Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Groin Strains

Groin strains, or adductor strains, are common in a lot of sports, but particularly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This probably is due to being in a closed guard position. This asks a lot of the adductors, and if they are quite strong enough, strains can occur. 

The adductors are a group of 7 muscles that pull the femur towards the body and also stabilize the pelvis. However, their role can change depending on the position you are in, and they basically do almost all motions of the hip. So they have a big role in general, and an even bigger role in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Most exercises in traditional gym training routines happen in the sagittal plane, such as squats lunges, etc. Unless you specifically target the adductors, there is a tendency for them to get weak compared to the quads. 

Getting them strong should be paramount to your routine if you practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. But what do you do if you strain them? A strain is technically a type of tear and we have put together a free protocol for you to try. Obviously, get it checked out first. This protocol is a general 3 phase guide to help you get back to your sport. 

Groin Strains

I’ve been playing hockey my whole life, and as a result I’ve had to deal with groin strains. It’s a common hockey injury. In short, a strain occurs when the activity outmatches the capacity of the muscle. 

The groin is a whole series of muscles and has many functions. They pull the leg towards the midline, but are also involved in hip extension, flexion, and rotation depending on what position the femur is. So it goes without saying, they are heavily involved with leg movement. 

For years before I was a physio, I was constantly stretching the muscles of the groin. This may not be the best approach, but may be a part of the rehab. My view on stretching is that it is to improve your range of motion. In the early phases of a strain, the neurologic system is trying to protect the area. With that in mind, it will inhibit hip abduction, the opposite of adduction, as it takes the slack out of a muscle that is trying to repair. 

So stretching is not the first line of defense. The best thing to do is calm the area down. You can do this with massage, foam rolling, or for lack of a better term, an “adductor release” which could look like this:

Then you’d want to get some blood flow to the area. There are many ways to do this. Here is a simple way to start the process:

Then you want to restore the range of motion. This is when you begin to stretch the muscle. But, bare in mind that it’s trying to heal so keep it gentle and pain free:

Now that you’ve regained your native range of motion, strengthen in that new range with something like this:

Remember, the reason in the first place that it strained is that it’s not strong enough for the activity you’re trying to do. When the pain is gone, place more emphasis on strengthening it so it doesn’t happen again.

Difficulty With a Deep Squat? Check Your Adductors.

There are a number of reasons why you may have difficulty achieving a deep squat. Usually it’s your ankles. If you feel like you are going to fall backwards during a squat, it’s your ankles. However, if you feel strain in your groin or inner thigh, it may be your adductors. 

Adductors get stiff. Often. Your femurs at rest are in a shortened position, even in standing. If you don’t take time to mobilize your adductors, then they stay stiff. When you squat, the femur has to flex and abduct which takes up the slack in the adductors. 

Try these three things to mobilize the adductors, then retest your squat: