How long until I can run normally again? (Read 403 times)

I've been struggling with a groin strain for more than a month now. Around two weeks before Thanksgiving, I strained it, and took a week off. I tried running again, and it still hurt, so I took another week off. The week after that, track started, so I ran twice the week before. It seemed to still be getting better, but then I must've hurt it worse during the first couple of practices, because it got worse. I started seeing a physical therapist, and I've had four visits. He's given me strength exercises and stretches to do 2x per day, and also, he's done A.R.T. on the strain. It's improved A LOT, and he told me this weekend I could start running again, albeit slowly. When I do a bridge, and try to lift my leg up to keep it level with my pelvis (an exercise my PT showed me), if I lift up the opposite leg to the one that doesn't hurt, I can feel some pain in the injured leg/groin. However, when I lift the injured leg, I feel no pain. What would be the reason for that?

So today, I did a fifteen minute run on the track. It felt maybe 85-90% better. My quad was tight, and especially afterward, the area where the strain was felt a little bit tender and raw. Now, I'm icing it. On Sunday, as long as it feels okay, I'm going to try another ten-fifteen minute run. How long do you think it will take me to get back to be able to run normally again? How should I progress to running longer distances? How will I know when I'm ready?

That long?

That long?

The more you push yourself and not let it heal properly the longer it'll take.

Listen to your doc.  Listen to your PT.  Do what they tell you to do.  Don't push it.  I know people with groin injuries who've been out for 4-6 months.  Yes.  *Months*!  Or longer.  Don't want to be out that long?  Don't push it.