What happens when you take one in the testicles.
Low blows: hilarious if you’re watching them from the sidelines, excruciating if you’re the victim.
First you feel the impact, next comes the pain and then, finally, the nausea. Sickness overcomes you and, as Yoshihiro Akiyama showed during his UFC 120 battle with Michael Bisping, you’re left in a position where you’re incapable of standing, let alone fighting.
It’s for this reason that the UFC gives low blow victims five minutes to recover. But, as Chris Tuchscherer discovered against Gabriel Gonzaga in UFC 102, sometimes five minutes isn’t long enough.
“I came round and was still in a daze,” revealed the heavyweight who passed out after taking a savage blow to the groin.
“I felt like my testicle was up inside me. But I’m a tough guy and I didn’t want to take a loss on my UFC debut, so basically, I got pissed off and said, ‘Let’s just do it. Let’s fight.’” Bad decision. Less than two minutes later he’d lost by TKO.
“Testicles are sensitive, so you’ll definitely feel pain, nausea and be severely winded,” explains urology specialist Dr T. Ernesto Figueroa. “They tend to bounce back pretty quickly, however, so the pain should gradually subside in an hour.
If it doesn’t or you have swelling of the scrotum, bruising of the scrotum, or a puncture of the scrotum get to a doctor immediately.”
And do ‘get to a doctor immediately’, because these are symptoms of they’re two much more serious injuries that need treatment ASAP:
Testicular torsion
“In testicular torsion, the testicle twists around, cutting off its blood supply,” reveals Dr Figueroa. “This is not common, but it can occur after serious trauma to the testicles. If it happens you need to see a doctor immediately, as after six hours there is a high possibility of complications, including reduced sperm production or loss of the testicle. The doctor will fix the problem either by untwisting the testicle manually or releasing it via surgery.” Which both sound pleasant, don’t you think?
Testicular rupture
“This is a rare type of testicular trauma,” says Dr Figueroa. “It happens when the testicle receives a forceful direct blow or when the testicle is crushed against the pubic bone, causing blood to leak into the scrotum. Like testicular torsion this causes extreme pain, swelling in the scrotum, nausea, and vomiting. Surgery is the only solution.” Take big steps for big results.
Stave off strains
You can’t stop low blows, but you can guard against muscle tears
Warm-up properly
And we mean properly. Not two or three minutes or 20 press-ups. Properly. Do a mixture of static and dynamic stretches for at least 20 minutes to get your muscles loose before you start sparring or lifting weights.
Cool down
Which doesn’t mean jump in a cold shower. It means do five-ten minutes jogging and a similar amount of static stretching. This reduces the potential for the delayed onset of muscle soreness and helps the muscles to relax.
Eat well
If you go into a training session or fight without enough energy you risk fatigue, and if you risk fatigue you risk both cramp and injury. Offset this possibility by taking in plenty of carbs and fluids in the build-up to a bout or sparring session.
Do yoga or pilates
Stop laughing. These may not be the most masculine of activities, but they boost your core strength and flexibility and in doing so eradicate the tight muscles that are associated with strains.
Groin pains
Groin strains prompt fewer tears than low blows, but, as Gabe Ruediger discovered when he had to pull out of his UFC 123 scrap with Paul Kelly, they usually leave more long-term damage.
“The groin strain gave me daily issues,” admitted the 33-year-old. “I was enduring the pain, then it tore completely.
As I lay on the mat I knew it was bad, and two days later I realized it would be impossible to be ready for the bout.”
Ruediger suffered a grade two strain of one of the five adductor muscles that make up ‘the groin.’ The adductor brevis; the adductor longus; the adductor magnus; the gracilis and the pectineus are located on the inside of the thigh.
Strains to these muscles occur when the muscle is forcibly stretched beyond its limits, can keep you off the mat for up to three months and are ranked in three tiers of severity:
> Grade one
The least serious of the strains occurs when you damage a few muscle fibers. It’ll only be noticeable when you stretch or contract the muscle. As a general rule you should cease from sporting activity for about three weeks.
> Grade two
This features more severe pain than a grade one strain and produces more on walking. It’s also sore to touch and will keep you out of the action for four to six weeks.
> Grade three
The least common strain is also the most painful as it sees you completely rupture the muscle. You’ll feel an immediate stabbing sensation and be unable to walk without pain. It’ll stop your sparring for three months and may require surgery.
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