# Have you had an injury in groin or abdominal??



## 2fst4u (Dec 2, 2006)

About a year ago a slight pain in my "upper groin area" (after hard rides) started to develop. It would go away and come back after hard rides or races. It now doesn't go away unless I completely rest it for 10-21 days and then it comes right back after any type of cardio or lower body exercise. It's a nagging type of pain and hurts when I bend over. I believe it's either a hip flexor or inguinal ligament strain or other abdominal area strain. Training on the road bike and doing road intervals this summer and lots of racing and my lack of letting it rest seems to of caused the problem. Assuming its not a hernia but some sort of strain I'm hoping anyone with a similar strain in this upper/mid abdominal area can shed some light on what this could be and how to handle it. I've done stretching/heat/rest/ light exercises so any advice would help if you've had similar experience. I'm hoping to have this thing healed by March so I can have a 2011 season. PS I'm going to see a surgeon/sports medicine guy in a few weeks if it doesn't start feeling better but I want your guys advice as well. Thanks


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## propguy (Oct 2, 2008)

Have your doc check for a hernia. I had almost the exact same pain. I ride a lot and play hockey once a week. I started to have consistent pain last April and finally went in and it turned out I had a double (bilateral) inguinal hernia. I had laparoscopic surgery on July 7 (faster recovery than traditional surgery) and was riding on July 17th and had a race on July 18th! Hope you don't have a hernia but get it checked out for sure. If it's just a muscle tear, let it heal. It sucks, but you'll avoid additional problems later (I should actually take my own advise). Good luck!


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## 2fst4u (Dec 2, 2006)

propguy said:


> Have your doc check for a hernia. I had almost the exact same pain. I ride a lot and play hockey once a week. I started to have consistent pain last April and finally went in and it turned out I had a double (bilateral) inguinal hernia. I had laparoscopic surgery on July 7 (faster recovery than traditional surgery) and was riding on July 17th and had a race on July 18th! Hope you don't have a hernia but get it checked out for sure. If it's just a muscle tear, let it heal. It sucks, but you'll avoid additional problems later (I should actually take my own advise). Good luck!


Could you feel your hernia?? I can't find any bulge anywhere and neither can the massage therapist. Thats not to say that there may be one though. Maybe the inguinal hernias can't be felt superficially?


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## propguy (Oct 2, 2008)

I couldn't feel it but the doctor really had to push up hard and had me do the 'ol cough routine. Then he had me push up the same way and cough and sure enough I could feel tissue or whatever pop out and retract. Basically a tear in the abdominal wall that will NOT heal on its own. I never had a "bulge" or "strangulated" type of hernia.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

FWIW I'm still healing up some torn hip flexors (along with adductors, muscle injuries suck), and I have no pain when bending over.. at least not in the front half of my body, or abdomen (I feel it where the hamstrings join the pelvis).


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## dickeydoo (May 11, 2007)

I'm 2 months out from inguinal open patch surgery. There was a bulge but no pain what so ever. I suspected I had one for about a month before finally getting it checked. I kept riding the first 2 weeks after I noticed then got worried and stopped. Then decided what the hell and raced in one of my favorite races, pain free and placed in race, then got nervous and stopped riding prior to finally seeing dr. She confirmed it was a hernia and told me riding would *not* make it worse. I started riding 1 week after surgery (45min easy in neighborhood) and increased durations every other day and hit the trail at the 2 week mark. I will just say the first 2 days after the surgery were very painful! Similar to one continuous kick in the....... And very difficult to walk. Good luck! I'm obviously no Dr but your issue does'nt sound like a hernia to me fwiw.


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## Duchowski (Jun 4, 2011)

I have almost the exact same thing, a twinging in the thigh muscle that feels sort of connected to my abdomen that gets worse when you ride, but feels better if you rub it around the hip and lower back, I am hoping to rest it as a muscle strain but am thinking more and more that a doctor is nessecary (ahh I don't trust em!). I'm a 130 pound 23 year old female so hernia wasn't my first conclusion, but I do think it is related to my bike dependent lifestyle in a 'sprawl' city... good luck


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## Duchowski (Jun 4, 2011)

I have almost the exact same thing, a twinging in the thigh muscle that feels sort of connected to my abdomen that gets worse when you ride, but feels better if you rub it around the hip and lower back, I am hoping to rest it as a muscle strain but am thinking more and more that a doctor is nessecary (ahh I don't trust em!). I'm a 130 pound 23 year old female so hernia wasn't my first conclusion, but I do think it is related to my bike dependent lifestyle in a 'sprawl' city... good luck


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## thefragilesound (May 7, 2008)

first trip to the ER for biking 4 weeks ago: hit rock wrong, endo and handlebar into pelvic area when i landed on it. missed the junk by 1/2 inch, major blood vessels by 1", scar is about 4"x3" long- MD says it was a skin explosion injury. fun hike a bike out.


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## sgtjim57 (Aug 14, 2009)

Have a recuring groin issue in the same area I had a hernia repair, well, the same side. First thought it was a new hernia, and went to see doc. That was a year or more ago. put on muscle relaxers and eventually all got better. Update to this year, pain is back, worse, saw my surgeon, everyone has one right. He advised me it was a tear in a groin ligament and offered steroid shots to help the healing process. I passed, things got better and was able to ride. That was before summer. While on break, issue came back, saw doc, he advised to quit riding so I did for one month. Things were better, still knew there was an issue. Rode for the first time Saturday, and it was to early. Discomfort again. Looks like my rehab is going to take a lot longer. Anyone else experiance groin ligament issues riding? What did you do to rehab? What exercises? Those kind of things. thanks.


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## 2fst4u (Dec 2, 2006)

Well, my issue turned out to be something other than a groin injury. Honestly I still don't know what it was but it's in the right lower abdominal area where the abdominal muscles attach to the pelvis. I've been stretching and massaging that area every day since last summer. I do a good dynamic warmup before every ride and static stretch that area after my rides. I took 3 months of the bike last winter and got massage therapy which combined with the stretching helped and now if I stretch it daily I'm good, no pain.


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## sgtjim57 (Aug 14, 2009)

Sounds like good advice. Still not enjoying the discomfort. Still can't stop using it either. 5 weeks no bike so far after a month off. Not getting better, not getting worse. Did you start stretching while it was still hurting?


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## 2fst4u (Dec 2, 2006)

sgtjim57 said:


> Sounds like good advice. Still not enjoying the discomfort. Still can't stop using it either. 5 weeks no bike so far after a month off. Not getting better, not getting worse. Did you start stretching while it was still hurting?


Yeah, I stretched it gently and worked it out gently by doing light core.


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## sgtjim57 (Aug 14, 2009)

2fst4u said:


> Yeah, I stretched it gently and worked it out gently by doing light core.


Time to start the streching then, thanks for the input.


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