Many sports and activities involve rapid pivoting and turning at high speeds. While this level of agility may improve your performance, it can increase your risk of a sports hernia.
General and robotic surgeon Daniel Rosen, MD, routinely diagnoses and treats sports hernias at New York Hernia Center to prevent further complications.
At offices on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City, and in Secaucus, New Jersey, and Darien, Connecticut, Dr. Rosen performs minimally invasive surgery to kickstart your athletic recovery.
It’s easy to assume that the pain you feel from a sports injury is something simple like a strain. But sports hernias can be a little more complex and harder to diagnose. Here’s what you need to know:
A sports hernia is a subtype of inguinal hernia, which occurs when a hole forms in the muscles of your pelvis. This results in a bulge in the groin area, which is usually quite painful and can make activities difficult.
Sports hernias happen with rapid and repetitive twisting. It’s not a true hernia, but it can turn into an inguinal hernia over time. Instead, it’s a painful tendon injury in the groin area. Many healthcare professionals instead call it athletic pubalgia to avoid confusion.
If you experience a sports hernia, it can lead to a hernia later if you go without treatment. Even if it doesn’t become a hernia, a sports hernia can cause chronic pain that prevents you from participating in future athletic activities.
If you feel pain in your groin area or lower abdomen, don’t assume it’s a muscle strain that will heal on its own. Dr. Rosen may use imaging tests to look at the muscles in your groin to diagnose or rule out a sports hernia.
Dr. Rosen specializes in minimally invasive and robotic surgery to treat sports hernias before they become inguinal hernias. He uses laparoscopic surgery to repair sports hernias, which involves a long, lighted camera and smaller incisions than open surgeries.
Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery involves a short healing period. Healing time is minimal with this approach because the incisions are so small. That means you can return to your sport faster than you would with open surgery.
You may also manage pain from a sports hernia by undergoing personalized physical therapy or taking anti-inflammatory medications. Dr. Rosen can tell you if or how surgery fits into your comprehensive sports hernia treatment plan.
For more information on sports hernia treatment and minimally invasive surgery, call New York Hernia Center or request an appointment online today.
