Sports Hernia

Athletic pubalgia is the scientific term for sports hernia, an injury that involves a strain or tear to the soft tissue in the lower abdomen. This is your core we’re talking about: an injury to this region is going to hurt and affect your performance, whether it involves kicking a soccer ball in the backyard or swinging for the fences in a professional baseball game. For many athletes looking to bounce back quickly, surgery is a consideration.

At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we believe that we can effect a full recovery and strengthening of the region with a more conservative approach: surgery should be a last recourse rather than a method of first resort.

The actual muscles that are responsible for sports hernia are the lower abdominals and adductors: the tendons that attach the thigh to the pubic bone. These tissues can be damaged by a traumatic incident (a tackle to the lower stomach), but more commonly are worn to a tipping point by repetitive stress.

A quick example: imagine the average strain that is placed on these same tissues when you kick a soccer ball 100 times in practice: this is a motion that twists the core while the foot is planted. Multiply that by 5 days a week for an entire soccer season and, at a certain point, the tissues may reach a breaking point and tear, creating a sports hernia.

At our office in Sacramento, we focus on muscular balance as a key to rehabilitating sports hernias. We relieve pain with hands-on treatment that enhances blood flow to the injured region, bringing key nutrients and oxygen that help the muscles repair. Once the pain is gone and the tissue repaired, we introduce strengthening modalities to prevent recurrence of the injury moving forward. You will emerge from our office feeling stronger and more confident in your core muscles. 

If you are suffering from sports hernia, call our office in Sacramento at (916) 457-8825 to schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C.