Sports Hernia – Hockey

Sports Hernias: The Journey from Diagnosis to Treatment and Recovery

Published November 15, 2018 By William Brown, MD

Sports Hernias Are Often Misdiagnosed

Did you know that there’s a type of hernia that is specific to athletes and active people? Athletic pubalgia, more commonly known as a sports hernia, can be caused by the repetitive turning, twisting, and fast movements that come with tennis, basketball, wrestling, football, hockey, soccer, and even simple running. It develops when a tendon, a muscle, or a ligament is ripped.

If you’ve never heard of a sports hernia, you’re not alone. Many people haven’t, and it’s actually often misdiagnosed as a pulled muscle, a torn ligament, hypertension, a sprain, or even old age. But even though they are often misdiagnosed, sports hernias are common—and serious.

The pain that comes with one can affect the lower abdomen, groin, thigh, and the testicles, and it can make playing sports and engaging in activities very difficult. You may be able to feel it when you…

Sports hernias putting strain on hockey players of all ages

Published June 19, 2017 By William Brown, MD

Dr. Brown was recently interviewed by AP journalist Stephen Whyno on the long term effects a sports hernia can have on a professional hockey player. Read the full story here.

Hockey Sports Hernia Season is in Full Swing

Published March 23, 2016 By William Brown, MD

7014299_s Taking a bruising, battering, and beating – hockey is a rough sport. Players are constantly running into walls, and one another on purpose and on accident. Hockey players get used to injuries. Over the course of a season, it’s not uncommon to see broken bones, sprains or tears, not to mention lots and lots of bruises and maybe a few missing teeth. One injury that’s a sideline certainty: a sports hernia, also known as an inguinal disruption. Not only can a sports hernia injury be painful, but it can also turn a star player into a bench-warmer. Knowing how to prevent sports hernia injuries from happening and what to do if one does occur can keep you on the ice.

An inguinal disruption is an injury that happens when the soft tissue in the groin area is torn. Common symptoms include a visible weakness, pain when moving, and deep…

Fitness & Exercise Help Prevent or Recover from Sports Hernias

Published February 29, 2016 By William Brown, MD

Slacking on Your New Year’s Fitness & Exercise Resolutions? Don’t.

7039144_s January has come and gone! You made your promises to get to the gym, to go on walks, to take the stairs. But now it’s March and you’re starting to slack in your resolve. It might be okay to skip that two-hour dance marathon you had planned to participate in, but now is not the time to give up on your exercise goals. Staying fit and exercising regularly bring innumerable benefits, by not only aiding your physical health, but also reducing your risk for injuries, like sports hernias.

A sports hernia occurs when muscle or tissue in the lower abdomen tears, and can be hard to diagnose. Common symptoms include a visible weakness in the groin area, sharp pain, and chronic aches that return with activity. Sports hernia injuries can sideline athletes for months and often require surgery and physical…

The Hockey Player’s Guide to Sports Hernias

Published October 23, 2015 By William Brown, MD

hockey-player-25828606_s With hockey season fast approaching, pros and beer leaguers alike are preparing to do battle between the boards. Along with the inevitable bumps and bruises come another common, painful injury that’s prevalent among hockey players – the sports hernia or inguinal disruption.

Sports hernias impact professional and amateur hockey players alike at every level of their game. No player is immune considering well-known NHL athletes like Ryan Getzlaf, Jonathan Bernier, Matt Cooke and Andrew Ladd have all been sidelined while recovering from sports hernias they developed during the 2014/2015 season.

Why hockey players are at high risk of developing sports hernias?

To understand why sports hernias are so common among hockey players, it’s important to understand what a sports hernia actual is and isn’t.

A “typical” non-sports related hernia occurs when soft tissue (such as the intestines) protrudes through a weaken area the abdominal muscles, resulting in a visible bulge…