Groin pain/weakness

Hey there! What's up?

So, like, a few months back, I started noticing this weird thing where it was getting super tough to lift my leg up at the nail salon—you know, that specific motion where you have to swing it from the side toward the front and up? Honestly, I just kind of brushed it off at first. I figured, okay, maybe I’m just getting stiff, or maybe I'm just getting old and out of shape... I don't know, I just assumed I was losing my touch! 😁 And even if it isn't like, totally catastrophic... I mean, maybe things aren't actually that bad? I guess. It’s just hard to tell sometimes, you know? Like, everything feels a bit much, but then you look closer and maybe it's not quite the disaster everyone's making it out to be. Just my two cents, anyway.

So, like, I actually started taking jazz dance classes recently! And honestly? The dancing itself feels totally fine, I’m not having any issues there at all... but then, I don't know, during those specific stretches and movements when we're just warming up, I get this weird, nagging discomfort. It's super strange. Maybe it's just me, or maybe I'm just not warmed up enough? I guess we'll see.

Ugh, honestly, the absolute worst part is just getting into the car... like, yesterday was such a struggle. I actually had to use my hand to lift my left leg over the door sill just to get inside. It’s just the worst feeling ever.

So, I don’t know... is this just one of those things that's totally normal where I probably need to drop a few more pounds—I'm working on it, by the way, just taking it slow—or should I actually go bother my doctor about it?

Is it just localized pain in your groin, or is the sensation radiating further down?

just push it back a bit and maybe just when you’re getting into the car😁

So, here’s where things stand for me. I’m 20 years old, and back in November, I ended up in the ER because of some pretty sharp groin pain. The doctor there told me it was an inguinal hernia, though he mentioned it wasn't an emergency or anything life-threatening at the time. Since then, I’ve just been dealing with occasional flare-ups whenever I push myself too hard, but I managed to keep playing soccer and staying active without much trouble. However, since I really wanted to get rid of the discomfort for good, I decided to go see a surgeon for a consultation, especially since this past week has been rough—I've had constant pain in my groin and right around my navel, slightly to the right. During my exam today, the surgeon actually told me it isn't a hernia after all, but rather diastasis recti, which is basically just a weakness in my abdominal wall. I'm wondering if anyone here has dealt with this before. How do you actually live with it, or find ways to manage the discomfort? Is it even possible to strengthen that area through specific exercises so I can get back to sports without the constant aching? I'm really hoping to keep playing soccer, so I'd love to know how to prepare, maybe build up that core strength so the pain subsides or disappears entirely. Is there any real chance for that? I’d truly appreciate any advice or insights you guys might have. Thanks in advance!