Sports hernia

Sports hernia is caused by congenital weakness of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal. Weakness in these tissues often causes a tract of the small intestine to leak out, resulting in an inguinal hernia.

The causes and symptoms of these two types of hernia are in fact very similar but while the groin leads to the appearance of a more or less large swelling localized in the groin, the sports hernia does not cause any swelling visible to the naked eye. or appreciable to the touch.

SYMPTOMS

In the absence of specific pathologies, chronic groin pain must lead to suspect the presence of a sports hernia. This condition is in fact responsible for the onset of painful pangs localized in the lower part of the abdomen, at the level of the groin and ipsilateral testicle. About 50% of athletes with a sports hernia also complain of painful twinges while coughing or sneezing.

Sometimes the pain is so intense that it interferes with the person's normal athletic performance.

DIAGNOSIS

A trained doctor can diagnose a sports hernia by palpating specific areas (pubic tubercle on the affected side). If the pressure stimulus increases painful symptoms, the test is positive. However, sports hernia is difficult to detect in the clinic and for this reason a herniography is often used.

TREATMENT

If the pain persists, the only effective treatment is surgery to reposition and repair the posterior inguinal wall. Before considering this hypothesis, a conservative treatment based on rest and the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs associated with physical therapy is attempted. Recovery times after surgery are approximately 8 weeks and in most cases the athlete can safely resume the practice of competitive sports (approximately 87% of cases, while the remaining 13% improves significantly).