[quote]inkcreep wrote:
Thanks guys. I got a massage the other day and my therapist really dug into the lower abs and the hip flexors it seems to have gotten a little better, she said she could feel a small tear in the muscle in the area but nothing was protruding. I still get this sticking pain in the lower left ab area and it almost feels internal sometimes, like I’m having some intestinal distress if you know what I mean. Been taking it easy this week in the gym but today I felt a little strain on some pressdowns. Gonna rest up through the weekend and see the doc next week if it doesn’t improve.[/quote]
If your therapist is right about the small tear, it confirms my suspicion that you may have a grade one strain. This can take as much as 16 weeks to fully recover. Also, if you’re taking heavy doses of fish oil or other blood thinners, the chance of muscle strains are higher.
You need to keep a very close on that area. You can check by performing a valsava maneuver and look for a bump that you can press back in.
BBB and LevelHeaded will know better than I on this. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if some cases of inguinal hernia could have been prevented when the individual stopped and actually rested when the strain was relatively minor (i.e. grade 1 or less).
As for the press downs, smart money says you were doing the most popular variation in which you face the weight stack and lean forward and down during the movement. This involves a certain amount of flexion at the spine which, of course, places strain where you least want it right now. You’ll need to modify this and other lifts you perform until the strain has completely healed.