Sports hernia is caused by congenital weakness of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal. A weakness of these tissues often causes a small intestine tract to escape, giving rise to an inguinal hernia.
The causes and the symptomatology 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 located at the level of 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 inguinal pain should lead to suspect the presence of a sports hernia. This condition is in fact responsible for the onset of painful pangs located in the lower part of the abdomen, at the level of the groin and the ipsilateral testicle. About 50% of athletes with a sports hernia also complain of painful pangs while coughing or sneezing.
Sometimes the pain is so intense that it interferes with the normal athletic performance of the subject.
DIAGNOSIS
A trained doctor can diagnose a sports hernia by palpating specific areas (pubic tubercle of the affected side). If the pressure stimulus increases the pain symptomatology the exam is positive. The sport hernia is however difficult to detect in the clinic and for this reason it is often resorted to herniography.
TREATMENT
If the pain persists the only effective treatment is surgical repositioning and repair of the posterior inguinal wall. Before considering this hypothesis, a conservative treatment is attempted based on rest and the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs associated with physical therapy. Recovery times after surgery are around 8 weeks and in most cases the athlete can easily resume the practice of competitive sports (around 87% of cases, while the remaining 13% improve significantly).
