Groin & Inner Thigh - enough is enough now.

[Shorey]

I ran a 32 mile event last year on a hilly course. I'm ok with that distance, and I know how to train for marathon and longer stuff, but I was not as well prepared as I usually am.

Roughly 25 miles in I got pre-curser warnings of cramp in my right thigh, (front).

I stopped, lifted my right foot up behind me to do a simple and gentle stretch of the front of my right thigh.

As I was raising my foot I triggered a horrific cramping in my upper inner right thigh and groin area on right hand side.

I could have cried for the pain, it is unlike anything I have ever felt before. If hell is big hot knives ripping into muscles and bone, this was hell.

I decided to gently plod on. (I had to get off the moor anyway so no choice.)

I crossed the line hours after my planned time and was in tatters.

Since then, my groin/inner thigh area has never been clear of a niggle sensation. I can run but I'm not totally pain free, and my recover is beset with inner thigh tightness and niggling dull ache. My bike is a definate no no - it causes the pain to flair massively for days afterwards.

This has beaten physios, it's beaten complete and sustained rest and ice treatments, cold baths, you name it.

I would be really grateful if anyone has any stretches and exercise I should practice on a regular basis.

Thank you

[Vinman]

tell me about he pain you get on the bike? where in your stoke and tell me what it feels like. give a good description of location as well if possible.

[4matic]

I had sports hernia with similar symptoms. Couldn't run without pain for two years and still have to be careful not to re-injure it. Impossible to diagnose but I discussed it with my doc and he pretty much concurred. Nothing helped except not doing anything to exasperate it. Try swimming..

[Shorey]

On the bike, I'm aware of the pain being triggered at the bottom of the stroke, and as I draw the peddle back along the bottom of the stroke.

On the bike - the pain is like a small sting - almost like a lignocaine injection sting. The pain is located on what feels like a solid tendon right up in my groin/upper inner thigh.

Once off the bike, the pain reverts to a dull ache. This dull ache seems to actually move from the location described above and track down the inner thigh to a point on the inner side of the thigh just above the knee. The sensation of pain is never spread over the entire inner thigh, but seems to only ever exist within a location about the diameter of a beer glass.

It's not that this is a killer agony anymore, but my concern is that even without exercise I know things aren't right. If I start to gear up for a big event I reckon this will blow up. Essentially, I want to do an IM next year and on current form my leg won't be good for it.

[Vinman]

sounds like adductor and or gracillis tendon, but the hip can be a very complex joint to diagnose. In that beer glass diameter there could be no fewer than 5 or 6 distinct diagnoses all with overlapping symptoms. Describe what types of treatment you have already tried a bit more indepth.

[Mofro261]

I've been dealing with an adductor groin stain going on 5 months now, pretty much has shut me down for all running and biking, and does affect my skiing and the abiltiy to pressure the edge, though I haven't stopped skiing or touring through the pain. I skied Fri-Sat-Sun last weekend and then the pain is always worse 48hrs later making things like simple walking and sleeping uncomforable. Rolling from my back to my side in bed is painful and sometimes it seems like the less active I am the worse it gets.

Went to the doc so I know it's not a sports hernia, and his advice was to make sure and use a heating pad/ sit in a hot tub etc to thoroughly warm up the area prior to exercise and take 800mg ibu for pain. Ice after exercise.

I had a similar strain from running ~10 yrs ago, and I remember it took 9+ months for it to begin to feel better.

Try a hip spica wrap prior to exercise- that probably next on my list.

[BigBoof]

Two injuries that can cause pains like you guys describe are sports hernias and hip femoroacetabular impingement, with or without labral tears. It's also common to see sports hernias and hip fai existing together. Both problems require absolute experts in these injuries to properly diagnose them. If you have either, bottom line for cure of symptoms and better chance of getting back to doing dangerous things for fun again is surgery. I have had surgeries for both sports hernias and hip fai and it took a long time to get to the bottom of it all, trying alternatives, and ultimately had to go under the knife.
I'm no doc but due to patient experience I highly suggest that if after PT and rest, you don't feel better and still can't ski or run, go see the best docs for this, even if it means you have to travel to do so.

[Shorey]

Surgery? I really hope not.

Once again the collective wisdom of the maggots reveals better answers than anywhere else on the web. Really appreciated.

Given the apparent complexity of this, I'm going to get medical advice and proper scans done - all time I didn't want to use up in hospital waiting rooms, but I don't think it can be avoided.

[danimal's dead]

I've been dealing with the same type of injury for several years. My pain runs from my lower abdomen down into my inner thigh/groin. Surgery is my biggest fear.