Objective
To determine whether an active rehabilitation program that involves repetitive effortful muscle contractions, including core stability, balancing exercises, progressive resistance exercises, and running activities, after a sports hernia, is effective.
Methods
Forty soccer players with sports hernias were randomly divided into two equal groups: group A (active rehabilitation program) and group B (conventional treatment). The methods of assessment included a visual analog scale (VAS) and hip internal and external range of motion assessments. Group A received conventional treatment (heat, massage, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and mobilization) plus an active rehabilitation program, while group B received only conventional treatment. Three treatment sessions were given each week for 2 months. Evaluations were performed pre- and post-treatment.
Results
A decrease in VAS was seen in both groups at the end of treatment, 80.25% in group A and 41.93% in group B. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.0001), whereas there were no statistical differences in internal and external rotation between the groups at the end of treatment (p>0.05). After treatment, an improvement in outcome measures of group A compared to group B (p=0.01) was seen. Thirteen patients in group A and only three patients in group B returned to sports activities without groin pain.
Conclusion
Active rehabilitation was effective for sports hernia management measured by a decrease in pain and the return to sports.

Citations

• Structured rehabilitation after uncomplicated laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty: enhancing recovery and quality of life
  Osvaldo Santilli, Hernán Santilli, Martín Celsi
  Hernia.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Narrative Review and Clinical Recommendations for Sportsman’s Hernia and Athletic Pubalgia Based on 30 Years of Expert Experience
  Moshe Dudai, Hannu Paajanen
  Journal of Abdominal Wall Surgery.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Groin Pain Syndrome: Analysis of Surgical and Nonsurgical Outcomes Between Athletes and Nonathletes With “Sports Hernia” Using a Standardized Management Algorithm
  Ekrem M. Ayhan, Nicholas B. Wells, Daryle LaMonica, Richard S. Feinn, John A. Bonadies
  Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Effects of a high-force hip lateral distraction mobilization in individuals with hip-related groin pain: a randomized controlled trial
  Silvia Lahuerta-Martín, Ignacio Hernando-Garijo, Román Pérez-Robles, María Teresa Mingo-Gómez, Sandra Jimenez-del-Barrio, Héctor Hernández-Lázaro, Luis Ceballos-Laita
  Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy.2026; : 1.     CrossRef
• Inguinal-Related Groin Pain and/or Disruption in Athletes: Current Understanding, Assessment and Management Strategies
  Kristian Thorborg, Aali Sheen
  Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine.2026; Volume 16: 1.     CrossRef
• Does Core Training Improve Agility Performance in Soccer Players With Groin Pain? A Randomized, Single-Blind Study
  Fatma Chaari, Abderrahmane Rahmani, Nicolas Peyrot, Mohamed A. Harrabi, Thouraya Fendri, Haithem Rebai, Sébastien Boyas, Sonia Sahli
  International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance.2025; 20(3): 385.     CrossRef
• Optimizing Conservative Management of Groin Pain in Athletes: Insights from a Narrative Review
  Roberto Tedeschi, Federica Giorgi, Daniela Platano, Lisa Berti, Danilo Donati
  Life.2025; 15(3): 411.     CrossRef
• Effectiveness of physical agent modalities for pain relief in injured athletes: A systematic review
  Alessandro de Sire, Nicola Marotta, Emanuele Prestifilippo, Andrea Parente, Lorenzo Lippi, Marco Invernizzi, Umile Giuseppe Longo, Antonio Ammendolia
  Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation.2025; 38(4): 674.     CrossRef
• Sensor-Less Sliding Mode Observer-Based Assistive Control of a Spherical Parallel Ankle Rehabilitation Robot Under Modeling Uncertainties
  Ali Ahmadi, Kimia Aghababaeinejad, Reza Nopour, Ali Kamali Eigoli, Afshin Taghvaeipour
  Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Mechanical Engineering.2025; 49(6): 2407.     CrossRef
• Efficacy of modified active physical therapy program on pain, muscle strength, and function in adolescent football players with osteitis pubis
  Waleed S. Mahmoud, Marwa M. Ibrahim, Nadia L. Radwan
  Bulletin of Faculty of Physical Therapy.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Mobile Accelerometer Applications in Core Muscle Rehabilitation and Pre-Operative Assessment
  Aleš Procházka, Daniel Martynek, Marie Vitujová, Daniela Janáková, Hana Charvátová, Oldřich Vyšata
  Sensors.2024; 24(22): 7330.     CrossRef
• Core Muscle Injury: Evaluation and Treatment in the Athlete
  Julianne M. Forlizzi, Mark B. Ward, James Whalen, Thomas H. Wuerz, Thomas J. Gill
  The American Journal of Sports Medicine.2023; 51(4): 1087.     CrossRef
• Nonsurgical Interventions for the Management of Long-Standing Groin Pain in Athletes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
  Rui Brito, Patrícia Cruz, Diogo Costa, Sara Afonso, Paula Barros
  Cureus.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The effectiveness of non-surgical interventions in athletes with groin pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  Silvia Lahuerta-Martín, Román Robles-Pérez, Ignacio Hernando-Garijo, Sandra Jiménez-del-Barrio, Héctor Hernández-Lázaro, María Teresa Mingo-Gómez, Luis Ceballos-Laita
  BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Return to sport after conservative versus surgical treatment for pubalgia in athletes: a systematic review
  Thiago Teixeira Serafim, Eliton Stanley Oliveira, Filippo Migliorini, Nicola Maffulli, Rodrigo Okubo
  Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Total extraperitoneal laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair with adductor tenotomy: a 10-year experience in the treatment of athletic pubalgia
  Christopher B. Le, Jonathan Zadeh, Kfir Ben-David
  Surgical Endoscopy.2021; 35(6): 2743.     CrossRef
• Stretching for Recovery from Groin Pain or Injury in Athletes: A Critical and Systematic Review
  José Afonso, João Gustavo Claudino, Hélder Fonseca, Daniel Moreira-Gonçalves, Victor Ferreira, José Marques Almeida, Filipe Manuel Clemente, Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo
  Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology.2021; 6(3): 73.     CrossRef
• Controversies in Inguinal Hernia
  Veeshal H. Patel, Andrew S. Wright
  Surgical Clinics of North America.2021; 101(6): 1067.     CrossRef
• 10.1016/s1879-8551(20)44270-8
  
  CrossRef Listing of Deleted DOIs.2000;[Epub]     CrossRef
• 10.1016/s0246-0521(20)42144-8
  
  CrossRef Listing of Deleted DOIs.2000;[Epub]     CrossRef