What is a Sports Hernia?

A sports hernia, also known as an athletic pubalgia, occurs where there is a thinning, weakening, or tearing in the muscle of the lower part of the abdominal wall. This muscle, known as the inguinal canal, lies just below the abdomen and just above the groin area. A tear in the abdominal wall can cause muscles to pull away from the bones, resulting in pain. The internal organs, especially the intestines, pushing against the wall of the muscle can also cause pain.

Sports hernias are one of the least understood of all sports injuries. A sports hernia is not a true hernia in the sense that there is no actual pouch or hernia that can be felt and there are no holes in the abdominal wall. Another similar condition is an inguinal hernia, which also occurs due to a weakening of the lower abdominal wall. In this case there is enough damage to the abdominal wall that an actual hernia, or pouch, can be felt.

What Causes a Sports Hernia?

Sports hernias are caused by overuse or repeated trauma to the groin area. Athletes are more prone to sports hernias due to the fact that they engage in high-impact, weight bearing activities and repeatedly put stress on their bones and muscles. The most common sports that hernias can occur in include tennis, basketball, hockey, distance running, football, soccer, gymnastics, and any other sport that requires bending and twisting of the body.

Symptoms of Sports Hernias

The most common complaint of a sports hernia is abdominal pain that is localized to the lower abdominal region or just on one side of the abdomen. There may also be pain in the groin area. In male patients the pain may extend to the testicles as well.

The pain has been described by some as feeling deep and starts gradually. It can become sharp and severe and usually increases with sudden movement. Pain can also worsen when a patient sneezes or coughs. If a sport hernia does not heal properly it can, over time, interfere not only with sports type activities but also normal, daily living activities.

How is a Sports Hernia Treated?

The most important aspects of healing in the case of a sports hernia are rest and stopping any sports that are high-impact and will cause the hernia to get worse. This is not to say that these sports can't ever be played again, only that they should be put on hold until the body has had a chance to recover. The abdominal muscles need rest in order to heal. Physical therapy has also shown to be useful in treating sports hernias. Therapy will usually focus on the pelvic and abdominal areas. In severe cases, where the body doesn't heal itself and physical therapy has not been successful, surgery may need to be explored as an option.

As a nationally certified Medical Assistant, I have had the opportunity to work in several different fields of medicine, including podiatry and sports medicine. Sports hernias are not as common as other sports injuries but do occur with high-impact sports and can be very painful. They are usually treated, successfully, with rest and physical therapy.

Sources

Gotlin, Robert. Sports Injuries Guidebook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 1st Edition, 2007.

Seidenberg, Peter, and Jimmy D. Bowen. The Hip and Pelvis in Sports Medicine and Primary Care. New York, NY: Springer Publishing; 1st Edition, 2010.