Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)
  • Sporting hernia/ Gilmore's Groin
  • marcfoy89
    Free Member

    Hi, I have been having trouble for a few months now with a pain in the right side of my groin. It is stopping me riding my bike and really doing my head in. After numerous visits to my physiotherapist and months of exercises…. he has narrowed it down to what he thinks is a sporting hernia/Gilmore’s Groin. I have finally got an appointment booked with a specialist that took months to get. My physiotherapist seems to think I could need a minor surgery to right the problem and should be back to normal in no time. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same injury happen to them and how they went about fixing theirs.

    Thanks Marc.

    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    I wouldnt want to worry you!!

    marcfoy89
    Free Member

    If you are meaning the test they do to diagnose it I’ve heard…….

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    anagallis_arvensis
    Full Member

    No i was meaning I have constant groin pain like you describe and it was Hip FAI which is much worse.

    yosemitepaul
    Full Member

    Yes, I’ve had a Sports hernia, and yes I’ve had the test and yes I’ve had surgery.
    Rather like a_a, I wouldn’t want to worry you!

    yosemitepaul
    Full Member

    Sorry, didn’t realise a_a meant something else. Anyway I had surgery…………….and I wouldn’t want to worry you!

    brocks
    Free Member

    Been there done that had the test! Imagine it’s Clare from accounts puts a whole new angle on it. Enjoy 😯

    yosemitepaul
    Full Member

    Marc, Its not fun, and I sympathise with you for the aches and pains you are probably going through. The initial investigation is not too bad, not painful. It depends how embarrassed you get!
    As far as the op, well different surgeons I guess do it in different ways and the immediate outcome varies from person to person.
    When I eventually came round in hospital, I immediately felt it had changed the pain. Yes, i had op pain but nagging ache was gone. I don’t know how yours is, but I had an ache in my left bollock that felt as if I’d been kicked and it wouldn’t go away. The pain radiated down my left thigh towards my knee. The only relief was to sit hunched forward and to walk with a slight stoop!
    Once the surgery was complete I was allowed home the next day. I was up and walking within the day, but recovery took a couple of months. Sorry to say the op pain for a week or so was pretty intense. No heavy lifting, no excessive stretching and no hard exercise for quite a while.
    I was lucky in that I was able to go to a job related convalescent home, where I got intensive physio and an excerise regime. I did a lot on a static bike, walking and when the wound had healed swimming.
    I had the op in February, by June I’d got myself to racing 10K and moved on by the end of summer to half marathon. Cycling was out for quite a while.
    Don’t know where you are but I could recommend my surgeon based in the Leeds area.

    marcfoy89
    Free Member

    Right thanks for that I think haha, just have to see how it goes I guess.

    teasel
    Free Member

    yosemitepaul » I got intensive physio and an exercise regime.

    Can I ask in what week you started this and, more importantly, can you list what kind of exercises and movements/stretches etc you used to recover, please?

    I’m in week five of recovery and can find nothing on how best to return to normal strength and mobility or when to start. The GPs have been next to useless aside from prescribing painkillers.

    marcfoy89
    Free Member

    Just back from seeing the surgeon, he basically said they can either send me for scans, which will take quite a bit of waiting time. Or he can go in and have a look see if it is a sporting hernia and hopefully fix it, I went for the latter, wish me look!! Oh and the hernia is to far up for the finger through the scrotum check thank God!!

    yosemitepaul
    Full Member

    Teasel,
    I started about three weeks after the op, basically once the wound was healing and the stitches were out.
    It was all about core strength, to be honest I don’t remember what they’re all called, but anything that would strengthen the abdomen. I did a lot of work on the mat, balance ball and gym ball. I also used stretching bands pulling and lifting lighter weights but progressing slowly. I also spent hours on an exercise bike, and walked for miles.
    I was determined to put the effort in and I think it paid off.
    It took till about week 10 before I could get back to some very gentle running.
    I think GP’s are useless, not because they are useless, but because of a lack of experience of a relatively uncommon sporting injury. I suggest that a Sports Hernia is an injury caused generally to people who are themselves quite fit and active, a good sports physio ,often those dealing with footballers know a bit about it.
    Good luck teasel and marc, I think its an injury that pretty horrible and takes a bit of getting over.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Also reading with interest as am in similar/same predicament.

    Bust something on the gym rowing machine last Feb/Mar (poor induction session + bull in china shop = wrong technique and something twanged in the left groin )

    Kept off the gym for weeks seemed to get slowly better. Then slipped in some mud and it went again. This time went to see three GPs had all the ‘men’s special’ physical exams (even urine sample) and all fine except for the pain. Said was suspected hernia and finally saw an NHS hernia specialist about 6 weeks back. He probed about/’cough please sir’ (by now this is routine, nothing different from GPs) and said couldn’t find a hernia thinks it’s a muscle strain or tear. No scans ordered just ‘rest and see me in three months if still hurts. Was seemingly slowly improving until a few weeks back when I undid an overtightened QR (putting bike away until such a time as can ride again) and again it went ‘twang. FFS.

