Mini-Case: Groin Strain?

I've written before about the potential need to address "muscle strains" with a neural perspective. Earlier this week one of my co-workers was doing a single-leg squat when he immediately felt intense and sharp upper inner thigh and upper posterior thigh pain. As a result, he displayed a significant antalgic gait pattern. I was busy that day, so I didn't get to look at him, but I, of course, suspected the potential spinal contribution.

The next day my co-worker came to me and told me when he tried doing a lunge the previous day his pain switched sides! If that doesn't tell you to look at the spine, I don't know what should. While he was feeling and walking a little better, my co-worker asked me to take a look at him at lunch.

Objective
Multisegmental Flexion: Slightly Dysfunctional Nonpainful
Multisegmental Extension: Significantly Dysfunctional Nonpainful
Multisegmental Rotation: Dysfunctional Nonpainful bilat
Deep Squat: Dysfunctional Painful

Sideglides in Standing: No significant asymmetry noted

HS Flexibility: WNL

Mild loss of hip flexion mobility bilaterally with reports of "tightness" in posterior hip

Hip IR/ER ROM: WNL

At this point, the most significant findings are the loss of lumbar extension and hip flexion. While I could have tried tensioning either the obturator or sciatic nerves, I was pretty certain the pain would respond to lumbar treatment. I had my co-worker perform a deep squat as his asterisk sign. My co-worker then performed 20 repetitions of prone press-ups with manual overpressure to the lumbar spine, followed by a reassessment of the deep squat. He reported a significant reduction in pain. Following an additional 20 repetitions, he had no pain with a deep squat and it became functional. I reassessed his lumbar extension and hip flexion mobility and some limitation remained. At that point, I did a lumbar manipulation bilaterally and hip distraction manipulation bilaterally to help normalize his lumbar and hip motion. His HEP was repeated press-ups and hip flexion.

There are a couple take-away points from this one. Always always always check spine. With "weird" symptoms, like switching sides, something neural is likely suspected, even if there is no lumbar pain. Also, in all our patients coming in with "muscle strains," perhaps we should be checking for neural components and trying to treat the spine as well. Both muscles strains and neural tension can present with a sharp and acute pain, so we must be sure to differentiate and treat appropriately.

-Chris

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