What goes into sports hernia treatment and why do we need it. That is what the following article deals with.
Sports hernia (athletic pubalgia or Gilmore’s groin) is a kind of hernia that is caused by the weakening of the lower abdominal wall (the tendons and muscles of the wall) which causes the sports hernia to form. This is the same region where an inguinal hernia is formed. But the inguinal hernia forms a distinct lump on the abdomen whereas a sports hernia doesn’t.
It is formed on the area where the wall tissue has become thin and is not strong. There are several types of hernia, but sports hernia is mostly caused by overexertion and muscle tearing. This is most common in professional athletes. The treatment for sports hernia becomes important because it can cause complications if not tackled in the starting stages.
Symptoms
These are some of the sports hernia symptoms that should determine whether you need to undergo hernia repair or not:
- Lower abdomen pain
- Inflamed joints and muscles in the lower abdomen and upper thighs
- Groin pain
- Side abdomen pain
- Chronic and severe pain during certain activities like coughing, sneezing, and physical sports
- Men may also experience pain in the testicles
Treatment
After understanding the varied causes of hernia, it is important to get in the varied treatment forms. Here is how the treatment for sports hernia should go.
Tests and Medication
Tests will have to be conducted to determine how severe the hernia has become and how the course of treatment should run. Medication in the form of painkillers can be administered to lower the severe pain that is caused.
Rest and Therapy
Whenever there is a strain or a muscle pull, the most essential thing that needs to be done in order for it to heal faster, is to get plenty of rest. And the same goes as part of the sports hernia treatment. After the patient has got around 4 weeks of rest in which there will be no strenuous physical activity, the patient will be put on a physical therapy.
In physical therapy, the emphasis is laid on strengthening the core muscles and stretching the lower abdominal, lower extremity muscles as well as the tendons. The main focus of the physical therapy is to correct the imbalance that has developed between the muscles driving into the pubic bone. If this therapy is successful, there will be no need for surgery.
Surgery
Sports hernia surgery is also called athletic pubalgia repair. This surgery is not the first choice when dealing with sports hernia repair. There needs to be a thorough checkup done, pain management administered, and physical therapy taken, and only if it is seen that none of these are going to help is the surgery brought into the picture.
Local anesthesia is administered prior to the surgery which involves correcting the conjoined tendon at the pubic bone. Then a mesh is placed on the hernia to support the weakened muscles. The recovery period involves the athletes to take plenty of rest to wear off the discomfort that the surgery brings. As the days progress, the athletes are asked to walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes everyday to strengthen the muscles and get back into their routine.
Rehabilitation
The walking on the treadmill will allow an athlete to get back their strength. They will also be taken off medication and the rehabilitation process will start. The rehabilitation process involves core strengthening as its main focus. This is taken at the patient’s own pace and depending on how well a patient responds to the surgery, his recovery and the time when he can get back to his full-time activities will be determined.
If a patient responds well to the rehabilitation, then he can take up sports activities within 4-6 weeks of surgery. The duration of the treatment plan will depend from one individual to the other and how well each responds to the treatment. Along with the treatment, it becomes necessary to take pointers from the physician about preventing a relapse as well.
Disclaimer – This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
