Adductor Strain

Synonyms for calf strain:

• Muscle tear
• Muscle strain
• Myo-aponeurotic lesion

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What is an adductor strain?

It is a significant stretch or tear of the muscle fibers in the groin or inner thigh muscles.

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What are the causes of an adductor strain?

A calf strain occurs when a significant force is applied to the muscles through contraction or stretching. 

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This can be caused by:

• A rapid change of direction while playing a sport
• A rapid and sudden movement of the hip or leg
• Rapid acceleration while running (such as when starting a sprint)
• The leg gets stuck and forces the hip into an excessive movement (like when several football players fall on top of each other)

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What are the risk factors for developing an adductor strain?

The following factors describe the people most affected by this injury:

• Having had a strain in the same area in the past
• Athletes who play sports involving running (soccer, football, athletics)

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What are the symptoms of an adductor strain?

The symptoms are:

• Sharp and sudden pain in the groin or inner thigh that appears immediately at the time of the accident (feeling like a stab)
• The pain can radiate to the inside of the knee
• The pain is often increased by:
  
  • Walking (worse with large steps)
  • Getting in or out of the car
  • Raising your leg to put on socks or pants
• There may or may not be bruising on the inside of the thigh.

If the pain has appeared gradually without a specific incident, it is not a strain.

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How to diagnose an adductor strain?

Diagnosis is possible based on the history of symptoms and a clinical examination.

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When to consult a physiotherapist for an adductor strain?

You should consult a physiotherapist if you have symptoms as described above or if your doctor has already ruled out any other cause that may be responsible for your pain.

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You do not need to see a doctor before consulting a physiotherapist. If your condition requires you to see a doctor, your physiotherapist will be able to tell you.

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What are the physiotherapy treatments for an adductor strain?

As with all traumatic injuries, we must let the body do its natural healing work.

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"Inflammation is a normal and necessary process for proper healing. There is therefore no miracle way to speed up healing."

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However, it is very important to make sure to eliminate all factors that could slow down healing. Here are some examples of things that could slow down healing:

• Worries or fears related to the injury or pain
• Improper dosage of exercises and daily activities
• Poor biomechanics of your movements
• Stiffness in the joints or muscles

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"That's why your physiotherapist can help you optimize the healing of the injury. Your physio will guide you in the best possible direction to ensure that the injury heals effectively."

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Think of healing from a traumatic injury like taking care of a plant. Pulling on the plant won't make it grow faster. However, you can make sure it gets enough water, sunlight, and fertilizer. We want to put the plant in a good environment to heal. It's the same for a traumatic injury.

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Your physiotherapist will perform an assessment to determine your limitations and the severity of the injury by evaluating the following elements:

• Your joint mobility
• The gliding of your nerves
• The quality of your movements
• Your strength and stability

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Based on the assessment results, your physiotherapist will:

• Mobilize your joints and nerves to reduce pain and improve your movement
• Give you specific exercises to re-educate the control of your joint movements.
• Give you exercises to regain mobility, reduce pain and regain your muscle strength.
• Teach you how to properly manage your daily activities and hobbies to optimize healing
• Give you advice for your posture and movements.

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What to do at home for an adductor strain?

As with any traumatic injury, you should follow the PEACE and LOVE principles. Read the blog post on PEACE and LOVE (coming soon) and then read here for advice that applies to adductor strains.

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PEACE and LOVE tips specific to adductor strains:

(make sure you have read the blog post that explains the PEACE and LOVE steps in detail)

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For C = Compression

• Use a compression bandage or taping to wrap around your thigh.
• Start walking and putting weight on the leg gradually without significantly increasing the pain.

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For L = Load:

• Start walking and putting weight on the leg gradually without significantly increasing the pain. 
• Wait until you no longer limp before increasing the duration of your walks.
• From the 2nd day after the injury, you can start contracting the painful muscle with a pain level of 4/10 or less if you respect the following:
  
  • Pain after exercise decreases in less than 30 minutes
  • During exercise, there are no leg cramps or sudden sharp pain
  • The next day, you should be able to do the same exercise again

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For V = Vascularisation:

Light to moderate cardio activity without pain accelerates healing. For an adductor strain, you can:

• Do stationary cycling without pain
• Swim without pain

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If you don't see any improvement after 10 days, you should consult a physiotherapist.

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If you are a runner, please refer to the blog post on running (link to come) for practical tips for running.

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Sources

• Kiel J, Kaiser K. Adductor Strain.
• Thorborg, K. (2020). "Prevention and Rehabilitation of Hamstring Injuries". Springer.
• Dubois B, Esculier JF. Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE.

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