Yes, by getting an MRI.
Hi folks,
Long story short, I was squatting last Monday, 2nd work set, descending my 3rd rep, 240 lbs. Near the bottom I felt a terrible pain in my upper thigh/groin area. It dropped me to the ground instantly, in screaming agony. Thank God for the safety arms on my squat rack! I couldn't sit up for about 20-30 minutes. I limped my sorry butt into the shower about 45 minutes later, and then headed to the airport for a week long work trip.
On the way I texted with a SSC who advised my to look into the Starr Protocol (which I've been doing since Wednesday, starting with air squats in the hotel). That evening I also went into an urgent care where they gave me some NSAIDs and said if it gets unbearable, come back and we'll do an MRI. There is no significant bruising.
So, if this is a muscle tear, OK - Starr protocol. But I keep getting paranoid that it could have affected the tendon or just be something different. When I feel around in there it I can feel a couple of little pea-size/shaped things inside my thigh - once closer to the tendon and one about an inch away. This is what is getting me nervous I guess - what the hell am I feeling? At this point, I can function OK in most things, but bringing my injured leg in toward my groin (say, with knees splayed) is still very painful, as is sitting on a stool with my legs at an a downward angle from my hip.
So I guess the question is - Is there any easy way to tell if this is just a muscle tear v. something more serious I need to get an MRI for?
Thank you!
-Andrew
Yes, by getting an MRI.
My big concern is tendon damage or anything like that which would require surgery or counter-indicate the Starr protocol.
Sure, an MRI is a good way to know. Short of that, any ideas that don't involve going back to the doctor?
-Andrew
I don't have any ideas that don't involve going back to the doctor, but I would argue you should attempt to do so.
I don't have any experience with this kind of injury, but that being said, it sounds like you are in unknown territory and following up with a specialist - in person, not asking a lot of people on the internet who cannot see or touch the injury - is the best thing to do.
There's kind of 4 possibilities here, depending on whether you see a doctor or not and whether your injury heals itself or not.
1: Go see a doctor, but told the injury will just heal itself. - Nothing lost here except time. and money.
2: Go see a doctor, told surgery or other medical intervention is necessary. - Good thing you saw a doctor, right?
3: Don't see a doctor, injury heals itself. - No issues here either, but what is your confidence that everything is good going forward? Can you continue to train under these circumstances?
4: Don't see a doctor, injury doesn't heal itself - This is just the long road back to 2.
Given that 3 / 4 of the scenarios involved might include seeing a doctor, I'd do that. I'm not saying it won't heal by itself or that it is a serious injury, because I don't know. But you sound concerned that surgery might be necessary and so for your own sake it might be best to just go find out.
Case in point: I fractured my ankle when young and now, for whatever reason, I have a tendency to sprain that ankle a lot. I don't go to the doctor every time because it's to the point that I know it will heal. I have that confidence, I'm not worried. The one time my wife insisted I go, I was told it was a sprain, which I already knew. In that case, I'm not in unknown territory, so the risk of making the wrong decision here is very, very low.
Yeah Eric, fair enough. I have seen a "doctor" or whoever it is they employ at urgent care clinics these days. She told me "if it gets unbearable, come back for an MRI." Is that scenario 1 or 3? That's the question I'm trying to figure out (without the hassle/expense of another doctor visit / MRI).
It is, in fact, healing, and I fear I'll end up in scenario #3. I was hoping someone here has experienced this and can say, gee, if you feel little pea-sized things at the injury site, it's probably an big issue - get an MRI, or (better still), those little pea things are, in fact, not unusual with muscle tears - stop whining.
Another visit and MRI might be unavoidable, but you never know what you might learn by asking around first.
-Andrew