adducter injury is how bad?

[Ryan1982]

Inside of left leg on the adductor I have a null pain at the moment.

It started with the muscle twinging whilst walking (this is after a weekend of football) on monday on the way to work 3 weeks ago. It didnt hurt but was obviously irratable. I treated with ice every night for 20minutes and in the mornings. I spent about 20minutes of my day walking to the train station.

I wanted to know if i could play football on the saturday (6 days after initial injury) as it really did feel fine.

I booked in for physio as the football season is underway and wanted quick treatment. After 5 days waiting for my first treatment the leg felt absolutely fine except for a slight discomfort when the area was prodded, but there was no effort in walking.

The physio went straight at the muscle with intense force with the thumbs on the muscle (i assume she was breaking this muscle down) but it felt almost over the top, I have a high pain threshold but this was to the point i was gripping onto the bed in absolute agony/ like large iron rods trying to peirce through my leg. She said it will be a few days till the pain subsides and will be replaced with bruising.

Weekend goes by in agony (in agony) and monday she re-treats my leg with massages/ laser treatment/ ultra sound. I cancel my wednesday appointment after she told me to book another 4 more, then by the end of the session she thinks only 2 saying it doesnt look as bad as she thought.

Its now the 3rd week, I have not been back. I have started mild training as she explained to start by swimming/ jogging/ stretching.
(I can feel my other muscles beginning to weaken - hamstring/ quads - due to been out of training) Am I in need of giving my leg a full stretching out with a run, it feels over rested, like it wants to be stretched and put through its paces.

The help I am in need of is -
Is this pain normal for the training period?
Should I be feeling sensitive in the area still after walking a distance?
Do you think this physio has done my leg damage? there was no pain before after only a few days? now three weeks.
Shall i try 20minutes on the pitch this saturday?

I will be hugely grateful for any help and I will keep you up to date with how this resolves.

Kind Regards

Ryan

[Ryan1982]

Quick update,

I tried going back to a game a couple of weeks back but during the warmup i felt some un-easy tingling across my thigh, it then got worse after stretching and when i began jogging again it left my leg feeling very strange around the thigh and groin, like a stretching feeling with no pain.

Ive accepted now that something is seriously not right since I went to see this physio, I walked to work today with no problems till the last few steps, a slight ache in my hip, i noticed that it clicked this morning which has never happened before. Its now a few hours later and my hip feels like its very weak indeed and its hurting to walk. When I lift my right knee upwards whilst stood up my leg pulls up with ease, my left leg feels heavy and stiff.

I really dont know what to do and I am all ears open for any suggestions.

I am worried about training on my legs because my adductor injury still feels very touch and go, but I feel like my leg is ready to fall apart with the thigh causing problems and now the hip which I imagine is due to taking all the strain.

[David E]

Hi Ryan,

You may want to start reading up on Osteitis Pubis..........some of your symptoms and the sequence of how this has happened sound like it could be a factor. Many will refer to it as OP (Osteitis Pubis).

I have it (OP) and it is recent and the situation is not great..........lost of very small baby steps.

Let me know how you go. I want to stay in touch with fellow sufferers as the clinical expertise from professionals seems to be lacking on this unless you are an elite AFL player. I have some experience as a masseur and personal trainer so want to develop some knwledge I can share with others through froums like this. (As well as helping myself). I do not fancy sitting around turing into a blimp for the rest of my life.

David E

[Ryan1982]

Hiya, thanks for the reply, I really hope its not OP! :eek: Time will tell.

Quick update, after giving into my urges to play football I havent trained at all, I am now walking without any pain and alot of freedom in the leg, I have decided to give training one more week off till I start swimming because I know in my heart it is still in there wiating to hurt. My walks and short runs to the train station have been pain free for about 1 week and a few days, I am optimistic I will be playing again in maximum of 4 weeks, so I suppose its getting close to crunch (or snap) time.
I still believe this damage was created by the physio, who I emailed suggesting in a light manner, she said it is always a risk (with a non severe injury it was a risk? did u give me a choice?) As a result of the failing muscle, my knee has been in some pain with been pulled about with stress on the thigh, my hamstring has felt at snapping point sometimes and groin in a slow dull healing process. BUT! lets hope we are almost at the end of that tunnel with the weeks of rest I've have given it with just 20minute walks each day.

I will update as I start training again.

