Osteitis pubis is a medical condition which is prevalent among footballers, runners and other athletes, particularly players of Australian rules football....
Osteitis pubis... is characterised by inflammation of the pubic symphysis, which is the joint at the front of the pelvis between the two ends of the pubic bone. This inflammation leads to sclerosis and bony changes of the pubis symphysis, causing both acute and chronic groin pain. The condition can render sufferers incapable of sustained physical activity. There is no specific treatment for the condition and it can seriously affect the careers of footballers affected by it....
The cause of osteitis pubis is excessive physical strain on the pubic bone, usually caused by the increasing rigorous demands of competitive sport, particularly soccer and football. In such sports, actions such as running, jumping, kicking and rapid changes of direction cause the abdominal and groin muscles to exercise a pulling or traction force on the pubic bone, which in some cases can result in excessive stress and inflammation. In Australian football this risk is increased by repeated jarring of the pelvis caused when players come down from the high leaps required by the game, and also by tackling from other players...
Until recently there was no specific treatment for osteitis pubis. As it frequently causes long-term problems, medication, stretching and strengthening of the stabilising muscles are usually used. Topol, in Argentina, used glucose and lignocaine injections (prolotherapy or regenerative injection therapy) to restart the healing process and generate new connective tissue in 72 elite athletes with chronic groin/abdominal pain who had failed a conservative treatment trial. The treatment consisted of monthly injections to ligament attachments on the pubis. Their pain had lasted an average of 11 months, ranging from 3–60 months. The average number of treatments received was 3, ranging from 1–6. Their pain improved by 82%. Six athletes did not improve, and the remaining 66 returned to unrestricted sport in an average of 3 months.[2] Surgical intervention, such as wedge resection of the pubis symphysis, is sometimes attempted in severe cases[3], but its success rate is not high, and surgery may lead to later pelvic problems.
Uhh... that doesn't sound good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteitis_pubis