Sports Hernia

Sports hernia

        Sports hernia is a sort of work - related condition. After all, this type of hernia, also known as athletic pubalgia or groin disruption, appears generally in professional athletes or athletic persons. It is a rather recently discovered version of inguinal hernia, since the first case was recognized in 1980 by an american surgeon who treated professionals of the sports area. This medical doctor was, also, the one to develop a repair procedure for sports hernia.

        Unlike its older sibling, inguinal hernia, sports hernia is known for its rather painful symptoms: due to a dilated superficial ring of the inguinal canal, the athlete develops severe groin pain. Another thing that separates sports hernia from any other form of hernia is the fact that it is not really a hernia. Why the inappropriate medical terminology? Well, the answer is simple: while it is true that there is no bulge on the exterior of the body and there is no way to diagnose the "hernia" on a physical examination, medical imaging or even during the repair procedure, the surgical reconstruction used in inguinal hernia is identical to the one performed on a sports hernia patient. So, it is more a matter of identity of solutions than of a sharing of physical signs.

        Do not be fooled by its name! Sports hernia does not affect only professional athletes. While it is true that it is much more obvious in those that practice sport as a way of life, they are not the only ones who can suffer from it. For example, daily joggers and fitness aficionados are a sure target for sports hernia due to them exerting themselves every day.

        The symptoms are somewhat common to inguinal hernia or any other type of sliding hernia out there:

• Pain: unlike femoral hernia, for example, there is no pain if the leg is not in motion. However, once the athlete starts moving, be it only a hip extension or a more complicated twist and turn, the pain is excruciating and debilitating. It radiates from the inguinal canal area to the adductor muscle and even to the testicles. Unfortunately, it is often complicated for a patient to name the exact location of the pain, making the diagnosis all that more difficult.
• After an intense physical effort, the affected area is stiff and sore. Even 24 hours later, your entire lower half seems paralyzed and every move is painful. Coughing, sneezing, eating, laughing, they can all cause distress.

Diagnosis of sports hernia

        The diagnosis of sports hernia is a tricky endeavor. Since it cannot be felt by a medical doctor, seen by an imaging machine or even noticed by the surgeon whom operates on you, this type of hernia is diagnosed only by a skilled physician.

        Only a complete patients' history and some very carefully hidden clinical signs will allow a specialist to make more than an informed guess. The most important clinical sign is the dilation of the superficial inguinal ring on the affected side. It is normally palpated by inverting the scrotums' position.

        One thing you have to keep in mind is that while it is entirely fixable, its reappearance rate it's the highest of all known hernias, simply because the patient rarely stops practicing that sport. Another thing to remember is that, to some physicians out there, sports hernia is just a myth. An appealing one, but a myth. Why would they take such a drastic standpoint? Well, simply because most of these so called sports hernia diagnosis are false: when the patient is cut open, there is, plain and simple, nothing wrong with his or her inguinal canal. The pain that they felt came from other areas of their bodies, like the lower back, the upper leg or the lower abdomen.