Sports physician Dr John Orchard works with the Sydney Roosters, the AFL and Cricket Australia. If you've got a question for the doc, don't hesitate to send it through here.

Q I’ve been feeling discomfort on the right side of my groin when stretching after exercise and have noticed a hard lump that wasn’t there before. What is this and should I be worried? – AP

A A lump in the groin that appears on straining can be a hernia. Swollen glands (lymph nodes) are also common in the groin, particularly if you have any infections in the leg on the same side. Any lump that doesn’t disappear quickly is something that should be checked by a doctor to make sure it isn’t too serious.

Q I recently ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament playing footy and am having reconstructive surgery in the coming weeks. What is a realistic timeframe to start running/training again? – JM

A Many amateur athletes start off after a knee reconstruction wondering how quickly they can get back, but after a few months the question changes to whether they actually want to get back. There is a long road ahead of you, but perhaps four months after surgery is a realistic timeframe for running and 6-9 months for more solid football training.

Q I have always had a weak left ankle. Recently, however, when playing football, the inside of my ankle swelled up so it looks like I have two ankles. It gives me problems sprinting and kicking with my left foot. What do you think? – AH

A Tape it every time you play and train to see whether this makes a difference, and do some balance exercises to improve your stability. If it swells up that much, it’s worth having an X-ray. The ankle can often develop large bone spurs after multiple injuries, which would need surgical removal if you want to try to get full function back.

Q: I quit smoking in April last year after a 15-year, pack-a-day habit. Lately, I'm finding it increasingly hard to breathe when I go for a run. I thought after quitting the fags my lungs would improve? Any idea why it's getting worse? - WJ

A: It sounds like it could be exercise-induced asthma, if you are lucky. I say lucky because asthma is a treatable diagnosis. Unfortunately, there are other types of lung damage that could have occurred from 15 years of smoking that may not be as reversible. You need a thorough medical check to exclude those.

Q: I got a knock to the side of the head playing footy last week. I didn't black out but I had a headache the next day and now I'm light-headed. Am I right to play footy next week? - JB

A: This is consistent with a diagnosis of concussion, and although on the mild side, it is a head injury. In elite players we generally let them play again once their symptoms have completely settled and tests show that their mental processing speed is back to normal. You can test your own mental processing speed using computer games, but as you are an amateur I would err on the side of caution by taking a week off if you're unsure if you've recovered or feel anything less than 100 per cent.

Q: I play tennis regularly and have started to notice pain and swelling on the back of the base of my thumb, extending up my wrist. I also get a creaking sensation when I move my thumb. Any idea what it could be? - TR

A: The most likely diagnosis is tendinitis of the thumb extensor muscles. You are probably hitting a lot of backhands with topspin and maybe need to back off this type of stroke for a while. Ice, anti-inflammatory gel and strapping the thumb or wrist to take some of the load off may all be helpful


Need some sports injury advice? Click below to send your niggling queries through to Dr J.

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