Groin strains from cycling?

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Milzy

Guru
Has anybody ever suffered from groin problems after a good cycling session? How much of the adductor muscles are used as cycling is regarded as low impact non weight bearing exercise?
Should the nerves be surgically cut to avoid pain?
 
I don't know how old or fit you are, or what kind of cycling you do, but it might help if you do some warming-up exercises before you start riding.

Don't know if severing nerves is to be recommended, though.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Assuming you're a bloke, do you seriously want to have surgery to sever nerves around your groin!

See a Physio if it persists!!
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
I really can't think how one can suffer a groin strain on a bike without having it set up really wrong. Searching around a bit makes me think cycling groin strains are caused by inappropriate pressure rather than muscle use and the most common causes are saddle nose up, saddle too far forward (so your thighs are fouling the flare towards the back of the saddle) and rarely saddle nose too wide. So check your bike fit first - http://wheel-easy.org.uk/uploads/documents/Bike Set Up 2017a.pdf seems a good guide.
 
I bet it's referred from elsewhere. Adductors have common insertion points with hamstrings and IT bands. If any of them are tight they affect your adductors, so you probably need to work on other muscles to sort your groin out. once again, I recommend rolling and a good book, like the Anatomy of stretching.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Women wouldn't be stupid enough to even consider or ask the question ;). I'm quite surprised any bloke would but there you go!
I feel even more stupid for having asked my question! :blush:


:laugh:
 

Justinslow

Lovely jubbly
Location
Suffolk
In my case I was getting aching all around the groin and upper hamstring area. Through many many trips to the physio, private massage etc it was nailed down to upper hamstring tendinopathy, basically tendinitis. Really a running ailment but in my case my saddle was too far back, as much as 5cm so over a period of time I was Continually over stretching. I haven't fixed it yet despite a lot of trying. It seems the main way back is through lots of strengthening work with the hamstrings and core muscles, massage can help but won't fix it on its own. I haven't ridden since February apart from 10 miles round Snetterton track earlier this month.
It's hard enough just to continue with my physical job let alone try riding again.
Having said that, my club mates keep hassling me to go out for a bimble, so might give it a go even though I'm no better than I was 6 months ago.
 
In my case I was getting aching all around the groin and upper hamstring area. Through many many trips to the physio, private massage etc it was nailed down to upper hamstring tendinopathy, basically tendinitis. Really a running ailment but in my case my saddle was too far back, as much as 5cm so over a period of time I was Continually over stretching. I haven't fixed it yet despite a lot of trying. It seems the main way back is through lots of strengthening work with the hamstrings and core muscles, massage can help but won't fix it on its own. I haven't ridden since February apart from 10 miles round Snetterton track earlier this month.
It's hard enough just to continue with my physical job let alone try riding again.
Having said that, my club mates keep hassling me to go out for a bimble, so might give it a go even though I'm no better than I was 6 months ago.

You will fix it - but six months is no where near enough. It took me 18 months - common guideline is 12 months.
Basically you need eccentric hamstring exercises - with weights - and pretty heavy weights, and then even heavier weights.
You need to get to a gym and do hamstring curls, one legged dumbbell dead lifts - and then bridges onto a ball.

Be aware that most physio's won't recommend that stuff - they will give you some light stretches to do. The words that still ring in my ears are "Much more aggressive gym work" is required. Also if a physio isn't doing cross frictional massage and/or dry needling they have misdiagnosed and you are being treated for a minor hamstring strain.

Also bear in mind when you do get back the bike - there will be a bit of discomfort, you generally want to ride more than your ars* is prepared for. Don't confuse this with the original injury. Chamios cream and a leather brooks saddle got me through this bit.

Back to op - General groin pain IME was caused by tight hamstrings - this pulls everything out of whack - stretch those hammies every day and after every ride.
 
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