Groin Pain in Sport – surgery or physiotherapy?

 A recent study by Enda King and Dr. Éanna Falvey the next head of the British and Irish Lions medical team, and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) compared the research on physiotherapy versus surgery on return to play for Athletic groin pain. Athletic groin pain has been shown to be quite prevalent among players involved in gaelic football. They divided the groin injury up into pubic related, adductor related and abdominal related groin pain. The review suggested better results and quicker return to play with physiotherapy rehabilitation over surgery for pubic-related groin pain. They also found no difference between surgery and physiotherapy rehabilitation for the adductor and abdominal groups. You can see why the groin comes under some strain with all the side stepping seen in Gaelic football, rugby, hurling and soccer. With Colm Cooper today retiring from Gaelic football I thought I would share some of the side steps, points and goals throughout his career.