well yesterday I had the opportunity to have a consultation with one of the foremost hernia/sports hernia surgeons in upper midwest.
He is 90% certain that this is what I have and not necessarily a groin strain. Everything he discussed seemed to be right on. He sggested surgery but gave no guarantees that all pain would subside but was pretty certain it would definitely help alot.
I would just like to hear from others who are TRULY familiar with this TYPE of hernia.
well i was diagnosed with one in may…thedoc told me the pain would subside…i just had to wait it out, well im in august and im still unable to sprint…i shouldve gotten surgery then,. even tho it wasnt necessary…im guna get it done asap now, i would suggest get the surgery done asap
well i was told that it wasn’t a sports hernia for half year and it wasn’t till the doctor’s didn’t have any other ideas, that they took a MRI and it showed i had a Sport hernia and also a stretch fracture on my pubic bone (because of that, my lower ab muscles wouldn’t fire and the doctors presumed it was just week abs). But, i ended up having the surgury and its been a year now and i just competed in the European Championships so i can say for me, the surgury was the only answer. it a tough one to rehab from , but eventually you’ll feel like you did before.
what is interesting is that this surgeon said it cannot be seen on an MRI. He said there is a lady in Germany that claims it is possible but he doubts it up till now.
It is mostly diagnosed by process of elimination as a result. Thank both of ya’s for suggesting to get it done. He did say that one of the symptoms is that is chronic reoccuring pain. So even if you think it has healed, it won’t. He also said that the most important thing to do is work on flexibility after the surgery w/ prescribed stretches.
THanks again.
lol, i also had a stress fracture in my pelvis…it was still in the developing stages tho, the MRI caught it early thankfully…
What event did you compete in at the European Championships? How did you perform?
discus 56.62 m
Surgery works for ‘sports’ herinations.
Excellently
However its like anything - it depends on the qaulity of the surgeon!!
Yes the debate about seeing the sports hernia is very intense - some claim MRI can show it, and I know a doctor skilled with Ultrasound can show it up.
Perosnally I would reply more on Ultrasound, but ultimately I would rely most on a skilled therapist and/or Surgeon for diagnosis.
If you decide to go with the surgery, my experience is very good and from the research the success rate across the board is one of the highest I’ve seen regardless of sport and that is even over the past few years.
Sorry I don’t have more time - If you want drop me a line or pm me.
thanks a mil. YOu all have been reassuring.
I let you know what happens in a couple of months
Actually there is an additional question.
With you similar injury, did you experience pain in other areas. Such as tail bone, and other groin related areas?
Every once in a while during the track season I would run in a coaches relay. Once I ran the anchor on a 4x100 for the coaches. FYI(I sprinted the first half and looked around for comp for the last 50mters. I finished with a “Neon Deon Sanders” sid-step thru the finish line. Still got a 11.5 split.)
anyways, after I was finished, out of shape and all, I hurt so bad “IN” my *!# I could barely stand. My groin in the front hurt and of course I played it off in front of the kids. This is back when I thought it was just groin strains. Therapy would loosen it up but the pain would return.
This is one reason why all things seem to point to hernia
Very probable.
Becuase of the musculature and particlaurly nature of muscle insertions there tends to be alot of referred pain to anywhere in the pelvic region.
Testicle pain is common as is groin (adductor) pain.
Low back pain very common too.
Nice to see this thread…
Here is my experience:
When we first did enourmous number of long jumps, practicing both techniques, at Athletics course at Faculty, 2002 or 2003 (can’t remember exactly), when I came home, besides experiencing shin splints, I had a “dumb” pain in my right testicle, low back and whole right pelvic area. After some time it has gone.
During 2004, don’t know why, but it came back (I have lifted something, in the gym or when workoing). I went to do ultrasound of testicle and the doc said I haid a 1st degree enlargement of testicle vein (but on left testicle).