[Ryan1982]

Ok not long after my last post I tryed some exercises and it seemed ok and then I slipped one night on the town and felt the horridness of a weak muscle over stretching, took a few days for that to go but I decided to just leave it, purely do nothing but my walk to work each day, been a great couple of months, put on a stone! Ah the wonders of beer.

Anyway, I suddenly had a week where I felt no pain whatsoever in my leg whilst walking 2weeks ago, I was releived as you can imagine. I started bike riding and it all felt good, I went for a kickabout and with the pushing left and right I could feel the pain slip back again, I understand this is the muscle struggling after so much rest rather than freaking out it was something else. I went to my first full on training session last night, I gave it 1hr and 30mins of hardcore running around playing football, dam it hurt at times but I had a warm bath when I got in, and this morning its feeling great.

Gaffer has already put me in for Saturday, to soon I know but I think this leg needs to be kept stretched and its no different to what Im going to do at the training ground, my biggest concern is pulling something else now but I'm going to take it easy and keep it warm for the sprinting. Wish me luck as I do you.

[Ben Read]

My name is Ben, i live in london. You sound you have exactly the same symptoms as i had a year ago. 15 months on after two hernia ops i am still in pain and scans have now shown that i have OP. You need to stop playing NOW, get theb relavant scans and then get in touch with a good physio. Recovery period is 6months to 2 years. Good luck

[Ryan1982]

succesfully played 3 games now, at first the muscle was weak and gave some pain in first 2 games as it did in training but yesterdays game was perfectly fine so im hoping the new muscle is now broken in nicely, smahsed a goal in aswell to win the game!
Initial fears that it was something serious due to pain had to be overcome realising that the muscle was weak and unused, i could have just sat back and waited again and the muscle would still not be getting any real exercise so Im glad I stuck to my guns.
Wish everyone a speedy recovery :)

[Cannavaro]

Great to hear your progress Ryan...

What kind of stretches are you doing?

Have you been cycling also?

I have sent you a private message.

[Ryan1982]

Hey Ryan,

It's good to hear your having some success.

I have been out for 15 months from soccer, I felt a tear in my adductor region, took a month off then came back with major pain whenever i tried kicking, like a pulling pain. Had all the scans etc, they couldnt find anything so the doc said it was OP. I took 6 months off, came back and it was the same, after countless physio and core strength sessions, injections...I went to see another doctor who knew exactly my problem, my adductor healed too short and it pulled on the pelvic bone when it was forced, causing the sharp pain. He said I realy need to stretch and loosen the whole region, and keep moving on it, it's the only way. Rest = bad...could be why you have had success. What else have you been doing on it which helps?

Fabio.

Hi Fabio, sorry for not replying sooner. Sorry to hear about the injury time you have had off. I will tell you everything I went through getting the leg back to normal (played on saturday and first game without a single feeling in the muscle) I hope you return to soccer soon also.
I began by stoppping by stopping the ice sessions, warm baths were much more releaving. Each morning I walked fast but not over stretching to the train station during the whole period of pain, some days I got a lift or bus when the pain was bad. 3 hours later on lunch I took another 30minute walk. Then 20minutes back from the train station to home. Swimming hurt my leg alot but I have heard its very rewarding having gentle swims. I also ate alot of pasta and tool fish oil capsules.
The pain was always present as a slight numbing feeling in my thigh/ groin/ adductor area. At night I always felt the need to stretch it and rub the muscle as if I had a tooth ache, this is what drove me to start stretching my legs during my walks a little more, just by walking slightly faster without any strain.
Riding my friends bike out for the day was my first day of real exercise but I did not push it, just gentle riding was great, i dont this 2 times a week for only 3 weeks i think, very light and easy.
All of a sudden one week I realised the pain had gone, my patience had payed off.
Back to training - Football training was hard, the muscle was weak and did not like any sharp turns, I used my other foot to kick the ball, never the injured leg for 2 training sessions (training once a week). First football match was painful but not cripling. I had a warm bath after the game and next day there was no pain!!! I was so happy. I did however 8 days later jump on a bull ride at a party and strained the weak muscle very lightly but 2 days later I played on it with agony after 3 days the pain had gone and my next game was played perfectly.

I hope this helps, and I hope I have not given any bad advice, just the steps I went through for my situation, im sure the muscle is still delicate and I will continue to keep an eye on it just incase. I wish you all the best.

Merry xmas :)