Up to 30% of sports medicine doctor visits are attributed to muscle strains, and groin injuries comprise 2 – 5 % of all sports injuries. Adductor tendinitis and tendinopathy are among the most common causes of groin pain in athletes. A study performed by Renstrom and Peterson who analyzed groin strains in athletes, found that the adductor longus was responsible for 62% of groin injuries, and tends to be the most prone to injury (at the point where the muscle and tendon attach to the femur), followed by an injured gracilis muscle.
Adductor tendinitis is often confused with adductor tendinopathy or tendinosis.
Adductor tendinitis refers to inflammation of the adductor tendon as a result of damage to the tendon, which is generally a result of chronic overloading activities or acute injuries. Adductor tendinitis often leads to adductor tendinosis (tendinopathy) over the long term.
Adductor tendinopathy(adductor enthesopathy) is a chronic tendon injury that involves degeneration of the adductor tendon at its attachment to the pubic bone. This type of tendinosis is a result of excessive tension, effort and/or repetitive use of your adductor muscles and tendons, especially during activities that require running, kicking, twisting, or side-stepping. The initial damage can range from overstretching to partial tearing to complete rupturing of the small fibers that make up your adductor muscles and tendons. If you do not allow your tissues to heal properly, your previous adductor injuries will build upon each other. The inability of your tendon to repair itself encourages the microtears to accumulate faster than they can heal, increasing the degeneration in your tissue and reinforcing your pain and disability.
If you have adductor tendinopathy or tendinosis damage happens at a cellular level – your tendon (which is made up of collagen fibers) becomes weaker and thinner over time as a result of microtears which fray and separate the fibers and connective tissues in and around your adductor tendon. The tendon loses its glistening appearance, and often changes to a soft texture that is yellow or brown in color (mucus-like appearance). Scar tissue (very fibrous tissue that develops in the healing of wounds) or calcific deposits (calcium phosphate) develop around the injured area which can decrease the blood supply to the tissue and cause pain. This condition does not involve inflammation.
Internationally, approximately 10% of all injuries endured by professional hockey players are groin strains (according to the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma). Adductor tendinitis or tendinopathy and osteitis pubis often occur together and have very similar symptoms.
Alternate Names and/or related conditions:
Adductor tendinitis, adductor tendinosis, adductor enthesopathy, tendon strain, tendon tear, torn tendon, adductor pull, adductor injury, groin pull, groin strain, osteitis pubis, sports hernia, groin injury, iliopsoas strain, iliopsoas pull, iliopsoas injury, iliopsoas bursitis, iliopsoas tendonitis.
Groin Injury Treatments
If you have a muscle pull or strain in your groin, resting it is recommended. Avoid activities that cause pain or may have caused the injury and begin cold compression treatments as soon as possible.
There are healing tools that can help treat your groin strain and speed up the healing process so you can reduce your pain and get back to daily life.Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy™ (BFST®) will promote blood flow to heal your injury faster and more completely than any other methods available.