Adductors

Groin injuries often involve adductor strains, typically graded as 1 or 2, which are less severe compared to complete tears but still result from similar activities or repetitive actions. 

These strains are common in athletes participating in dynamic, multi-directional sports such as netball, volleyball, tennis, AFL, and soccer.

Treatment generally includes rest, ice, compression, and gentle stretching and strengthening exercises to support recovery and prevent recurrence.

The best course of action involves first assessing the injury to determine its mechanism and grade, which may require investigations such as X-rays, ultrasound, or MRI. 

Once the injury is identified, it's crucial to address contributing factors like poor hip mobility and inadequate lumbo-pelvic control to prevent future recurrences and support recovery. 

Improve hip mobility by:

• releasing the TFL, Glute Med and hip lateral rotators with a Pocket Physio Rocket trigger tool
• stretching the hip flexors with a Stretchband
• rolling the ITB with a Footeez or Foam roller.

Enhance lumbo-pelvic control by:

• strengthening the abdominal muscles using a Posture Pro Dome
• building adductor strength with resistance band exercises. Start with a Red Powerband

and focus on improving lateral and multi-directional stability in the later stages of rehabilitation.

It's not a common injury seen in the clinic.

Traumatic injuries in the adductor muscles often involve a muscle tear, which can occur from overstretching or over-contracting the muscle.

Such injuries are typically marked by a popping or possibly a tearing  sensation and are characterized by immediate pain, with bruising becoming evident within a few hours to a few days, depending on severity. 

Common causes include slipping on a wet surface or ice, sudden sideways stepping on an unstable surface like rocks, or kicking a football. Symptoms include sudden pain, difficulty walking, bruising, and weakness. 

The best course of action involves applying ice with an Icemate for pain management and compression, potentially avoiding weight-bearing if the injury is severe, and seeking a prompt diagnosis from a doctor or health professional.

Recovery time can range from 4-6 weeks for muscle tears to up to twice as long for tendon involvement. Proper diagnosis and management are essential to ensure effective treatment and recovery.

Simple issues like adductor tightness can improve immediately with good hip mobility, flexibility and strengthening of core and adductor to improve pelvic control.

Surgery may be necessary for significant tears or cases where the muscle is avulsed from its insertion. The severity of the muscle tear is crucial, with the grade of the tear and its location being important factors. 

Tears can occur at the muscle-tendon junction or within the tendon itself, with tears involving the tendon and muscle-tendon junction being the most severe.