Suryakumar Yadav: What is sports hernia that has ruled the cricketer out of action?

World’s number one T20I batter, Suryakumar Yadav has been ruled out of the Afghanistan series and will reportedly miss quite a few matches in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Surya is understood to have sustained an ankle injury during the South Africa tour and will now undergo a surgery in Germany due to a sports hernia, as reported by The Times of India.

“SKY was recently diagnosed with sports hernia. He is currently recuperating at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. In two-three days, he will fly for Munich, Germany, to get operated for it. It means that he certainly won’t be playing for Mumbai this season in the Ranji Trophy and is likely to miss the initial games for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

What is sports hernia?

For those unfamiliar, a sports hernia, also known as athletic pubalgia, is a soft tissue injury that impacts the groin area. As per WebMD, despite the term “hernia” in its name, a sports hernia does not actually involve a true hernia. Medical professionals prefer the term “athletic pubalgia”. It is also called sportsman’s hernia and Gilmore’s groin.

“Sports hernias are more likely to occur in vigorous sports such as soccer, football, wrestling, and ice hockey, where twisting the pelvis with planted feet is common. This action can lead to the tearing of the soft tissue in the groin or lower abdomen,” explains WebMD.

As per different medical professionals, here are a few remedies for sports hernia.

Physical Rehabilitation: A well-structured physical therapy program is very important since it strengthens the muscles surrounding the affected area, enhancing flexibility, and addressing any muscle imbalances. Apart from this, exercises, including stretching, strengthening, and core stability exercises, are also recommended.

Surgical Intervention: In cases of severe injury, as is the case with Suryak, surgical intervention may be considered. The goal of surgery is to repair the torn or damaged tissues in the groin area.