All eyes will be on the London to Brighton Cycle Ride this weekend, but there will be some who will watch with envy. If a groin injury has stopped your cycling efforts in its tracks, there is effective treatment that can have you back in the saddle in no time. The Montefiore’s laparoscopic surgeon, Mr Goldie Khera, explains.

We have been in the grip of a cycling bug ever since the 2012 Olympic Games. More than two million people across the country now cycle at least once a week, an all-time high according to British Cycling, the sport's governing body in the UK. But with it has come an increase in groin injuries that were more commonly associated with the football and rugby fields.

Gilmore’s groin is a tear in the abductor muscles and causes chronic pain in the groin and down the inner thigh.

Men are the more common sufferers and once it strikes, it can be painful and debilitating. For years, medical advice was to rest and the pain would go away. However, as soon as you start riding again, the discomfort will be back with vengeance.

It shouldn’t be confused with a groin hernia - a painful soft tissue injury in which part of the bowel pokes through into the groin at the top of the inner thigh forming a bulge. The protrusion increases when you change positions, cough or perform any physical activity.

Both types of groin injury are treatable with laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery. For a groin hernia, three small incisions are made into the stomach area and a mesh is stitched over the weak spot in the muscle to make it stronger. A similar technique has now been developed for Gilmore’s groin, with a mesh or sutures used to strengthen the muscles in the groin and inner thigh area.

After the operation, you will be advised to have a staged return to cycling, building up slowly over a few weeks. Within a few months you could be fully back in the saddle.

Whether you have noticed a bulge in the groin or are suffering groin and inner thigh pain, make an appointment with your GP who needs to refer you to a consultant surgeon for further investigation.

See a GP now or go to A&E if you have a hernia and:

• it feels hot
• it’s hard and tender
• it’s suddenly painful
• you have a fever
• you have blood in your poo

Mr Goldie Khera, laparoscopic and bariatric surgeon, holds a clinic on Wednesday evenings at The Montefiore Hospital, Montefiore Road, Hove. For a non-obligation enquiry, phone 01273 828 148.

First published in Brighton and Hove Independent on Thursday 29th June 2017.

The content of this article is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the professional medical advice of your doctor or other health care professional.