Forums >Health and Nutrition>Pubic symphysis (joint injury - osteitis pubis)
Just wondering if anyone has had an injury (osteitis pubis) in the pubic symphysis joint (lower groin area) and if so did you do any physio and did it help you recovery quicker? How long did it take you to recover? How early did you catch the injury? Right now I've been getting tenderness towards the end of long runs (pain starting around 20km mark of run) for last 4 weeks and the last 1.5wks I haven't done much (trying to heal). But I've read that only rest really helps it and it can take up to 3 months? Of course I have a 30km race in 2 weeks and then doing Big Sur 21miler in 1.5 months so I don't have 3 months to rest and heal it (travelling to do Big Sur so I'll be doing that one no matter what). Would love to hear from others as to what you did and how long it took if you've had a similar injury? Thanks!
runktrun
I have a host of pelvic issues, largely stemming from a leg length discrepancy and torn hip labrum that I don't want to stitch back together...it is a complex region that carries ALL of your load. I strongly encourage you to find a good PT and work with them over the long term to figure out the root cause (or likely causes) and come up with a way to hopefully stave off any flare up. Yes, rest is definitely good for a pelvic injury, but you'll want to work on strengthening your core as well, to make sure your body is transmitting forces properly and not shearing the pubic symphysis joint. For me, that means a lot of transverse abdominus work of varying intensities, kegels, and some basic glute strengthening. Your issue may clear up quickly, but if I were you, I'd get a good PT on board now so you're not still struggling with a nagging issue months from now. Having someone actually feel my muscles fire and cuing me to use proper form has been invaluable.
As for upcoming races, perhaps you should be super conservative and take time off NOW and just go into the race really rested. I'd stop running the second you feel any discomfort so that you don't make it worse.
Not running for my health, but in spite of it.
SMART Approach
Kilkee gave great advice. The other concern is a pelvic stress reaction or getting to that point. The next step would be a stress fracture. Groin pain can mean proximal femoral stress reaction/stress fracture. This just means you are breaking down faster than your body can recover. Over training, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, low Vit D etc. can all be involved to increase your risks. I am not saying this is your issue but please do your research. Just be aware. I have seen this in my previous line of work where groin pain in athletes specifically cross country runners ends up being a stress fracture and it can mean being off of running for months if indeed it becomes a stress fracture. Again, I am not diagnosing but one area that is concerning is it getting worse the longer you run vs. loosening up the longer you run.
Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery
Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training
Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique
www.smartapproachtraining.com
Have you seen a doctor to confirm that it is OP? I developed a pelvic stress fracture while training for my first HM (too much too soon). That took 7 months before I could run normally. I might have healed faster if I had been better at resting. I assumed it was enough to stop running. It wasn't. I needed to stop all weight bearing activity. A year later, I developed pain that I self-diagnosed as osteitis pubis. It was more intermittent and would occur after a run, not during it usually. I rested, did a lot of Advil for the inflammation, and the pain mostly went away, but it took about 5 months to heal enough to run normally. I've been lucky in the 5 years since then, though I still get an occasional twinge in the area.
From reading various forums that discuss both stress fractures and osteitis, they can be very slow to heal if not dealt with quickly. I was lucky because my injuries did heal and I was able to return to running. I've done 5 marathons since. But the two years I was dealing with the injuries were hard.
Lately I've been having many issues with my knee, Achilles' heel and that thing in the groin area and the groin strain hurts really bad, even when I'm just lying in my bed.
I started using the Stairmaster machine at the gym, in lieu of running and I only do an easy run on the weekends. I just started this about 2-weeks ago, so not sure how long I will take to completely heal, but so far my pains, including the groin, are feeling much better. I think the mechanics of using a stairmaster is very similar to running, so I see it as a very good cross-training and recovery activity, much better than cycling or swimming for keeping your running legs.
My gym has a stairmaster similar to the one on the right in the below video. It's incredible how fast you can get these things going...And because the stairs are revolving, there is almost no impact, which I'm betting on helping me recover, so I can get back to running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmfM3zj3FOI
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I would agree that a step mill or stair climber without holding on is the best cardio exercise aside from running simply because of the fight against gravity. Nothing else gives you that. Go for it.
Interval Junkie --Nobby
Ran Boston on undiagnosed OP and pelvic stress fracture (not for PR). Hurt like hell, but the cause wasn't obvious. Took 2 months off running completely with anti-inflammatory meds. Then a VERY slow ramp up over 6-9months.
Still bothers me sometimes.
2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do
Rick
Had to take one month off of all activity after a marathon injured something in the groin area. It was tough to be idle for that long. Slowly building back up now.. Active recovery would be ok, but do nothing with impact.
12-22 Last One Standing - dnf 37 miles
1-23 Sun Marathon - 3:53
3-4-23 Red Mountain 55k - 7:02
4-15-23 Zion 100 - 27:59
It took me 9 months to fully recover and get back to running.
During this time I wrote a blog about my recovery. Here is one of the posts that kind of summaries what I went through.
http://mataruga.com/running/osteitis-pubis-6-months-since-started-running/
Age: 52
Runner since 2012
Marathon PB: 3:40:32
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my post and especially to those who gave advice! I saw my doc on the weekend and had an x-ray (waiting for results). It's definitely pubic symphysis joint based on the pain when she pushed on it. Just checking to make sure there is no stress fracture. I've also scheduled a PT appointment for later this week. And stopped all activity last week and onwards, until I have clarity about if there is also a stress fracture, and what might be 'safe' to maintain cardio without impacting recovery.
. . . what might be 'safe' to maintain cardio without impacting recovery.
Water-Running. Zero impact. Can help maintain cardio.
It really sucks, though.
Best of luck.