Diagnosis of Groin Injury

[Cromwell]

Lifter since 2016, age 49, BW 198lb

In December 2023, I injured my groin while squatting (I believe). It was not a sudden, traumatic injury, but rather one that I noticed as "sore" the next day. On my next several squat sessions, I continued to experience pain (sensation of shooting pain and weakness in the area where the adductors are situated, I believe). I had a ski vacation over Christmas, and I skied mostly without pain, but it would flare occasionally.

I have continued to squat since January 1. I have tried a number of the solutions here--lower reps (instead of sets of 5, I've moved to sets of 3), using light weights for high reps, narrowing stance, etc. But the pain persists, and really is inhibiting me from getting back to heavier squats (for me). Most significantly, I experience the pain/feeling of weakness when I try to rebound hard out of the hole. I'm probably at about 90% of my 5-rep sets pre-injury, but still experiencing pain.

This hasn't affected my deadlift at all.

My main reason for inquiring is to determine the best diagnostic tool so that I can focus my rehabilitation efforts appropriately. Is this something that an MRI would detect? Or is there some other diagnostic approach?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Video? So we can see your stance?

[Cromwell]

Thanks, coach. I'll record my next session and post it here. I appreciate the reply.

[Will Morris]

Should you happen to get imaging, what do you expect the findings of the imaging to change about your situation? Do you think you require a surgical repair, or even more fundamentally, what do you expect a physician to recommend based off a low level soft tissue injury other than “stop squatting”? The fact of the matter is: you oftentimes do not need a “definitive diagnosis” to rehab something correctly. Have you ever worked with a coach, and have you searched on here for what is recommended for tendon related pain?

[Cromwell]

Your first three sentences are what have kept me from seeking some kind of imaging/intervention thus far. I have worked with a coach--perhaps it is time for a brush up. My read of the tendon-related pain posts (which have pored over) suggests a narrowed stance with toes pointed more forward than normal.

Here's a video of my last set (3rd set) of 5 reps at 215. Prior to my injury, my 3x5 working weight was 235. This stance is, in fact, narrower than what I had been doing, but looks to me to be perhaps were it should have been in the first place. My toe direction is also less pointed out than it was, but now I see is not as "toes-pointed-forward" as would be helpful to limit adductor involvement in the lift. Would love your thoughts, if you have a moment.

March 19 - 3rd Set of 5 at 215lb

[Mark Rippetoe]

These are technically correct squats. Stance, depth, hips all look good. If it's not killing you, I'd just train through it.

[Cromwell]

It’s not and I will. I appreciate the time and advice.