This year, I had simmilar experience when trying Westside approach. I went to doc again and he sent me to urologist. Ok… now the painfull experience… Urologist stick couple of fingers in my inguinal tunnel and said I should cough — it was painfull. He said it is possible herniation (I have small hernia, but there is no reason for surgery). The are is in inflamation and it compressed a “sperm” tunnel from my right testicle. Thanks God — my nuts are good (LOL). The doc said, unload a little and wear a lifting belt??? What? Lifting belt I said? And I explained the doc some thing about the belt, that it can actually induce herniation instead of preventing from it due increased IAP! Then he said, use a eleastic belt which cover your inguinal area, not lifting one… I didn’t! And I didn’t unload…
I did some ab work (isometrical), inner leg raises (lying) and front raise to build that region around inguinal tunnel. It worked, and the pain stopped. Since then I include this exercises in warm-up!
Interestingly, couple of months later, my brother, which work as a steward on one trans-ocean ship in Florida (Yes, he is in USA and I am not, damn :mad: ) (kiddin, 
) complain to our mom about testicle pain. He got scared (and I did — who wouldn’t when the “gear” is in issue? :rolleyes: ), went to a ship doctor and basically he didn’t said anything — he said he should go to urologist and spend couple of thousands $$$ which he disliked. I asked about the sympthoms (normal ejaculation-sex life, dumb pain, etc) and I concluded he have same thing as I do!!! I gave him exercises over the mail. I think he is ok now, didn’t asked…
To conclude: it seems this stuff is genetical!!!
Ok,
just this week I am experiencing simmilar symptoms, but without testicle pain. The dumb pain is in whole right pelvic area… and low back… and hip… hard to indentify. I also have some “thimblig pain” down the leg (which I have since 10th year) due my thigh piriformis (I guess). I did some deep squats this and last week, and demonstrated couple of HI exercise not-warmed on bball practice… Also I was long in sitting position, because I did a lot of computer work lately!
But I don’t think it is herniation, because there is no nub/knott anywhere (I have a friend who lifts and he get nub on inguinal tunnel from time to time — same diagnosis as I — posible herniation but no need for surgery until it is “opened”). I think it is iliopsoas strain, but I might be wrong. I did some testing and it seems my iliopsoases are both weak (unable to lift knee to a decent heigh in seated position) — I have some pain when walking (leg wsing forward). I will test myself more on this. If it doesn’t pass for a week I am going to see the urologist. I am just going trough some testing in Shirley Sahrmann’s book.
Well, if anybody have some advice I would be pretty happy to hear it! Thanks in advance!
Duxx, Previsouly I would have said there is a definite genetical link with regard to herniation.
Now there is also the possibility which I have been considering - that very often active parents have active children who have active brothers etc., but I do think there is substainial evidence to consider genetics a likelihood.
In my expereince mild forms of sports hernias can be treated if caught at the right time, but I have never heard of anyone ‘curing’ it.
I personally have 3 general grades of herniation I use myself in diagnosis, mild, moderate and severe
With Mild you can with treatment maintain it, manage to get through a season or if you retire you probably would never feel it again.
Moderate you cannot play or participate in your sport fully, but can contribute at 75%, (which lets be honest is essentailly useless)
Finally with severve - you’re on the operating table - the bulge is obvious and you’re in constant pain
In other words treatment of hernias depends on catching it at the right time.
While I hate the concept of surgery and don’t, as a rule, tend towards surgery unless absolutely necessary this is one case where I believe it is the best option 90% of the time for many reasons.
Now prevention is another thread!
i had the same thing, but these exercises severly gave me pain, not help cure it!!
did these exercises not giev u pain, or did u tough it out.
i have a small inguinal hernia as well but i cant live like going 1 week of hard work and 2 weeks rest im not going to get any better…
if I understood the surgeon correctly, nothing necessarily bulges thru with a SPORTS hernia. It is a tear just behind the “cheech & chong”. They can be painful. It actually hurts behind both of the fellas when I SNEEZE! :eek:
A normal hernia will usually be a tear in the wall where the intestines for example bulge thru. The bulge is usually something that should be inside sneaking a peak at the outside world.
