I haven't gone to the doc but I'm pretty sure that I have the same thing. I wouldn't do the cortisone shot. I'm against cortisone shots in general so no way I would put one in my groin.

Prognosis for full recovery from osteitis pubis is good, but it may take longer than 2 weeks. Use of corticosteroid in osteitis pubis is controversial , so you have to be aware of the risks before making a decision. Groin adductor muscle strain may cause osteitis pubis symptoms because the adductor tendons attach on the pubis. There is risk of tendon rupture if corticosteroid finds its way into a tendon. Groin adductor strains usually heal in 2-3 weeks.

Timely post as I have been looking into the shot also. I was diagnosed with OP 10 months ago. Took 8 months off running and am back to running 5km but it tightens up around 4K.

I would advise against running on this injury for any prolonged amount of time. It's going to take a long time to clear this up for good, if ever.
I also had a adductor strain/tear at the origin. Not sure how I did that but the MRI showed it. Like the other poster said, if they get the shot wrong it could make things worse.

If I were you I wouldn't do anything but start rehab now. Other than acute crash related injuries this is the worst running injury ever.

I'm not sure I'd do the shot. I definitely wouldn't do the race.

I've had it since may and still can't run. Even walking over an hour is an issue for me. I know someone else who had it who could walk without pain. He could likely walk a marathon, but now way I could without likely doing a lot of damage.

Crazy slow thing to heal. Just maddening!

Unfortunately, I am living proof of that. Run happily for 30 years but OP stopped me in my tracks and I have resigned myself to no more running. Have rested extensively, done the rehab but it always comes back and don't want to end up walking with a stick by the time i'm 50.

Having said that, I have heard of several cases where athletes do recover well, including Chris Legh.

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I think getting a proper diagnosis and rehab regime in place is key. But it's very very difficult to find anybody that knows anything about this injury.
I've been trying to find a groin injury specialist in this area but may need to contact some hockey or soccer teams to find one. Once the sports doc knows you are a runner their solution is "stop running".

I've heard of two chiros in Australia and one in the UK that have become experts at treating this with some great results. Haven't heard of anyone at the same level in NA.

There's a woman in Whiterock, BC who's supposed to be 'the pelvic expert' in Canada. I've contemplated making a trip to see her.

From what I understand they adjust the pelvis and do deep tissue massage to the area. I know when I'm feeling it in the pubic bone, there are exercises and stretches I can do to make the feeling go away. My thinking is this eases the pressure off the bone, but doesn't fix the inflammation.

Curious if anyone else feels it in the bone. For the first couple months I felt it going down my inner thighs then in August I started feeling it in the bone. Not sure what that means and why the change.

I know there are people out there who have had it and are back to running. I know two personally.

I'm hoping I can start up again by January.

So many questions, and no where to go to get answers!

Initially my pain was just dead centre on the pubic symphesis and directly above it in the lower abs. Sometimes along the inguinal canal. Now, its basically the whole pelvic area including the adductors and lower back. It's gotten bad enough I can't ride my road bike (just tri bike for some reason). Even peeing can hurt sometimes.
Given the common occurrences of groin injuries in hockey and soccer players you'd think finding more knowledgeable docs wouldn't be so difficult.

Just wondering how everyone who posted on this is doing.

I had said that I hoped to back at it in January, but it hasn't really worked out. I made a bit of a come back with cycling and swimming, but I could feel the OP during both and after 6 weeks conceded that I really hadn't improved any. Also, my low back issue took a real turn for the worse and that stopped me from doing anything but the basics for living.

However it's now been a couple weeks where the OP has really felt better. I've been getting a ton of massage (hard as I can take it with focus on the adductors and low abs, but also all the muscles around the pelvis) and this has helped a lot. I'll do work on the adductor attachment points on my own when I get home. Massaging across the pubic bone is also helpful.

The thing that really made a difference for me was doing crunches while squeezing something between my knees.

I started with 12 just to test as I've read that this kind of ab work is the worst thing you can do for OP. But my issue has always been with the adductors so I decided to give this a go. The results were pretty immediate.

I've also been doing a ton of supermans, bridges, and planks, but I didn't notice a difference with any of those (although I continue to do them).

I'm still not back training due to my back issue and suspected mortons neuroma, but it's great to feel like I've made progress on the OP.

Hope this info might be of help to other fellow OP sufferers!

I was diagnosed with op after running a marathon. I had groin pain about 3 months into training. I took Advil and didn't worry too much about it. After the marathon I could barely walk. I went to an orthopedic doctor he took X-rays and said I had some very mild inflammation in the symphysis and should take it easy for a while. I took it easy for a year(very little exercise,no running) and it didn't get better. I went back to the doctor and X-rays were repeated. The inflammation was so extensive that my doc ordered blood work to check for possible rheumatoid arthritis. Blood work was negative. At this point a cortisone injection was recommended. I had this procedure and started physical therapy. The pain was lessened for about a month and it began to come back. The Ortho was no longer comfortable treating me and referred me to a pelvic trauma surgeon. In the meantime I explored the sports hernia connections to op. I had an MR and it showed no sports hernia but I had inflammation of the symphysis, inflammation and edema at the adductor attachments, and an irregular left SI joint. The surgeon suggested fusion of the symphysis and si joint. I had a cortisone injection to the si joint and the inner thigh groin pain went away. It did come back eventually and I was still unable to run or do any weightlifting. So while I contemplated fusion I decided to have a painful bunion fixed. I was on crutches for 6 weeks then weight bearing in a surgical boot for two weeks. I had zero op pain during this time and have gotten back to the gym and can do lunges pain free. I am now biking,hiking and working out again without pain. My next step is a short run on the track. We shall see.

