight?
Have you had any back pain, or stiffness at all?
Any shooting pain into the leg, tingling or numbeness?
You mentioned the hamstrings, is there any pain there/so they feel tight?
Is there any pain on stretching the groin/quads/hamstrings?
Is there a tender point you can touch?
Sorry for all the questions! It just really helps to try to work out what might be happening.

[evh5150]

Not at all, thanks for the reply!

The heavy feeling in my right leg appeared the morning after strenuous activity (soccer). There was no specific incident which I noticed caused an injury; I was able to complete the game as normal and wasn't in any pain at all.

I've had no back pain, although sometimes I get some mild back stiffness due to working at a desk all day.

There has been no tingling or numbness, and my hamstrings don't feel tight at all, although I have a history of poor flexibility. You used the phrase "shooting pain" which sounds like a much worse version of the twinges I described, which are now all but gone anyway.

My groin is a little stiff on both sides and I've been trying to combat this through stretching. There is a point where it's a little tender to the touch, but that could just be because I'm pushing on a naturally vulnerable spot.

I'm told that one test for a pulled groin is to sit in a chair, put your fist between your knees, and squeeze the fist with the knees? There is no pain when I perform this test.

[Heidi]

Yes that is a test which can be used for groin strains. I think you're right that this doesn't sound like a groin strain.
I would continue to rest it from anything too aggravating until all daily pain/stiffness and aching has gone.
Continue stretching all of the muscles surrounding the hip - groin, quads, hip flexors, hamstrings and buttocks. If possible get some sports massage to the quads and groin too.
If not completely cleared up in the next 2 weeks then I would visit a specialist as the hip is a very complex area and pain could be radiated there from a number of places, including the lower back or buttocks.

[evh5150]

Thanks for the advice.

After almost a week the injury feels better, and I'm thinking that the only way to test it is to actually play soccer again, as I don't think there's anything I could do to replicate the kind of strain that comes with that activity.

Still, I'm going to to give the injury a further few days, and reassess after the weekend.