Khaberni - Recently, a kind of injury has emerged affecting young soccer players and can be considered relatively new.
The discussion here is about pubic pain or what is known as a sports hernia, from which 3 of the top young players in the Spanish league are currently suffering: Lamine Jamal, the Barcelona star, Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao, and Franco Mastantonono, who moved to Real Madrid last summer from River Plate.
There has been increasing inquiry into the cause of this injury and its severity, especially since it affected the three players at similar times, specifically during the first 3 months of the new season, starting with Nico Williams, then Lamine Jamal, and Mastantonono being the latest victim so far.
What is a "sports hernia"? And why is it prevalent among young players?
A sports hernia is a relatively recent injury in the world of soccer; it was neither known nor widespread half a century ago. One of the main reasons for its occurrence is the varying physical preparation methods, according to the Spanish newspaper "Marca."
This injury has spread among some young players, notably Lamine Jamal, Mastantonono, and Nico Williams, which is due to their bodies being subject to physical exertion beyond their capacity before their muscles fully develop.
This coincides with the congested match schedules in modern football, where players are required to participate in many matches across different tournaments like domestic leagues and continental championships, in addition to their national team commitments, leaving very limited time for rest and rehabilitative training.
The impact of the injury on the players' performance
The injury causes continual pain and discomfort in the pubic and thigh area, which limits a player's ability to perform optimally by about 50%, as confirmed by Spanish doctor Pedro Luis Ripoll.
Ripoll describes the nature of the injury, saying, "It's a pain that is centered around the pubic joint, where a biomechanical battle occurs between the very strong inner thigh muscles and the abdominal wall muscles. This pain reduces the player's ability to move and shoot by around 50%."
He added, "The injury doesn't prevent the player from playing, but it turns him into a completely different person: slower, less reactive, and less capable and confident in shooting, because the injured muscles are the same ones used in this movement."
Further, he noted: "The worst is yet to come for the players in the upcoming months during the winter season, as increased humidity in the stadiums forces them to exert more effort to maintain balance due to footwear slipping on the field surface."
Moreover, sports medicine specialists warn that the pain and injury could potentially become chronic.
Orthopedic surgeon Diego Garcia German said, "The worst thing about pubic inflammation is that it can develop into a chronic condition. These injuries are undoubtedly linked to frequent matches," adding, "The dribbles and shots along with hip strain, foster the emergence of pubic inflammation."
Treatment for pubic pain
Previously, this injury was addressed through surgical procedures, but this method has declined recently due to its longer recovery time.
The Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" explains that there are now two approaches to dealing with this injury. The first is known as "radiofrequency" technique.
This technique involves applying electromagnetic waves to generate controlled heat in the injured tissues aiming to reduce pain and inflammation and speed up regeneration, which was followed by doctor Ernest Schilders to treat Lamine Jamal's injury.
Other cases combine physical therapy, active muscle work, and dry needling, as followed in the cases of Mastantonono and Nico Williams.
These methods are called "conservative treatments" because they aim to avoid surgery, which was previously adopted.
Orthopedic surgeon David Lopez Cabañas, a sports medicine specialist, said, "Surgical interventions for sports-related pubic bone injuries are no longer common because we have made significant advances in prevention and rehabilitative therapy."
He explained, "Previously, undergoing surgery meant stopping playing for a few months."
Disputes between clubs and national teams over the use of players
Given all that has been mentioned, it wouldn't be surprising to find tension between clubs and national associations regarding the participation of these players in national teams, with the latest incident occurring between Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation.
Despite this, each party defends its right to benefit from the services of these players, the clubs considering they pay their salaries, while the national teams rely on sports law and the players' desire for international representation and not missing the opportunity to participate in the World Cup.
Lamine Jamal was excluded last Tuesday from the Spanish national team's lineup, which will face Georgia and Turkey in the World Cup qualifiers, after undergoing a "sudden" medical intervention, sparking anger from the Spanish Federation.
At the same time, Mastantonono's name did not appear in the Argentine national team's list, which is preparing for a friendly match against Angola, due to suffering from the same injury as Lamine, but his absence did not cause any crisis between the "Tango" officials and his club, Real Madrid.




