Doctor: Groin Injuries Like Cutler's Take Long Time To Heal
(CBS) -- So what is a groin tear and how do doctors treat it?
CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez spoke with an expert to find out.
It takes seconds to injure – and sometimes weeks to heal. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was slammed to the ground in Sunday's game, injuring his groin.
Dr. Jeff Mjaanes at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush shows an image of the groin area; it's where your torso meets your legs. Injuries to the muscles here are common.
"My guess is that he injured one of the muscles like the adducter muscles that come up on the inside of the hip," says Mjaanes. He adds it is "very painful."
How do the adducter muscles work?
"The adductor muscles pull your legs together, so (it's) very important for the quarterback to be able to push off from side to side," the physician says.
Rehab involves stretching the area and building strength back up in the muscles.
That could take up to six weeks or longer, depending on the grade of the injury. Dr Mjaanes say the frustrating thing about groin injuries is this:
"They can feel better before they're truly healed."
That proved tricky for the Bulls Joakim Noah. He played just 20 minutes of his first pre-season game, before it was apparent his strained groin needs more time to heal.
At least two Chicago sports stars will have to do what doesn't come naturally: take it easy for a while. Doctors say it's also important to take it slow with physical therapy and rehab.
