Sports Hernia Questions

Options For Your Hernia Repair

Published February 25, 2018 By William Brown, MD

Do All Hernias Have to be Repaired?

Once you’re diagnosed with a hernia – be it an indirect inguinal hernia, direct inguinal hernia and/or femoral hernia – the next question is does it have to be repaired, and if so, how soon? If you’ve been living with a hernia for long, then you may have increased your pain tolerance to a point where the hernia doesn’t appear to have a negative effect on your life. Some hernias simply don’t cause much discomfort. And, there’s the recovery period post-hernia repair to consider and plan for, which can make you want to put off repairing your hernia.

Relieving significant pain that stops you from living daily life as usual is the top reason to repair a hernia, but there are several other reasons that cause people with hernias to have them repaired sooner versus later. If you’re on your feet for long…

Shouldice Hernia Repair Technique

Published February 22, 2018 By William Brown, MD

Four Things You Should Know About the Shouldice Hernia Repair Technique

Shouldice Repair for Hernias

If you are researching hernia repair techniques, chances are that you’ve come across the Shouldice technique. No wonder since it’s considered an excellent hernia repair method due to it putting minimal tension on the repair, which leads to less post-operative pain and easier recovery, it has a low hernia recurrence rate, it has a low infection rate, and its results are equal to or better than using mesh.

That just scratches the surface of this popular hernia repair method. Here are four more things you should know about the Shouldice hernia repair technique.

1. How it’s performed.
The Shouldice hernia repair involves using a running permanent suture to first plicate and strengthen the inguinal floor. Then a second running suture is used to plicate the oblique muscles, creating a four-layer hernia repair.

2. Who invented it.
Dr. Edward Shouldice,…

Think You Might Have a Sports Hernia?

Published September 24, 2017 By William Brown, MD

When to Seek Treatment for a Suspicious Groin Injury

Do you have a nagging pain in your lower abdomen, groin, thigh, or testicles that simply won’t go away and is really affecting your athletic performance? Do your core muscles feel weak? Can you no longer accelerate like you used to? If so, this is a big problem. You may very well might be dealing with a sports hernia.

If you don’t know what a sports hernia is, you’re not alone. Even many doctors haven’t heard of a sports hernia—and there are some doctors who don’t believe they exist. However, they most certainly exist, and they are painful.

Sports hernias develop from the repetitive turning, twisting, and fast movements that athletes make when playing. They can happen to just about anyone, no matter what level of athlete you are, or how in shape you may be.

A sports hernia can be…

Do You Have a Nagging Suspicion You Have a Sports Hernia?

Published August 7, 2017 By William Brown, MD

Don’t Ignore Your Intuition

There are several reasons why athletes may not get their Sports Hernia taken care of as soon as the injury happens or is suspected. For one, they may not actually realize they have one. They may think they’ve strained a muscle, pinched a nerve, torn a ligament, or sprained something, and they may think that the problem will just repair itself. Sports Hernias can mimic the pain of other problems, so ignoring the pain for a while is common among our patients.

Another reason Sports Hernias go untreated is because athletes aren’t familiar with what it is or how seriously it can affect their performance when playing. They may just feel an unfamiliar pain, and hope it will eventually go away.

Sometimes Sports Hernias aren’t properly treated because they’re misdiagnosed. Sports Hernias are still “new news” to some people—even some doctors—and as a result, they often…

Summertime Safety

Published June 23, 2017 By William Brown, MD

Warming Up to Warm Weather Sports Without Injury

It’s heating up all over the country, and for many, that means taking up summer sports again. With these warm seasons come tennis, running, basketball, and soccer, among others. Warmer weather also brings more activity for weekend warriors who love to spend their spare time being active.

Because so many are getting back into their sports habits, it’s a good time of year to be very aware of recognizing the signs of a sports hernia. A sports hernia can be a “hidden” injury since it’s not noticeable by the eye—only by the pain it causes. (Regular hernias can be detected by a bulge under the skin, but sports hernias do not have a bulge.)

Sports hernias develop due to the repetitive, quick movements that many sports require, as well as athletic twisting and turning while playing. And summertime is a good…

Just What is a Sports Hernia?

Published June 9, 2017 By William Brown, MD

The Anatomy of a Sports Hernia

Did you know that athletes can get a specific type of hernia that’s different than a regular hernia? It’s called athletic pubalgia, or more commonly, a “sports hernia.” This type of hernia gets its name from the fact that it develops from the movements athletes perform to play sports: the repetitive turning, twisting, and fast movements that come with tennis, running, basketball, wrestling, football, hockey, and soccer. Although sports hernias are associated more with professional players, they can also develop in anyone who is physically active in sports.

A sports hernia occurs when a tendon, a muscle or a ligament in the lower abdomen or groin tears. Although having more developed core muscles helps, even players in absolute great shape can develop a sports hernia.

Because a sports hernia doesn’t create a bulge under the skin like a regular hernia does—and in fact doesn’t…