Can you see a sports hernia on MRI?

The two main imaging modalities used to assist in the diagnosis of sports hernia are MRI and ultrasound [2]. MRI is reported to have good diagnostic potential; however, the examination is done with the patient in the recumbent position [2].

What types of physical therapy can be used to treat sports hernia?

Your physical therapy treatment may include:

• Icing and compression. During the initial phases of injury or when high levels of pain are being experienced, application of ice to the area may decrease pain levels.
• Stretching.
• Muscle retraining.
• Strengthening.
• Manual therapy.
• Return-to-sport drills.

Can physical therapy heal a sports hernia?

One very common ailment in the realm of sports injuries is the sports hernia. With the help of sports physical therapy treatments including spinal and orthopedic rehabilitation, you will be able to alleviate your pain and properly treat a sports hernia.

How do you rehab a sports hernia without surgery?

Non-surgical treatments are effective in 90% of sports hernias and may include the following treatments:

1. Rest. Your doctor may recommend halting physical activity for 7 to 10 days to allow the injury to rest and recover.
2. Ice.
3. Medicine.
4. Injections.
5. Physical therapy.

How do you strengthen a sports hernia?

This is because sports hernia injuries often result from pivoting or twisting. Examples are kicking a soccer ball or swinging a baseball bat. Single-leg exercises are also very important during this phase. Lunges, split squats, single-leg dead lifts, and single-leg squats help prepare you for return to your sport.

What happens if a sports hernia goes untreated?

Over time, a sports hernia may lead to an inguinal hernia, and abdominal organs may press against the weakened soft tissues to form a visible bulge. Without treatment, this injury can result in chronic, disabling pain that prevents you from resuming sports activities.

How do you rehab a sports hernia?

Physical rehabilitation programs for sports hernias should mainly include core stabilization, strengthening of the hip adductors and abdominal muscles, balancing, and postural training exercises [12,19,21].

How long does sports hernia take to heal?

Most people can expect to return to their normal physical activity levels within 4–6 weeks. However, some people who do not see improvement with these treatments may benefit from surgery to repair torn tissues. It can take up to 3 months to recover from surgery for a sports hernia.

Can you run with a sports hernia?

As long as the bulge is not painful or inflamed, there is very little risk for you to continue running. However, if the hernia strangulates, so blood flow to the bowel tissue is compromised, then the hernia becomes an emergency.

How do I know if I have a sports hernia?

Symptoms of sports hernia Sudden and severe groin pain at the time of the injury. Groin pain that goes away with rest, but returns during sports activity. Groin pain that is more commonly felt on one side of the groin area only (unilateral), rather than on both sides. Pain that only appears during twisting movements.

Does a sports hernia hurt to touch?

Doctor Examination During your first appointment, your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms and how the injury occurred. If you have a sports hernia, when your doctor does a physical examination, he or she will likely find tenderness in the groin or above the pubis.

Is there such a thing as sports hernia?

Many athletes with a diagnosis of “sports hernia” or “athletic pubalgia” have a spectrum of related pathologic conditions resulting from musculotendinous injuries and subsequent instability of the pubic symphysis without any finding of inguinal hernia at physical examination.

How to diagnose groin pain with MR imaging?

Develop a differential diagnosis for the spectrum of MR imaging findings remote from the pubic symphysis in active patients with refractory groin pain. Groin pain is a common result of athletic injury, but it poses a diagnostic challenge for radiologists, athletic trainers, team physicians, and consulting surgeons.

How is magnetic resonance imaging used to diagnose athletic pubalgia?

However, a large-field-of-view magnetic resonance (MR) imaging survey of the pelvis, combined with high-resolution MR imaging of the pubic symphysis, is an excellent means of assessing various causes of athletic pubalgia, providing information about the location of injury, and delineating the severity of disease.

Is there a palpable hernia in the groin?

At physical examination, point tenderness is often localized to the external ring of the inguinal canal and the pubic tubercle, the lower rectus abdominis musculature, or the pubic symphysis, but there is no palpable hernia. Although groin injuries may be acute, they more often have an insidious onset and progress over a period of weeks or months.