Open Repair of Sports Hernia Garners Increased Views
Sports hernias are one of the most commonly misdiagnosed injuries that athletes today suffer, and the road to recovery can be longer than necessary. Those with groin pain are now turning to the Internet as a source of information. In an effort to clear up the confusion and provide accurate, detailed information, Dr. Brown published an informational sports hernia video on YouTube.
Clearly showing the need for this sort of precise, relatable information, Dr. Brown’s video has been viewed 21,385 times (as of the date of this post). With a focus on clarifying the details of a sports hernia, Dr. Brown defines the injury as a tear to the oblique abdominal muscles. Ultimately, the goal of this video is to provide accurate and useful information about an injury that is often not well understood or treated correctly in the world of professional and high-level athletics. However, on a wider scale the aim is to present facts that may be helpful to those suffering from groin pain and are seeking information on sports hernia repair surgery, the leading method of treatment.
Even in the high-stakes world of professional sports, complex and uncommon injuries such as sports hernias are commonly overlooked or misdiagnosed. “I would estimate that by the time a patient comes to my office, he or she has seen four to five other general practitioners or sports medicine specialists. When the previously prescribed rest fails to provide relief, they seek other options and often feel defeated,” explains Dr. Brown. Treatment can also be an issue, but once the path to recovery is set, it often leads to a great feeling of relief. “It’s satisfying to give athletes, both professional and otherwise, their lives back because a sports hernia can be debilitating if not treated properly,” Dr. Brown points out.
While traditional hernias might be more common and easily recognized, a sports hernia patient is dealing with a different issue. A sports hernia doesn’t involve a tear or hole in the abdominal wall, which is usually accompanied by a noticeable bulge. Lacking visible evidence, a sports hernia is extremely hard to diagnose accurately.
The sports hernia repair surgery video provided by Dr. Brown details a procedure that was performed on a hockey player, a common victim of sports hernia injuries. At the time of surgery, the player was in his mid-twenties, and had been experiencing pain in his left groin for a year and a half. Although an MRI was used to try and diagnose its source, the results were inconclusive. A later physical exam revealed that he had torn his internal and external oblique muscles, a strong indicator of a sports hernia. The images shown in the video depict the player’s surgery and the repairs made to each of those affected areas. After the surgery, he spent three weeks resting and three weeks in physical therapy. Six weeks later, he was back out on the ice.
YouTube offers a great platform for inquiring viewers to ask questions or post comments, and Dr. Brown replies to many of their questions personally, continuing to provide clear and accurate information on a murky topic.