Miller had sports hernia surgery in June

[PSU_dropout43]

by Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin today revealed that tight end Heath Miller, who signed a six-year, $35.3 million contract this week, had surgery in June to repair a sports hernia and will be limited in practice at training camp for a while.

Tomlin, though, said the team is merely being cautious with Miller and he expects him to be fine for the regular season. Miller had surgery to repair a sports hernia after his senior season at Virginia and before the Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2005.

Also, Tomlin said several veterans will be limited in practices with various injuries: safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Deshea Townsend with hamstring problems, center Justin Hartwig with a toe injury and guard/center Darnell Stapleton with swelling in his knee.

Running back Stefan Logan, signed from the Canadian League, will open camp on the physically unable to perform list with a mid-foot sprain.

[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09212/987809-100.stm#ixzz0MtPNoZKw"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09212/98 ... z0MtPNoZKw[/url]

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

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[url="http://orthopedics.about.com/od/sportsinjuries/a/hernia.htm"]http://orthopedics.about.com/od/sportsi ... hernia.htm[/url]

Sports Hernia
What is a sports hernia?

By Jonathan Cluett, M.D., About.com

Updated: March 23, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

A sports hernia occurs when there is a weakening of the muscles or tendons of the lower abdominal wall. This part of the abdomen is the same region where an inguinal hernia occurs, called the inguinal canal. When an inguinal hernia occurs there is sufficient weakening of the abdominal wall to allow a pouch, the hernia, to be felt. In the case of a sports hernia, the problem is due to a weakening in the same abdominal wall muscles, but there is no palpable hernia.

What is the inguinal canal?
The inguinal canal is a region in the lower abdomen, just above the groin. The canal is formed by the insertions of abdominal muscles and tendons, as well as several ligaments. Within the inguinal canal travels the spermatic cord (in males) or the round ligament (in females). This area of the abdomen is prone to weakening of the abdominal wall, allowing an outpouching, or hernia, to form.

I have strong abdominal muscles, how can I have a sports hernia?
The problem with the abdominal wall in people with a sports hernia is not a muscle strength issue. Rather, the abdominal wall in a particular region is too thin, allowing the hernia to form. The sports hernia does not occur in the area of the large, thick part of the muscle.

What are the symptoms of a sports hernia?
A sports hernia typically begins with a slow onset of aching pain in the lower abdominal region. Symptoms may include:

o Pain in the lower abdomen
o Pain in the groin
o Pain in the testicle (in males)

Typically the symptoms are exacerbated with activities such as running, cutting, and bending forward. Patients may also have increased symptoms when coughing or sneezing. Sports hernias are most common in athletes that have to maintain a bent forward position, such as hockey players. However, sports hernias are also found in many other types of athletes such as football and soccer players.

How is a sports hernia diagnosed?
The diagnosis of a sports hernia is determined based on the combination of the patient's history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests. Recently, the use of MRI tests has become more common in looking for signs of a sports hernia. Previously, the MRI was primarily used to look for other causes of groin pain, but recent research has found some characteristic findings on an MRI in patients with a sports hernia.

What is the treatment of a sports hernia?
There are no treatments that have been shown to be effective for sports hernia other than surgery. That said, the initial treatment of a sports hernia is always conservative in hopes that the symptoms will resolve. Resting from activity, anti-inflammatory medications, ice treatments, and physical therapy can all be tried in an effort to alleviate the patient's symptoms.

If these measures do not relieve the symptoms of a sports hernia, surgery may be recommended to repair the weakened area of the abdominal wall. In number of studies have shown between 65% and 90% of athletes are able to return to their activity after surgery for a sports hernia. Rehabilitation from surgery for a sports hernia usually takes about eight weeks.
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Wait a minute -

Maybe 1/3 of athletes don't return to their activity after surgery?

This seems like something that isn't a slam dunk, guaranteed back as good as ever in time for the season, kind of surgery. The odds are probably better in his situation than your usual mom and pop local neighborhood general surgeon, but still ...

I'll feel lots better after he's played 3 or 4 games or so without having to come out doubled over or whatever they do when it hurts.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I'm not worried about Miller's hernia surgery. He had this problem in college (it actually is what allowed him to slide down to us at #30, since he could not do the standard pre-draft workouts because of his recovery), but he was able to perform for us as a rookie without an issue (we won a Super Bowl with him that year).

The one thing that stuck out to me was that in addition to Hartwig's toe injury that we have known about for a while, Stapleton is also hurting (I suspected that Darnell would backup Justin while he was out). Now, we will likely have to start out with Legursky at center and Essex at RG first, then Shipley at center and Urbik at RG after that. It's not bad to get these young guys thrown into the fire early, but you do want you starters to be able to develop a rapport together in training camp, so you would like to see everyone healthy somewhat soon.

[jj28west]

Is this the same thing that put Kendrell Bell out of football?

[Mister Pittsburgh]

i knew a guy that had this and had to have mesh surgically installed in the weak spot, he was a bodybuilder.