Sebastian Brosche · 13 min · 1,196 words
Previously titled: Video 1 - Adductor & Groin Strain Rehab
Hi folks, welcome to day one of our adductor groin strain program. So this program deals with injuries to the adductor muscle group. So these are the muscles that pull your knees together. We quite often see strains in those muscles from jujitsu, you might notice it when you're playing guard for example.
There are a lot of different things that can cause groin pain though. So if you do have groin pain, I would recommend starting from a good diagnosis. So it's always worth going to see somebody just to make sure that that is actually what's causing the pain. As always with these programs, we're going to work through from day one being the very basic exercises that you can do quite soon after an injury has happened and they'll progress in difficulty.
So if at any point you feel like the exercises we've gone on to are too advanced or are becoming painful, then I'd encourage you to go back to an earlier day or to drop the difficulty level of the exercises. So the idea with all of this is that you're going to work within the level that you're relatively comfortable with. A little bit of mild discomfort is okay, but we don't want to be working into pain with any of these. So again, day one, we're going to stick with the basics today and all you're going to need is a pillow or a cushion.
So I'm going to start by folding my pillow. I'm just going to place it between my knees. I'm just going to start by doing a very gentle squeeze into the pillow and then you could increase the level until you can just about feel where the pain is, but I just want to keep it on the edge of that discomfort and I'm just going to hold that. Now these isometrics are really good for settling the pain down with an injury and they don't tend to flare the problem up.
Some exercises that we do in the early stages of rehab can actually cause the pain to get worse. These are really good for just getting the muscles involved but without any increase in discomfort. And then I'm just going to relax. So from there, now the adductor muscles, different muscles in the group work at different angles.
So I want to go from there. I'm just going to take my legs further out. So I've got them almost straight at the hip. I'm just going to squeeze again.
Again I'm just going to hold that. So this is not terribly exciting to watch but it's a really good thing for an acute injury. Again work at your own comfort level. And then from there I'm going to rest.
I'm just going to bring the knees up. So I've got my hips at 90 degrees. And now I'm just going to squeeze again. Again, keeping the muscles engaged.
Should be starting to get a little bit of a burn now. And then I'm going to relax. I'm going to put the pillow to one side. From there, I'm going to bring my feet together.
What I'm going to do now is I'm going to keep one knee fixed. We're going to do this one on both sides. So it doesn't matter which leg you start with. I'm going to keep one knee fixed and I'm going to drop the other knee as far out to the side as it will go comfortably.
And I'm just going to bring it back up. So I'm having to keep control of where my hips are. I'm going to alternate. I'm going to go onto the other side.
Just drop out to the side. And again, if you've got a groin strain, you may find that one side you've got a lot less movement on the other side. That's fine. So if you only get to there, that's not a problem.
Just go that far, come back up. Same on the other side. And then come back up again. Again, I'm being very careful.
Try and keep one knee fixed. I'm having to work to stabilize one side of the pelvis while I'm moving the other side. One more each on each side. And then from there, I'm just going to go onto my side.
We're going to use the glute muscles now. So one's on the other side of the hip. I'm just going to lift that knee up, squeeze, hold for a second and back down. Just going to repeat that.
Now, when I'm doing this, I don't want my hip to roll back here. I'm going to keep my hips stacked on top of each other and just lift the knee up. So in this instance, I'm imagining that the left leg is the one that I want to concentrate on. So I've got a left groin strain here.
If you want to do this exercise on both sides, that's not a bad idea. But it's OK to concentrate on the one that's on the side that's injured and do a bit more work on that side. And then when I've done that, I'm going to go back round and I'm going to do that whole circuit again. I'm going to take the pillow, place it between my knees.
I'm just going to squeeze and hold. So as before, you're guided by how it feels. It may be that you feel like you can put a little bit more force into the squeeze. Or you may not.
Make sure while you do this, you keep breathing as well. So it's easy to start holding your breath. So that's it. Keep breathing.
And then from there, I just relax for a second. I'm going to straighten my legs. I'm going to squeeze again and push the knees together. And whoops.
And then you are close to the end of the doing those multiple times a day. I usually recommend people doing either two or three times a day. Little and often is the way with this kind of acute injury. And then drop the pillow to one side, feet together and alternating sides.
I'm just going to drop the knee out and then bring it back up again. You see the leg that's still, feels like that wants to wobble as I take my knee out to the side. I'll do my best to that. And again, I'm only taking it as far as I can relatively comfortably.
And then from there onto my side, feet together, again, knees bent, my ankles are in line with my hips. Just going to lift the knee, squeeze and down. So remember, this is all early stage rehab. I'm just doing this within what's tolerable.
If you're getting pain with any of these exercises, then either ease up or stop doing them and speak to your healthcare practitioner. Okay. So I'm going to stop there for the first day. So that's the first program.
And I would recommend repeating that a few times, especially if it's a recent injury before we go on to the second part.
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