Hi Neil,
I've read several of your responses to individuals with groin injuries. I'm
a 10 year mid distance runner who recently began playing soccer. In
October, I developed soreness in my upper inner thigh. The next week, I
took a significant amount of ibuprofrin and played my final game of the
season. Near the end of the game, the medication must have worn off and I
quickly developed severe pain which lasted for several weeks. A
chiropractor initially dx'd me with a strain of the external obturator.
Since then I've been to a physician who gave me free samples of "celebrex".
I also tried a PT but she was not very knowledgeable about my injury and
could only offer ultrasound, which, as you can imagine, is very hard to do
in that region. I am recovering but very slowly and the soreness is
hovering every time I try to strengthen the area. I am trying several of
the things you recommend (lunges, balance exercises) but I'm very leery of
reinjuring the area before the soccer season restarts in January. I have
two questions. The first is simple, how do I find/purchase a "slide board"?
Second, how do I judge when the strengthening exercises are too hard or
exacerbating the injury? And related to that, how do I tell when the
celebrex is just masking the pain and I'm exacerbating the injury
unknowingly until the medication wears off?
Any advice is appreciated.
Laureen, you ask good questions. I'll have a go at them in order. A slide board
can be found at most fitness outlets for $100 or so. You could make one using
countertop, and a couple of pieces of 2x4. MAke yours about 8 x 2ft, and make
sure to use the shiny formica couter top if you do. Another good source is the
Perform Better catalogue. They charge a bit more, but the products they carry
are top quality.
Second, pain must be your guideline. If you hurt for 20 minutes or less after
you work out, then you are probably OK. If your pain lasts 20 minutes or more,
then you need to back off the next time round since you probably overdid it.
Wait three hours before you exercise again to give the scar tissue a chance to
recover. If your pain comes on after three hours, then you irritated the
connective tissue. Remember, the connective tissue is not well vascularized, and
as such, it flairs up more slowly.
Finally, the only way to rule in or out the best use of NSAID's, is to take a
some time off. If your pain flairs up, then you are still acutely inflammed, and
would benefit from the inhibition of prostoglandin production, on the other
hand, if you are out of the acute phase, then you might consider the use of
another pain killer, like tylenol if you are not tolerating the NSAID's. At the
first sign of a flair-up, however, you might try the NSAID's again. Best to
consult with your MD though.
Good luck getting back to soccer. Take your time, remember, if you can't run,
cut, jump, sprint, stop, crash and turn off the field, you won't do very well on
the field!
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