Problem is if it is the intestine sneaking a peak, if it is pinched in the process it can rupture and fill the blood stream w/ toxins. No good!
I do have a hernia that my wife noticed before I did right in the belly button that has no pain associated w/ it. Just a little bulge.
I think my mentor prof. Koprivica mentioned that one kid cured hernia with ab work — he proposed this approach before non-surgical hernial “curing” was at the sight — but I might be wrong. It depends on the herniation level. If it is a “week tissue” threathing to herniate (as in my case), or if the hernia (opening) is very small — then, exercises, I belive, can help… But I am allways carefull about “heal one thing, screw another” approach of doing a lot of ab work…
REcently, I gain an extra pound of fat on my waist due poor nutrition, and maybe this have something to do too (weak abs, altought I don’t have one :))
I was thinking on the developmnet of pelvic area: lower abs, adductors etc with various exercises to hypertrophy that part of body to close hernia or to prevent from happening… altough hernia usually (if not allways) happens in the passive tissue (inguinal tunnel etc) so I don’t know how much “hypetrophy” and “structural” work may help… maybe after surgery?
I may agree with you, that once you have it… you will allways have a posibilit of a return of it…
No, exercises didn’t hurted…
I think due my inactivity over summer, and sudden start with “butt to ground” squats, I am again experiencing symptoms, but as I stated, I don’t know if it is a strain or hernia… gotta check… I am just now having sympthoms writing this, in the inguinal tunnel a dumb pain…
I was thinking I have some “hip movement impairment” , because I sensed a 0,5cm anterior glide in both hips while walking, but I think it is normal… right? I am confused… I am just going to check Sahrmann’s book!
To say nothing bulges through is and is not true, most cases are found and treated before there is a protrusion, but the actual sports hernia generally refers to the beginning of the ‘protrusion’.
Curing sports hernia with core or ab work … like I said - possible perhaps at a very early stage, but in most athletes I would expect it to develop eventually over time.
Generally the weak abs solution is in response to APT - anterior pelvic tilt. But this can be as a result of many things not just ‘weak abs’ - poor posture, very strong linear strength, very strong adductors etc.
The problem with many exercises to strengthen or hypertrophy the structures around the hernia is the pain they can cause the athlete once the hernia has occurred/begun. Also the injury prevents athletes from doing many things, so what do you do?
The dilema with the traditional Sports Hernia is simple -
Rest and rehab for 2 months or
Go get an op with a 90% chance of never reoccurring and be back in 6 weeks or 2 months?
This is very true … and something the likes of the Armed Forces are very careful with especially in the field.
Just one other thing you said too … often with the standard hernia when the intestine is pinched it might not rupture, just when you relax alow toxins that have developed in the pinched sac to flow back into the intestine causing poisining that way too.
At this stage there is a palpable bulge though and you’d know about it.
The sports ‘hernia’ generally impinges on the inguinal canal and this is why the doctor will place his finger right up behind and under ‘Big Jim and Twins’ and onto the attachment of the inguinal ligament, by palpating it alone he might elicit enough of a pain response or he might get you to cough and see if it hurts using IAP.
I used use a gym test for Sports Hernia.
Stand facing a Lat-pull down machine arms length away and with a medium weight reach out, with both arms, keep arms straight and pull the bar downwards towards your thighs. Keep a proper tall and rigid posture. Gradually increase the weight and ask the client if they feel pain in the lower ab, inguinal region.
Pain generally will mean sports hernia.
Hey Fergus (No23),
Thanks for your help here bro!
The exercises you mentioned… did you think on this one:
I used this one to develop core strenght/stability — it is awesome for this purpose — but I didn’t knew it can be a test for hernia… gotta try today… I am heading to gym in about 1h, so I will tell you my results! Anyway, I schedulet at surgeon at monday to take a look under my “Big Jim and Twins” :eek: