Footballing Osteitis Pubis

[Cannavaro]

I feel your pain Russell, trust me I feel your pain.

Jogging, swimming, cycling I can all do, however when it comes to kicking a ball, ouch! I'm pasionate about playing football and there is no way this groin is going to stop me from taking the field again.

I'm starting to worry because I thought after a year the problem would all be good, most people playing football tell me that taking a few months off always helps, however after hearing other peoples stories on here including your own about 2/3 years passing and the problem still hasn't gone away realy scares me.

I'm not going to bother with any other medical help because honestly its all crap.

I guess we are all seeking this miracle cure...it has to be out there...

[russell]

What I find really depressing is that I can kick a football with nearly no pain (as long as I take it easy) and so I think it's getting better and I'm nearly ready to go back to football. But then the next day or even a few days later the pain comes back which is really soul destroying. Part of me wishes that I felt pain doing the exercises so that at least I wouldn't get my hopes up.

Like you I hope somebody finds a miracle cure.

[Cannavaro]

Are you still playing at all?

I've been running laps with the team and joining in some small training games but none of this involves sprinting or knocking a 50 yard ball in the air. When I think about the level that I used to play at I cringe and think that i'll never be able to play like that again.

The confusing thing is that with all this technology they still cannot pin-point exactly where the pain is coming from. I was diagnosed with mild osteitis pubis and was told after a few months I could return to competitive play, however after a year the pain is still there (although not as bad).

If your feeling pain a few days after, ice for 10 minutes after exercise will do the trick, this is what I have found anyway.

[russell]

Unfortunately, I'm not playing at all at the moment as I tried to get back to kicking a football but it was still a bit sore. I'm giving the medical world another chance as I'm seeing a groin "specialist" to see if he can fix it.

I seem to be at the same level as you in that I can run and stuff like that. I put ice on it after excercising but I don't really like doing it as I feel it just hides the full extent of the problem (my own personal opinion). However, if this round of medical help doesn't work then I'll be trying to get back to sport e.g. football, and then just putting ice on it to reduce the pain.

The good thing is that every doctor I've seen has said that there's a very low chance that it'll go back to being as bad as it was even with playing football. So as long as I can put up with the discomfort then I could probably play football.

Do you get pain if you are standing (or sitting) for long time e.g. in a pub, at a concert, or sitting at work? The reason I ask is that I do and I wanted to know if this was a common symptom or just a side effect of my physio.

[Cannavaro]

Initally when I did the injury I felt alot of discomfort while sitting down at work, it was like a knife was being jabbed into my groin. Even getting in and out of the car. After a few weeks to months that pain died down and I could only feel it when my leg turned the wrong way and also while doing sit-ups etc. Now though its fine with normal everyday activity. I can even do situps and the squeeze test without feeling it, so the improvement is there which has made me happy. I'm yet to get out there and kick a ball properly as i'm scared i'll make it worse.

How exactly did you do the injury? Myself, I was running onto a through ball and felt this tear in the groin, it felt like when you pull an old frail rope apart. I've always had sore groins which points to OP, however the pain I also feel in my lower abs and adductor leads me to believe I might have another issue. The doctors just say its OP so who knows realy.

I'll be keen to hear what the groin specialist says.

Fabio.

[mel81]

You guys sound like me. I had the op, and have reinjured the groin, but can run and that ect without pain. Its when i step it up it goes awol. I am wondering if OP is the only problem too, am looking into that.

The worst pain i got and still get at times is the weirdest pain, like holing on to do a number two but more medial without needing too, but that kind of sharp stabbing pain. Comes and goes. But atm i just cant shake this groin weakness.

I need to get a good specific program for core and rehab of a speicalist in melbourne, think ill throw the season in though if i dont get improvement of ther the next fortnight, not worth the risk after such a long lay off already, 2 years!!

Mel

[russell]

Like you Fabio I got the injury whilst playing football. I went to tackle a guy who was running across me and did it a bit awkward. I felt the whole lower abdomen pull badly and as you describe it was a bit like old rope being pulled apart. I stupidly kept on playing which obviously hasn't helped my recovery.

I don't get sharp pain whilst sitting down or standing for long periods it just gets tighter and more tender gradually but the same type of pain I was getting 3 yrs ago!! I think there's something else going on with my injury now as the scans I had a few weeks back (x-ray, MRI and ultrasound) didn't show any signs of OP. I think that the tendons and muscles in the lower abdomen, especially joining onto the pubis, have just been damaged badly due to the OP. This would hopefully mean that they should get better but when that'll be is the answer I'm looking for.

I see the specialist again in a few weeks but I can guess that all he'll say is that I should keep on doing my core stability exercises and jogging etc and it'll eventually settle down. But I've been hearing that for the last 3 years and it hasn't properly settled down yet!!

[russell]

Hi Mel, I also get the same weird pain as you in that I feel like I need to go to the toilet all the time. This was really annoying when I first got OP as I'd be at the toilet every 30mins!! I mentioned this to the specialist and he said that this can occur as these muscles are used for a lot of things.

[Paulie]

Cannavaro, I too had lower ab pain, didnt feel nothing in my groins until i saw a physio. But the lower ab pain was the worse, I couldnt have sex for a year due to this pain. But as of late I am pain free and hopefully it stays like that !!

[russell]

Paulie, What treatment did you have to become pain free?