What is groin pain?
The groin is the area in the body where the upper thighs meet the lowest part of the abdomen. An injury to the groin will be felt along the front of the hip towards the base of the pelvis and even into the upper, inner thighs.
The most common cause of groin pain is a strain in a muscle, tendon or ligament. This occurs particularly often in athletes playing high-intensity sports such as hockey, soccer and football. Groin pain may occur immediately after an injury, or it may come on gradually over a period of weeks or even months.
Common Symptoms
When experiencing a groin injury, you may notice:
- Groin pain
- Abdominal pain
- Pain that subsides with rest
- Pain or tenderness at touch or with deep muscle compression
- Swelling, bruising and stiffness
- Joint disruption
- Pain in genitals
These symptoms may cause immediate and acute pain, or they may be chronic, developing over time.
Causes
Injury to the groin is often caused by straining the adductor (inner thigh) muscles while kicking, so it is most common in an athlete’s dominant leg. It can also be caused by turning quickly while running, skating or jumping. Movements that require your muscle to lengthen and contract at the same time often cause a groin strain.
Treatment
The treatment provided will depend on the severity of the injury. Typically, treatment involves Active Release Techniques, myofascial release and therapeutic exercise, as well as adjustments to restore joint mobility to involved joints like your hips and SacroIliac joints.. These treatments will allow the injury to heal faster so that you can get back to peak performance.