Anyone got experience of this ? GP suspects a small one and going for ultrasound. Keep riding and swimming as normally or take it easy while waiting ?

The get out of jail answer is ‘it depends’. My first one, and I was knackered/in pain just wandering round the shops though it was a fairly big rip.

Did the other side last year (ask the surgeon if it’s worth repairing both sides at once while he/she is in there) was fairly minor and I didn’t have any problems biking as it was a small one.

Basically hernias aren’t really a problem unless they get strangulated, in which case they become a big problem very quickly. Wouldn’t recommend hucking of massive drops but I found riding wasn’t a bag thing to do per se.

I’ve had one (well one each side). Mine was a inguinal hernia, kept riding up to the op. Ending up having about 8 weeks off the bike after though but most take less time I think. Went in to have one side repaired but the surgeon said there was one the other side as well so he did a bi lateral repair.

Oh and I still get a little discomfort now, 2 years on. I thought it had returned and went for another scan but it turns out it was hurting a bit because I was too lean! Consultants words not mine. It seems a little ‘padding’ helps.

In v similar predicament. Injured it last spring on rowing machine, and then re-injured (felt a ‘pop’) by slipping in some mud and twisting. 1st GP said I maybe required a scan, next one said didn’t believe it required that, but referred to hernia/groin specialist in Oct/Nov time at local groin/hernia unit. After me coughing and him pressing here there and everywhere he said he couldnt feel a hernia but to ‘rest’ I asked what type of rest? He said ‘rest’ (with stern look). And ‘for three months’.

Four months later I’m still not riding, tried a 1/2 mile flat bimble last week and it definitely put me back. Immediately had to drop the saddle height by 20mm as right away I felt a ‘pull’ at normal pedal extension. It’s getting me down, I fully sympathise. Gentle swiimming is now possible (crawl only) and I intermittently use a float between knees so keeping legs immobile. Am doing only 8 slow lengths (with rest between) instead of the usual 50 at good pace.

I find stretching helps. The injury still hurts when sitting and lying, driving too. Walking not too bad. But I have to be careful. After looking online at symptoms it seems like ‘Gilmore’s groin’. Inguinal region. I catch myself involuntarily pressing my fist against the site. Need to press docs for further investigation.

Good luck, get some pro advice/investigation early and I’d avoid any twisting/exertion for now until you know where you’re at. I’m still left uncertain where to find good advice as it’s getting on for a year now and I feel let down tbh.

That sucks Malvern rider hope they figure it out soon!

For me was a bilateral inguinal (both sides down low). Mild discomfort thought it was something more up with my gentleman parts than anything but once identified they booked me in. Asked them to delay the original opp as I had a race to which they where confused about. Weekend before the opp managed to squeeze a 100 miler in on the road bike.

After opp, a week of nothing then a week of gentle turbo work (you genuinely are encouraged to not do nothing). Then a month of gradually more and more road after which road MTB again. Just the fear of a sudden slip of the rear tyre and twist to react might pull it… but the most trouble I had was with nookie tbh to which they didn’t say yes or no.

but the most trouble I had was with nookie tbh to which they didn’t say yes or no.

Ambiguous! I’d play safe and wait until the lady says yes 🙂

Thanks all, will see what scan says and take it from there

well, radiologist consultant reckons there appears to be a small 5mm hernia and I’m seeing surgeon tomorrow evening to discuss (he will also have MRI report by then, from same radiologist). I have a few rides planned and booked that I really don’t want to miss, so hoping he can fix it week after next (Private cover through work) and that I can be fit for some already booked MBLA Assessment and Cairngorm riding mid May…. will see what he says…

A week in Arran at Easter with family so suspect not much riding then…

I had two inguinals fixed in 2015. I was given the option to leave them as the risk of strangulation was thought to be low, but I decided to get them sorted. Only problem was that because of the prostate surgery (open not keyhole) he couldn’t do keyhole for them, which slowed the healing up a bit.
You need to be good for May 🙂

cheers Mark, I remembered you had them done so just mailed you before posting 🙂

Keep riding and swimming as normally or take it easy while waiting ?