Bluepoint,

I live in Vancouver, BC and am suffering from OP. Can you share the name of the "pelvic expert" in Whiterock?

Thanks,
D

I had this as well, I feel your pain (literally). I can only say it takes a long, long time. It's maddening. Mine was diagnosed Jan 2012, and I'd say by about July 2013 I could run pain free, 18 months. I had to stop running and biking. Just swimming with a pull buoy, as if I kicked it hurt after too. The one thing that worked for me, besides all that rest.. was dry needling. I went to a really good physiotherapist and leading up to a race he did the deep dry needling into my groin. It makes me cringe thinking of it again, but after a few sessions it really helped release the adductors. Good luck and keep us posted.

Diane Lee in Whiterock, is the name. I couldn't get in to see her so saw Tamara, at her office. Tamara did her masters in OP. I don't think she's treated many people with it, mostly because it seems pretty rare here. In the end I only saw her twice. I probably would have gone more often had I been on the mainland.

I've also been to see Jonathan Lee in richmond. He's a sports therapist. I really liked him and would go back. Very thorough.

If you have any specific questions, just let me know.

Good point about "release the adductors." OP and proximal adductor strain are hard to differentiate and may coexist.

I had OP a few years ago, took about 7 months to recover with no intervention other than rest. But it was complete recovery. I'm a doc, and there's no way I would let anyone inject steroids there.

Over a year after my intial post and I am still have symptoms of OP, I had an MRI a few months ago that the same ortho diagnosed as OP still occurring in pubic symphysis area of groin. I basically gave up thinking any miracle treatment will work and will just continue on with it and hope one day it finally passes. Heard from too many posts that said they took months off just to return.

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Good call, and hang in there. For months I thought I was permanently done with running and biking, and was looking at a lifetime nothing but pull buoy swims. I guess it just needed complete rest and more patience than I'd ever had to muster for an injury.

Stay positive. I'd give the dry needling a shot. My abductors (sp?) were so tight they kept pulling the pubic symphysis open, keeping it from really healing and getting more blood to that area to help. Almost 2 years from original injury/diagnosis and I still get the odd phantom pain that freaks me right out.

I knew something was not right on my right hip for 6 weeks going into IM CDA, did it anyway and felt okay with a very long taper, but suffered quite a bit during the run, but then again everything hurt. After the IM, any movement, especially sudden really hurt, could not run, or swim, pushing off the wall or squeezing pull buoy was rough. I could bike, so I waited a month and saw an ortho and he diagnosed OP after looking at the xray, running some tests for movement and pain, no MRI was done. He suggested I do not swim, run or anything that hurt for 3-4 months. He said I may not be able to run again???? What? Went to a PT(triathlete) who was confident he could get me back on the road, but did not feel it was getting any better, the tri season in Colorado had passed so I just rested till this October. Even after the time off, I could still could feel it getting inflamed after 4 months of nothing WTF? Started running with Hoka's real easy 20 minutes, building up to 10 miles now. Not 100 percent, but can run, swim, and of course bike. Some workouts, 1 out of 10, I still feel it coming back, and rest a few days. The Hoka's help since they cushion any sudden but slight movement that seems to cause flare up's, I would give them a try after MONTHS totally off. Hate the look of the shoes, but if they let me run and stay sane, I guess I do not care. It completely crazy so little is known how to address this, and from my ortho, he made it sound like if it did come back, I am likely DONE running. So far, so good, but have not pushed hard, just logging miles with a few workouts at tempo. Lots of massages, and stretching seems to help. BTW, I am 51 years old, so if you are younger, maybe you do not need so much time off.
P.S. I would not even consider the shot, it just masks the injury and could cause more damage.

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Chiming in on the OP discussion. Diagnosed a month ago by ortho following Xrays.... clear sclerotic margins along the pubic joint. Symptoms started several months ago. Although most of the symptoms are in the pubic area and left ischial tuberosity region I can barely perform any deep tissue work to the adductor longus muscles. Which leads me to ask if the root of the problem is the adductors creating an imbalance. I have done an IM in 2010 but other than that training ....I honestly do not train like most on ST so I would not consider my problem from over training. I like most on this site am completley frustrated by the condition and am looking for treatment other than purely rest. Ortho does not offer much and is not interested in cortisone shot to the area which I am fine with. Dry needling, deep tissue, PT .... What works best or is rest the only treatment Im looking at? Tough to rest the Pubic region since walking is a part of life.

Any opinions on recumbent bike or spinning to keep fitness or is that contributing to inflammation as well?

Thanks!

I had a cortisone shot in the groin once, for groin pain that had me suffering for in pain for months.

Oral anti-inflammitories did nothing for me. Within a week the pain was all gone and has not returned to that area. That was 3 years ago.

Look into possibility of it being a sports hernia which could cause the symptoms your experiencing.

I am in the same boat. Its been a year with only moderate biking. But that is not allowing it to heal. The worst for me is just daily activities, kneeling down, mowing the lawn and making a quick turn, picking up a box, etc. These can cause it to start throbbing. At wits end on what to do.