Gird Up Your Loins

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GIRD UP YOUR GROINS

On the battlefield, Caesar Marcus Aurelius told his soldiers to “gird up their loins.”  The expression meant to tuck in your outer robe-like garment into your sash-belt before engaging in the strenuous and dangerous task of chopping off heads for the empire.  Catching your skate in a rut or sudden changes in direction playing indoor soccer can place mega-strain on your groin.  And if your groin is strained, you aren’t going to be able to gird up anything on the sports-field.  

STRAIN DEFINITION

A groin pull is a strain or tearing of the muscles which run from the front of your hip bone to the inside of your thigh. Usually it is one of three muscles which is pillaged in a groin injury, and they all have the kind of Latin names befitting a Roman emperor:  Gracillis, Adductor Magnus, and Adductor Longus. Muscle pulls are classified according to three levels:  Grade 1 (Mild), Grade 2 (Moderate), and Grade 3 (Severe).  Fortunately, severe strains are rare and many gladiators often are able to continue an activity with mild strains.

STRAIN SOLUTION

With a mild or moderate groin pull, the initial treatment is usually ice, rest, and a tensor bandage. Depending on the level of disability and the amount of pain present, you can usually begin easy flexibility exercises after the first couple of days.  If you have a moderate or severe strain, you may need to see a physical therapist for treatment.  Typically he could apply ultrasound and get you doing some further activities including stretching and gentle isometric exercises.  This is often progressed to stationary cycling and/or free-style or backstroke swimming which allows for your cardiac-ticker maintenance.  Breast stroke is a no-no.

STRAIN PROGRESSION

As a rule of thumb, no running or skating is allowed until your flexibility is within 90 per cent of the good side.  Skaters may be allowed to skate but not with full stride lengths.  For dudes wishing muscle strength symmetry, isokinetic testing and training may be performed on a BIODEX™ multi-joint system which allows a more accurate measurement of the actual strength/endurance deficits and balances. 

STRAIN PREVENTION

As with hamstring injuries, groin pulls can be particularly prone to re-injury, especially if your arena activities are resumed prematurely.  Depending on the severity of your strain, a trip to your physical therapist is a possible maybe.  However, a continual stretching and proper warm-up program even after the injury appears to have healed is a definite must for all sports gladiators who wish to gird up their groin:   unless you are content to battle for the living room couch instead of the Coliseum crown.

Brent Kassian, BScPT, MCPA, MCPTA

Executive Director

Capilano Rehab Centre

phone:  466-1104

check out their groovy website @ www. caprehab.com