Possible groin strain?

[millardus]

Hey folks

I had a foot strain back in late July, took about 5 weeks to recover before I could train properly. I then started back quite quickly with running twice a week, training on hard courts and sandy astro courts, and I *think* I started a small groin strain sometime mid-September (I remember starting to hobble a little bit and was tender around the right inner thigh.... I played through and it kinda went away I think.

Anyhow 3 weeks later I had a pretty darned intense week of exercise (I'm a bulky 90kg tennis player and only 1.78m, so i know I'm too heavy. Cardiovascularly I'm very fit, but I don't think my body is strong enough for the intensity of singles I play).

Monday: 90 mins side to side points play on Sandy astro...full on drilling.
Tuesday: coach led 90 mins intense drilling, hard court.
Thursday 90 mins light doubles on non-sandy carpet.
Friday 4 mile run on dirt track
Sunday 30 mins singles and then 90 mins doubles on hardcourt (4.0-4.5 sort of standard).

Anyway, midway through the sunday tennis I tweaked the groin again, not soo much as to stop playing but I started hobbling and feeling it.

It's Wednesday now, and I am not affected in everyday stuff, though it's still a little tender in the area.

Should i be resting for like a week or 2, or slow down the intensity of the tennis? Anyone got experience of this type of strain?

 

[Maui19]

Keeping it taped up (figure 8 wrap around the waist) helps prevent reinjury while you fully heal.

 

[floridatennisdude]

I had a very mild groin strain a few months ago. I was fine after about a week, but the grade of strains is a big factor in recovery. Lot of good info can be found through a simple google search for "groin strain recovery" to answer general questions. I'd give it a week minimum, but they can take as long as a few months.

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/hip_groin/a/hip2.htm

http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sprainsstrains/a/groinstrain_2.htm

http://www.m.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/groin-pull

 

[charliefedererer]

^^^Great info FLAdude!

It can take a long time to heal a groin sprain, and re-injury from returning too soon is all too common.

It is a particular scourge for baseball players swinging a heavy bat with a violent swing.

Those guys are getting paid millions to play, but there is just no hurrying getting them back on the field.
They just have to wait for the body to heal like me and you. There are is no magical cure.

The rehab exercises in floridatennisdude's links are a way to gradually test the groin with less violent motions than a tennis swing, and so more gradually get back to functioning.
Only the last stages of the above exercises are really to strengthen before getting back on the court.