Sports Hernia (Athletic Pubalgia) Very Painful soft tissue injury that occurs in the lower abdominal or groin area. Occurs in sports that involve sudden change of direction or intense twisting movement. Most often affects the muscles within the lower abdominal.

Mechanism of Injury Sudden Change in direction or twisting movement. Tendons attached to the oblique muscles to the pubic bone are most vulnerable Sports hernias occur mainly in vigorous sports such as ice hockey, soccer, wrestling, and football

Treatment 4-6 week injury Non-Surgical treatment: First 7-10 days, rest and ice (not directly to the skin) 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times a day. 2 weeks in you may start physical therapy exercises to improve strength and flexibility. NSAID’s If pain returns after 4-6 weeks one may need surgery

Treatment cont. Surgical Treatment: Can be done as a traditional open procedure or an endoscopic procedure. Most athletes are able to return to sports 6 to 12 weeks after surgery. Your recovery should be guided by the absence of symptoms, not a specific length of time on the calendar.

Prevention Strengthening the Pelvic floor muscles. Maintain muscle balance. Never increase training intensity, duration, and frequency by more than 10 percent a week. Proper Warm up/cool down Yearly physical

Blow to Solar Plexus Commonly known as “getting the wind knocked out” Caused by a sudden blow or impact to the stomach or sometimes from a fall onto the back. The athlete will have difficulty breathing deeply and possibly difficulty breathing at all.

Treatment Encourage calm slow breathing in the nose and out the mouth If the winded athlete suffers from asthma, they may require additional care such as their inhaled medication. The player can return if their breathing and pulse return to normal with no pain/deformity

Prevention No true way to prevent this type of injury. If there is still signs of pain or deformity there maybe a serious internal injury. Tighten core muscles Anyone is vulnerable

Rupture Spleen Occurs when the capsule-like covering of the spleen breaks open, pouring blood into your abdominal area. Can rupture when the abdomen suffers a severe direct blow or blunt force. Fist-sized organ under your left rib cage near your stomach. Motor vehicle accidents, Injury during contact sports, such as football and hockey

Signs and Symptoms Pain in the abdomen, left rib cage, or left shoulder region. Signs of internal bleeding include: Blurred vision, Confusion, Light-headedness, Fainting, Signs of shock, including restlessness, anxiety, nausea, and paleness. Diagnoses: Physical exam, CT scan (not recommended), and Focused abdominal sonographic technique (FAST).

Grading Scale of Injury http://radiopaedia.org/articles/splenic_injury_grading

Using proper equipment Very vulnerable No true way of prevention Treatment: Require immediate medical attention. Can be a life threating injury. Grade I&II may not require surgery. A risk to live without. Prevention: Using proper equipment Very vulnerable No true way of prevention

Sources http://www.sportsherniasouth.com/ http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/sports-hernia-topic-overview http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00573 http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/aches/winded.html http://www.sportmedbc.com/news/“getting-wind-knocked-out-you” http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/chest-abdomen-pain/winded http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ruptured-spleen/basics/definition/con-20029359 http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/ruptured-spleen http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/432823-treatment