Groin injuries are no laughing matter. Just ask teams that have been impacted already this preseason by the evil little injury that often comes from either overstretching or not stretching enough. Your groin is like a rubber band. It undergoes lots of wear and tear and unfortunately sometimes it cannot take it anymore. Sometimes it will tear a bit and other times it will just become tender. Occasionally it snaps. Now first off, we have a video that will illustrate this using a rubber band. If you put too much strain on it, it will snap. Now the video…..
Do note the reaction here…..
This is dangerous. Now there are well known ways to combat this. Lower the temperature at the rink by 6-8 degrees or so. Also, they have mandatory padding for the head…why not the groin? I am sure someone is already designing a system for this. People seem to be more ahead of the curve than ever these days. I am waiting for mini ice packs for groins but that may be too far.
Keep in mind also that not all groin injuries are groin injuries. It is not a secret that trainers like to misdiagnose injuries sometimes to hide the real ones. There could be multiple injuries but they could choose the minor one to list. Think it does not happen? Think again. Ask that Favre guy sometime. What I am saying is simply unless you see it (most do not want to), do you really know what the injury truly is? Most of us are not trainers…that is certain.
The message is simple. If you do not want to end up like Patrik Elias, Sidney Crosby, or several other hockey players…then take care of your groin. Its a delicate area after all and can result in weeks or months or even years of torment for your favorite hockey team. GM’s literally lose sleep over this. Do you really think Ray Shero slept much last night after what happened in Columbus with Crosby? Probably not. Hopefully it is not all that serious.
Just remember if it is too serious and it snaps….unlike an elastic band….the groin is useless for months maybe more. It is a serious matter but something that you can laugh about till it happens to you or your favorite hockey or your fantasy hockey team for that matter. Do not overload or overstretch…those are the two most common ways to injure the groin. Also, make sure it is padded probably and kept somewhat cool.
Doing these things can keep your sanity and might be able to help the NHL curtail this ever growing problem. Do the right thing today and talk to your team trainers so they can help out the team.
Sincerely,
Chris Wassel
Director Of The Program
