Another possible diagnosis, and possible PRP treatment

So I've kept researching what could be causing this pain, and there is a very similar injury to Athletic pubalgia (aka sports hernia), and that is an injury to the pubic symphysis.  The pubic symphysis is a cartilige joint, and it has some ligaments keeping it in place, and according to wikipedia:

Two such ligaments are the superior and inferior, these being the ligaments that provide the most stability... The strong and thicker superior ligament is reinforced by the tendons of the rectus abdominis... and thigh adductors muscles.

So I'm thinking when I pulled my groin (aka thigh adductor) I might have aslo damaged the ligament up in there as well.  It definitely feels like a precise pain in the pubic area, so this is a possibility, although it could be "just" a sports hernia.  If it is damage to superior ligament in the pubic symphysis then prolotherapy should prove to be really helpful.  If it's a sports hernia then perhaps not so much.  Either way, I think Dr. Hauser will be able to figure out if it is either.

Even though I have been very inactive this past two weeks, when I saw my massage therapist my psoas was once again "insanely tight".  We talked about why this could be when I've rested for the past two weeks and the only conclusion we could come up with is that there must be some type of soft tissue damage that the psoas is compensating for.

I feel like I am so God Damn close to figuring out this hip pain once and for all that I'm experiencing all kinds of emotions.  I've been dealing with my hip for years now, and the idea that I could finally figure the underlying reason for pain is honestly an idea that I'm a little scared to believe.  I want to hope for this, but I've been burned already and it makes me hesitant.  But it makes sense that I have some type of soft tissue damage in my hip, and that this is why I still experience hip pain.

If there is damage to the Pubic symphysis I am not going to look forward to the prolotherapy treatment,  I've seen this video of the treatment and the idea of getting like 7 injections right above my junk is not my idea of a good time.  However, this should tell you how much I'm ready for this pain to be gone.

I'm hoping the symphysis is the only issue, but if there is something else going on I surely hope Dr. Hauser can figure it out. 

Oly Competition: Epilogue

My Badge

I had a great time at the competition, hard to believe it's over.  I've competed in three or four crossfit competitions, and I have to say this one was a lot different, and all was pretty much in a good way.  First, I knew exactly what to train for.  This allowed a focus and a specialization that was pretty awesome.  Crossfit competitions, being what Crossfit is, is all about testing your weaknesses on an off day.  You don't know what's coming so you have to train for everything, but even if you train for everything you can think of, the competition may come up with something you've never seen before.  This is exciting, but it tends to make it all about pure athleticism rather than skill.  At least, that is my own take on it.  Now there's nothing wrong with that, it's just that I'm a person that likes a test of skill.

...That's probably why I prefer Oly lifting to Power lifting, because the Olympic Lifts are about coordination and technique in addition to strength, where power lifting is more about sheer strength.  I liked the fact that I knew exactly what to expect, and that this competition would catch me when I'm peaking.  It's testing me when I'm at my best, rather then testing me on an average day.  Two different goals, but I prefer the former, but that's just my humble opinion.

Guys warming up

Secondly, these competitions are different than crossfit competitions in that all eyes are on you.  Instead of working out side by side other competitions, it's just you, on the platform, with three judges and that light box behind you.  It's a pretty awesome feeling.  I love performing in front of people, whether is singing or dancing solo in front of thousands of people at SMU's sing song contest or playing the upright bass in Orchestra, I enjoy the rush of all the attention.  You don't have to worry about what others are doing around you. You just approach the bar, lift, and then turn around and see if the judges decided whether it was a good lift or not.
 

A guy in his 40s who is way strong

And third, the sport just places so much more emphasis on technique than just gutting it out and letting slop happen.  I've always been big on perfect technique, quite the opposite of the stopwatch whore who will do anything for a faster time.  And lo and behold here in the Oly world technique is something you want to have all the time, since in the competition you only lift six times, with at least 2 minutes in between lifts.

Oh, and one more thing, Oly competitions have weight classes.  To me, that's huge.  Although, Olympic Lifting, like crossfit, favor the shorter competitor, at least the guy that weighs 60 kilos isn't competing with the guy who weighs 120 kilos.  At least not directly (the lifter that lifts the most weight with respect to body weight wins an award. This also favors the smaller, lighter guy).

The Platform, made of Japanese hardwood

...There were 12 lifters in my weight class (94 kg), by far the most popular weigh class.  I manages to lift more than one guy, the only guy who was taller than me.  So I got second to last, but I didn't do this competition to beat other people, I did this all for myself.  And I am pretty damn happy with myself.