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ADOLESCENT INJURIES – Hip and Groin Pain
Does your teenager struggle with pain at the front of the hip or groin area?
Especially when it is sport time and the season is kicking off?
Teenagers can develop pain in their hips as they are still growing and adjusting to different loads and pressures to the body from activities like sport.It is around the age of 10-12 where the hip joint can start to change shape in reaction to different loads to the body, as the growth plate in the hip, known as the ‘physis,’ has not set yet and is still developing and changing shape. The hip joint then sets in shape at around the age of 16.If your teenager is NOT adjusting their training load accordingly during their growth (especially if performing 4 or more sessions per week), the growth plate of hip is at risk of CHANGING SHAPE and a ‘Cam Lesion’ can develop, where there is extra bone on the hip, creating a bump. The change in bony shape effects how well the hip can move in its socket and therefore can lead to a pinching at the hip joint with certain positions and movements, that can be painful.If the hip joint is overloaded, your teenager may report activities like KICKING, RUNNING, JUMPING, SQUATTING or CHANGING DIRECTION to be painful.THEREFORE, it is important to monitor:
- How MUCH/OFTEN your teenager is training and playing sport in the week,
- How INTENSE they are playing their sport,
- How LONG are their sessions,
- What is their RECOVERY like
Addressing these fundamentals for training and matches is important so the hip can load/perform optimally and less stress is applied to the hip joint.Muscle STRENGTH is vital for joint protection and minimising any provocative joint loading.Therefore, it is also important to ensure appropriate muscle strength and technique is adopted for sport, which will aid in how the hip joint is loaded.A PHYSIOTHERAPIST can:
- Help manage the loads that go through the hip to ensure your teenager is loading the hip optimally during growth and not provoking to cause pain and/or bony changes
- Design and modify a training program/schedule to ensure your teenager can perform efficiently during training and matches, as well as avoid and manage any setbacks from pain or injury.
- Design a strengthening program tailored specifically to your teenager and their sport. This would ensure they are loading their hip and body correctly to allow them to perform at their best throughout the season and reduce injury risk.
- Provide hands on treatment and advice to settle pain
Contact our clinic and make an appointment with Monica, our physiotherapist who has a strong interest in hip and groin pain and adolescent injuries, to assess and treat your teenagers hip and groin pain