I was hoping you can point me in the right direction. I have had a couple of football players in the past who have had groin strains. What issues, dysfunctions and/or asymetries should I be looking at? I have them do a lot foam rolling but I feel I need to be looking at other issues or antagonists muscles?
It can be a number of things since the “groin” is made up of muscles that will cause similar symptoms in the same area but some of which have singular contributions.
1. It can be too much of a good thing. You may just be doing too much frontal-lateral work, such as what we see in hockey and soccer players.
2. It may be a hip flexor compensation. Some of the smaller or high groin muscles like the pectineus can take over for an inhibited psoas and/or overworked rectus femoris or Sartorius.
3. It may be a hip extensor compensation. When the hamstrings are facilitated/glutes inhibited the ADDuctor Magnus will hugely assist in hip extension.
As usual, I would always let the FMS be your guide in a non-painful athlete, but I would look out particularly with single-leg stance.
Lots of players can qualify for "pulled groin," several of which are not ADDuctors.