A top fell runner our follow on Strava round our way is still racing (and winning) and he’s going for an op on one soon. Its not done him any harm.

If I were you I would take internet advice every time over your doc 😀

^^^^^ aye !

It all helps to go in with as much real life experience IMO. A middle aged sedentary surgeon may have quite a different understanding of a 3 hr MTB ride than riders who have had similar surgery carried out… 🙂

Not posted on here for a long time. I’ve just been struck down with what appears to be a hernia after I decided to get myself fit after a few years of doing very little biking. I should have taken it slowly but just jumped back on the bike and started riding the same stuff I used to. I figured a few months of pain would be worth it to get fit. On Monday night I got up to leave work and felt like someone had stuck a hot poker in my groin. It got worse when i got home and then the next day I felt sick just standing up due to the pain. I went to the docs and he thinks it’s a hernia and is going to send me to see a surgeon. He reckons the appointment will come through in a couple of months! I can’t wait a couple of months if it’s going to be this painful on and off. It’s eased off today thankfully. Has anyone had this fixed on the NHS? Should I look to get a private consultation(I don’t have private insurance) to confirm it’s a hernia? I would rather pay 200 quid to find out now than wait till summer.

^^^^ from my own experience, the diagnosis was largely done based on an ultrasound scan, with an MRI for good measure. I suspect the latter may not have been done if it was NHS (I have private cover through work).

My GP referred my to local NHS Hospital for an ultrasound which would have taken place before seeing an NHS consultant.. I happened to opt to do it all privately so GP cancelled the NHS referral request.

I guess you could inquire about a private scan, though no idea on how much it would cost, and there would probably be a consultant charge to review it and speak with you …

Thanks iainc. Were you able to do any exercise before it was fixed or did that just trigger the pain again? I can’t believe I might not be able to bike over the summer. I live in Innerleithen now and can see Caddon Bank from my window. It will be like some cruel torture 😯

eric – mine is/was a bit unconventional, in that it was an incisional hernia, on the site of a 2 yr old surgery point just below waistband. Was a permanent dull ache, made a bit worse by biking and swimming. 2 and a bit weeks post op now and feeling a good bit better. Hope to get back on bike, gently, end of next week (on road only at first) once I am signed off by surgeon, hopefully, next Wed evening.

Not going to Drumlanrig on Sunday was very difficult 🙂

I’ve been ‘carrying’ one (inguinal) for about 6/7 years now. I identified that it was there when it was very small (took GP a long time to find it). Surgeon advised to leave it be for the moment as it was small. Its been getting slowly bigger since. Most of the time it is fine however occasionally aches for a few days. When I was climbing a bit it did appear to recede, wondered if that was related to stretching movement as I climbed. Going to get it checked again soon as don’t want it to get too big! It has had no impact on my exercise levels, in fact I do more now.

Good to know I might be able to do some exercise. I don’t feel it at all when riding. It’s a couple of days later that the pain kicks in. I guess I better get it checked first.

4 x bi – lateral repairs for me. Ultra sound to confirm the pain was indeed a hernia . Very small though, just lumpy or bobbly across the tops of my thighs.
Had both done at the same time via keyhole. Forget the Golf in a week, squash in a month bollxs. It was the most painful thing I hav ever had to go through .
In the end I had to have morphine shot in my arse as th Trams werent cutting it. They then left me wedged with my head stuck in the bars at the head of bed unable to move whilst floating about on morph. In the end 2 people visiting the guy in the bed next door extracted me from the bars and rolled me over.
Felt like I had been kicked by a horse in the stomache area. 6 weeks off work, 12 weeks with no biking , windsurfing or swimming and 12 -18mths of twinges after that
I think the surgeon did a gash job tbh as no-one else has stories of such a long recovery time

That sounds a nightmare 😯

Mine seems a walk in the park by comparison. 2.5 weeks in and hoping to get a bit more active in another weeks time…..

Lots of online stuff saying road riding ok after a few weeks but waiting for the nod from surgeon..