With your hips being the cornerstone of lower body movement, their overuse can leave you vulnerable to straining. Therefore, it is wise to understand your groin’s mechanisms, and how to approach a groin injury recovery if you fall victim to its malfunction. To accelerate the recovery process and return to play, we highly suggest applying the following information given.

Your hips are primarily made up of the groin muscles. These five muscles coordinate the leg’s motion, from lateral to medial movement. Common culprits of groin injuries include overuse, overreaching in a particular direction, and fatigue. Straining subsequently leads to discomfort and immobility, however this all depends on the severity of the injury.

Assessing the Damage

The severity of a groin strain is all dependent on the proportion of fibres that have torn; the more fibres torn, the greater the severity. The severity will determine the duration of resting, and how you should approach your recovery. For confirmation on the severity, you should consult with a healthcare professional before integrating any of the following measures.

Rest & Immobilisation

For all groin injuries, you should act by immobilising and resting the groin. This can be done via a brace or bandage, and is aimed to prevent further strain.

Recovery Techniques

After rest, there are multiple techniques you can implement to accelerate and ensure a thorough recovery. These techniques focus on improving your groin’s strength and mobility.

Physiotherapy:

Depending on its severity, you can perform groin exercises under the eyes of a physio, or you can conduct them independently at home. Exercises will aim to strengthen and improve the flexibility of your groin, which will promote blood flow and subsequent improvement to the groin. For at-home exercises, you can visit physiofrog.io in which personalised exercise routines are recommended based on your condition.

Cold Compression:

Applying a cold compress, such as ice or frozen peas, to the injured area can help reduce any potential swelling and pain. Do not place the compress directly on the skin.

Pain Management:

If the pain is intolerable, visit your local pharmacy to receive over-the-counter pain relievers. You should explain your symptoms to the pharmacist to ensure it is necessary.

Returning to Activity:

The aim of recovery is to get your groin to a state that was healthier and stronger than preinjury. This involves performing light activity, such as swimming or light jogging, to encourage functional improvement.
Preventing Future Groin Injuries
Prevention is the best form of recovery. Incorporate these strategies into your routine to reduce the risk of reinjury.

Warming Up:

Encouraging blood flow to your groin, through light cardio and stretching, will improve your muscles’ elasticity in preparation for high mobility movement.

Strength Training:

Stronger muscles will provide more stability during exceptional movements, reducing your likelihood of enduring an injury in-game. These exercises should be incorporated into your weekly fitness routines.

Proper Technique:

Pay attention to your body mechanics, ensuring your form is correct. This will prevent any unnecessary, avoidable injuries.

Listen to Your Body:

Understanding your body and its limits is important for preventing injury, especially if you are performing weight training.

Tips for Groin Injury Recovery

Adequate Nutrition:

A well-balanced diet with all the necessary protein and minerals will give the tools required for a healthy recovery. These nutrients aid in tissue repair and overall well-being.

Hydration:

Water helps in filtering out toxins and aids in the healing of damaged tissues.

Patience & Persistence:

Recovery is not an overnight process. With patience and consistency, you will accelerate your recovery and be even healthier than you were preinjury.

Supportive Gear:

Depending on the nature of your injury, it may be wise to wear supportive gear such as compression shorts or a groin wrap. These provide stability, especially when you’re returning to physical activity.

Consultation:

For severe groin injuries, it is recommended you consult with a healthcare professional – such as sports medicine doctor or orthopaedic surgeon. They can provide treatments that are out of the boundary of self-care, which could accelerate the process.

Post-Recovery Maintenance:

Even after a full recovery, you should regularly perform strengthening and mobility exercises to maintain groin health and prevent reinjury.

Regular Check-Ups:

You should receive a professional perspective at least once after your recovery, to give yourself the confidence to fully commit during activity.

The Importance of Seeking Professional Guidance

Whilst all injuries follow a similar protocol, you are unique to another person. Therefore, if the recovery measures aren’t doing you any favours, you should consult with your local healthcare professional for more tailored guidance. Do this earlier than later – it will save you lots of time!

Maintaining a Positive Mindset

Mental Resilience:

Missing out on multiple fixtures can be discouraging, however it’s in your own best interest to remain positive. Studies have shown that a negative outlook on your condition can hinder the healing process, whereas a positive one can accelerate it. Therefore, remain resilient and keep performing the techniques mentioned.

Visualisation & Goal Setting:

Staying focused on your journey can be difficult. Therefore, setting goals and understanding your path can make the process more rewarding and easier. Celebrate the small victories, whether it’s achieving a higher range of motion or completing a rehab exercise without pain.

Seeking Support:

As explained earlier, a lot of the game is a mental one. Speak with family and friends to absorb the encouragement you need to remain disciplined and driven.

Returning to Normal Activities

Gradual Return to Sport

As an athlete, returning to competitive play is likely to be at the forefront of our minds. However, be sensible with your return by slowly integrating yourself into the team. This may mean playing a proportion of the game, and slowly build your minutes up from there.

Lifestyle Adjustments

In the beginning post-recovery, you may want to adapt your current activities to accommodate for your delicate groin. This may mean reducing the weights on your barbell squat or slowing your 5K pace.

Long-Term Maintenance

Continue with regular stretching and strengthening post-recovery, but at a higher intensity. This is to maintain your groin’s health and reduce reinjury risk.

Stay Informed :

The field of sports medicine is rapidly growing, with new research proposed regularly. Keep up to date with the latest instalments to maximise your sporting preparation.

Maintaining Overall Fitness

Cross-Training:

An injured groin is no excuse to get out of shape! Consider implementing forms of cross training to maintain your cardiovascular fitness and strength. Activities to consider; swimming, stationary cycling, upper body strength straining.
Flexibility & Mobility:

An injured groin’s immobility will cause it to tighten and lose its flexibility. Therefore, you should ensure you’re incorporating mobility exercises into your recovery plan.

Sleep & Rest:

Sleep is the time for your body tissues to heal and grow. Guarantee yourself a thorough recovery with adequate sleep, ranging 7-9 hours across individuals.

Stress Management:

Managing stress, whether stemmed from the injury or not, is crucial for your muscles’ recovery. Uncontrolled stress could hinder the healing process. Therefore, we recommend incorporating relaxation techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, to ensure a healthy recovery.

Listening to Your Body:

Any pain, discomfort, or unusual sensations in your muscles should be taken seriously. You do not want to aggravate a potential injury, as it could leave you on the sidelines for even longer. Tackle the problem independently, or consult a healthcare professional.

Conclusion

Whilst frustrating, a groin injury recovery can be an opportunity to highlight a weakness to your physique, and improve it to a level superior to preinjury. Remember to remain consistent and consult a healthcare professional if you have any queries. For personalised groin injury exercise routines, visit physiofrog.io – the new way to address your discomforts and adequately prepare for upcoming sporting activity. Peak performance requires peak preparation – join PhysioFrog today!