    Being a primary carer and driver for my wife it is enormously problematic as I can’t lift even bags of groceries or open a sash window. Even getting out of the car awkwardly occasionally results in a set-back. Forget cycling I tried one small road outing, even getting off and pushing uphill to lessen the risk it still set me back and I’m back to nearly square one. It’s a laughing matter on one hand yet not at all. Depressing. Will push for scans I guess. Keep us updated OP and all the very best you have my complete sympathy 😡

    Haven’t been offered physio or anything (I did ask specialist again he said ‘just rest’) Easier said than done. It’s bad enough not cycling or swimming for most of 2016 and uncertain when – but we need someone to drive and walk dog etc. Private surgical treatment out of question but will see what (new) GP says in light of ongoing setbacks. Maybe should bite the debt and splash out on sports physio in short term?

    yosemitepaul
    Full Member

    Malvern Rider. A sports hernia isn’t a ‘hernia’ and won’t be detected in the way a normal hernia is diagnosed. There is no lump or bump where the herniation has taken place. Its more a tear deep within the pelvic / adductor muscles.
    Can I suggest you do some research, see if your symptoms fit and discuss with your GP.
    I’m not a doctor, and struggled initially to get mine diagnosed. Fortunately my GP was open and willing to converse and I went to see a consultant on referral I’d found in my research.
    Once I’d seen the consultant, things moved fairly quickly, and following surgery the results were amazing.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    ^ Thanks for that Paul – seems sound advice. My symptoms do seem to fit. It’s definitely a ‘weak spot’ that has re-injured numerous times over the last 8 years or so since first time (slipping on a wet drain cover while carrying a full beer barrel!). This time has been the longest period of ongoing complications so assuming the worst.

    May I ask how long it’s been since your surgery and has it made you ‘sports-shy’ at all? I am so tired of not cycling and swimming – (pressure release valves) and ultimately dedicated to getting back to both ASAP.

    yosemitepaul
    Full Member

    Malvern Rider. Five years since surgery. Not sports shy at all. I was 50 when it occurred, and since then have run half a dozen marathons, countess halves and i don’t know how many 10k’s.
    I was probably in the process of giving un on mountain bikes as i got the injury. Once recovered, was a bit concerned that any falls might tear the repair. (Having said that I’m fairly certain I did the injury whilst fell running). I moved over to being a roadie………..which is more fun anyway.
    Good luck.

    Stedlocks
    Free Member

    I had Gilmores (inguinal hernia) a few years ago….it’s predominantly a football related injury I think? Anyway, mine would massively flare up when kicking a ball or getting out of the car…..the sideways swinging of the leg.
    I went to an old school physio who told me to do ‘swings and pulleys’….basically, I suspended two ropes from the beams in the ceiling at work, with two loops that finished about 6″ from the floor. Lay on your back with the ankles through the loops…..them open and close your legs! I thought I was a bit snake oil, but after about 6 weeks of doing it three times a day, it started to feel better, then sorted itself out completely…..

    Good luck with the surgery though, and hopefully you don’t get a finger up your bum!

    teasel
    Free Member

    it’s predominantly a football related injury I think?

    I think it’s due to hyper-extension of that area so that stands to reason. Although mine (in my opinion) was initially started by lifting a small tree off a stump I (or rather the consultant) seemed to think it was more likely caused or exacerbated by a slip on a snowy hill and the resulting rapid backwards extension of my left leg. The muscles in that area really are quite thin and easily torn.

    And thanks for your input,I have some physio bands and other bits and pieces I can start putting to use again.

    You’re also correct about GPs and I should’ve been clearer – they’re not useless per se. In fact, I had an appointment with mine yesterday and he’s booked me for an NHS physio (though he did need some encouragement) so I’ll see how that goes. I’m almost tempted to seek out a physio that specialises in football injuries if I don’t have any joy with the NHS.

    Good luck to those waiting for surgery.

    teasel
    Free Member

    And thanks for your input, Paul. I have some physio bands and other bits and pieces I can start putting to use again.

    Fixed that. Ta.

    🙂

    marcfoy89
    Free Member

    Hi, thought id let you know it was an indirect inguinal hernia that i had, ended up having the same in the other side waiting for it to be fixed hopefully it goes as well as the first.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Thanks for the update OP, glad to know things are getting sorted!

    Finally found a GP who listened and have referral to private consultant/hospital via NHS. Another couple of weeks to wait fingers crossed.

    senorj
    Full Member

    I go in for surgery on my hernia collection on Monday .Left and right hand side .
    The consultant has just sent me an email telling me my scrotum is likely to be bruised for a while afterwards. Gulp .

    marcfoy89
    Free Member

    Haha senor j, wish i had known it was going to be both sides, had no pain in the left side when the right was being fixed, 10 days later and ‘bang’ exact same pain on the other side! You are better for having them done at the same time only one recovery stint! Good luck and ill tell you now you bollocks will be big and black for a short while lol

    senorj
    Full Member

    Three new orifices today & I got the student nurses inspecting my tackle.
    Plenty of meds on board but this bloody forum is making me laugh too much . Ha. Ouch.

Viewing 24 posts - 1 through 24 (of 24 total)

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