Athletic Pubalgia

If you're an athlete or physically active person, you may have occasional aches and pains. When pain strikes in your lower abdomen or groin, your first thought may be that you've pulled a muscle. You try applying heat and ice, reduce your physical activity, and get as much rest as possible. But nothing seems to help.

Perhaps what you have isn't a "pull" at all, but a tear. Certain professional athletes, as well as some active "weekend athletes," are susceptible to a sports hernia, also known as athletic pubalgia. While most athletes think they've got a pulled muscle, they actually may have a tear in the area where the muscle meets the bones of the pelvis.

This type of injury is caused by repeated trauma to the groin area, resulting in muscle and tendons pulling away from the pubic bone. Sports hernias are common among athletes who participate in sports that involve repetitive twisting and turning while moving, such as soccer, ice hockey, rugby, field hockey, tennis, or track.

The injury isn't limited to professional athletes, however. Anyone can develop a sports hernia, including people who do a lot of twisting and turning during a workout, or students who participate in high school or college sports. Females are just as susceptible as males.