What is a sports hernia?
A painful, soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament) injury, such as a strain or tear, that occurs in your groin or lower abdomen area is generally known as a sports hernia.
Most often, it’s the oblique muscles in your lower abdomen that are affected and the tendons that attach these muscles to the pubic bone. Also, tendons that attach your thigh muscles to your pubic bone (adductors) can also be stretched or torn.
Often doctors will use the terms inguinal disruption and athletic pubalgia when referring to a sporting hernia.
What is the difference between a hernia and a sports hernia?
Interestingly, unlike a traditional hernia there is no hernia in a sports hernia. It does not create a hole in your abdominal wall. This has led to some debate in the medical community around it’s terminology. Also, as there is no visible bulge under the skin it means that making a definitive sports hernia diagnosis is difficult.
Sports hernia vs inguinal hernia
A sports hernia and an inguinal hernia are both painful conditions that affect your groin, but they are different injuries with different causes and symptoms.
A sports hernia is a soft tissue injury in your groin area, often caused by repetitive or explosive motions where you twist your pelvis. There is no hernia bulge and symptoms include groin pain and aching.
An inguinal hernia is a bulge or swelling in your abdominal area that occurs when abdominal tissue, such as part of your intestine, pushes through a weak spot in your lower abdominal wall. Symptoms include a visible lump or bulge in the groin, pain when moving, and a feeling of pressure in the groin
What causes a sports hernia?
A sports hernia is common in sports that require sudden changes of direction and intense twisting movements and result in a large amount of stress being placed on your groin and pelvic region.
Sports that involve planting your feet, kicking, turning and twisting such as hockey, football, tennis, badminton, wrestling, distance running and, rugby are more likely to cause a sports hernia. If you participate in these sporting activities on a frequent basis you may overload your tendons and bones in the pubic symphysis (cartilaginous joint) and this may cause a sports hernia.
A sports hernia may also be caused by:
- Repeated and forceful hip movements, such as jumping, kicking, and twisting.
- Vigorous abdominal and hip exercises.
- Weak abdominal muscles.
- A lack of proper sports preparation and training.
- Your abdominal and hip muscles being differing strengths.
Symptoms of a sports hernia
Sports hernia symptoms you can expect include:
- Sudden and intense pain when the injury happens
- Pain in your groin increased by coughing and sneezing and when partaking in sports activities
- Chronic, dull or burning pain
- Difficult to locate the exact pain area
- Pain radiating downward to your scrotum and/or inner thigh.
- Pain in your lower abdomen
- Pain that impacts your ability to engage in sports and may become disabling over time.
How is a sports hernia diagnosed?
If you suspect you have a sports hernia you should visit your doctor for diagnosis at your earliest convenience. They will look at your medical history, perform a physical examination and they may refer you for diagnostic tests.
Physical examination
Your doctor will perform a physical examination when trying to determine if you have a sports hernia. It’s likely that you’ll be asked to do a sit-up or flex your trunk (torso) against some resistance. If you have a sports hernia, you will find these tests painful.
Further diagnostic testing
Sports hernias have historically been misdiagnosed as a groin pull or strained abdominal muscle. After your doctor completes a physical exam, they may order X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to help determine whether you have a sports hernia. MRIs are commonly used to confirm a sports hernia.
Sometimes, a bone scan or other test is recommended to help rule out other possible causes of the pain.
Sports hernia treatment
There are a variety of sports hernia treatments available. Treatment will depend on the severity of your injury, age, health, and desired level of physical activity. Your doctor will advise you on the best course of treatment for your individual needs.
Non-surgical treatments for sports hernia
Non-surgical sports hernia treatment can include:
- Resting - from activity for up to 10 days after injury.
- Ice – applying ice to the painful area can help with pain and swelling.
- Non-steroid anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) – such as Ibuprofen and naproxen can help reduce pain and swelling.
- Compression – using a wrap of compression can help relieve pain if there is a bulge in your groin.
- Physiotherapy – to help improve strength and flexibility in your pelvic, abdominal and inner thigh muscles. Your physiotherapist will give you advice and an exercise plan that may help relieve pain.
- Corticosteroid injections – may be recommended if standard NSAIDs aren't working to relieve pain and swelling.
Surgical treatments for sports hernia
If non-surgical treatments are not effective in relieving your sports hernia symptoms in the long term or when you resume sports activities, then sports hernia surgery may be recommended to repair the weakened area and torn tissues of your abdominal wall.
Surgical repair can be performed by open or minimally invasive surgery.
- Open sports hernia surgery – uses one long incision.
- Endoscopic sports hernia surgery – uses smaller incisions and a small camera, called an endoscope, to see inside your abdomen.
- Inguinal neurectomy – cuts a small nerve in your groin, called the inguinal nerve.
Your general surgeon will discuss the surgery that best meets your needs.
Sports hernia recovery time
Sports hernia healing time typically follows this path:
- 2 weeks of rest to allow the soft tissues in your groin area to heal.
- 4 to 6 weeks of physiotherapy to build strength, mobility, and flexibility.
- Within 12 weeks you can usually return to your sports by combining rest and physiotherapy. This can also help prevent recurrence and long-term complications.
Sports hernia prevention
It can be difficult to prevent a sports hernia due to certain sports placing stress and strain on your pelvis and hips.
If you are at high risk of a core muscle or tendon injury because you play a certain sport, you may be recommended a sports hernia prevention program. This can include exercises that strengthen your hip muscles, abdomen and core, and those that improve flexibility and minimise strain across your lower abdominal area, as this is where core muscle injuries often happen.
Sports hernia treatment at Ramsay Health Care
At Ramsay Health Care, we offer expert treatment and hernia surgery for sports hernias with a focus on fast, efficient care tailored to your needs. Our patients benefit from quick appointment scheduling, minimising wait times so you can start your recovery sooner.
With access to a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including surgeons, physiotherapists, and sports medicine experts, we provide a comprehensive approach to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Trust Ramsay Health Care to get you back to peak performance with personalised care and world-class expertise.
Contact us to find out more about sports hernia treatments at Ramsay Health Care.
Athletic Pubalgia Sports Hernia FAQs
What can be mistaken for a sports hernia?
Many conditions and injuries can cause pain in your groin area. This means sports hernias are difficult to diagnose and other problems may be mistaken for a sports hernia. Hip-joint osteoarthrosis, rectal or testicular pain, and pelvic fractures are just that cause groin pain.
Also, groin pain can be caused by referred pain from an injury that originate in another of your body such as your leg. Referred pain happens due to the many nerves in your groin area extending to other areas.
Can I test myself for a sports hernia?
No, you should not test yourself for a sports hernia, as it can be difficult to distinguish from other conditions and self-diagnosis can be inaccurate. You should consult your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
How to tell if I have a hernia or pulled muscle?
The main difference between a sports hernia and a pulled muscle is the nature and location of the pain. With a sports hernia, the pain is normally severe in your groin or abdomen area at the time of injury, gets better with rest, and worsens with activity, especially twisting movements. If you have a pulled muscle, the pain is sharp and immediate, usually in your inner thigh.
What happens if a sports hernia goes untreated?
If you have a sports hernia that is untreated, you can end up with chronic, disabling pain that prevents you from resuming your sports activities.
There are a variety of treatments for a sports hernia and your doctor will recommend the best treatment for you based upon multiple factors, including severity, type of tear or strain as well as your desired level of physical activity.
Can a sports hernia heal on its own?
It’s unlikely for a sports hernia to heal on its own. It usually requires a formal sports hernia cure other than rest. Non-surgical treatments such as sports hernia therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids are often needed to treat a sports hernia and, in some cases, surgery is needed.