Groin strain
What is groin strain?
A groin strain is a tear in the one of the muscles in the pelvis, including your lower abdominal or thigh muscles. It normally affects the area where the muscle and tendon meet. It can become a chronic problem if the muscles or its attachment to the bone weakens. The term chronic refers to a long-standing problem, not how serious a condition is.
Symptoms
The main symptom of a groin strain is a sudden, sharp pain in the muscle. This then becomes a dull ache. You may also have some bruising and swelling and the area will feel tender.
Causes
A groin strain is most often caused by a side-stepping or twisting movement and occasionally by overstretching the muscles during sport. It's common in sports such as rugby or football where you need to make sudden changes in direction and side-step quickly. It may also be caused by a poor running technique.
Treatment
You should seek treatment from a sports medicine professional, such as a sports medicine doctor or a physiotherapist. Getting treatment early may help to prevent complications or a chronic strain.
You should rest the injury initially then re-introduce movement so you don't lose too much muscle strength.
Your physiotherapist or sports medicine doctor will determine exactly which muscles are damaged, the extent of the damage and estimate how long you will take to recover. You shouldn't resume physical activity until the tear has healed and you able to fully move your hip without any pain.
You may also be shown preventative exercises designed to increase the range of movement and strength in the muscle. Other medical techniques such as ultrasound, massage and even injection therapy may also be needed.
Do
- Make sure you warm up before and cool down after exercise.
- Strengthening exercises to prevent the injury coming back.
- Follow the exercises given to you by your doctor or physiotherapist.
Don't
- Start exercising again too quickly, this may increase your chances of developing long-term damage.
Peer reviewed by David Toy, MCSP, Bupa Sports Medicine physiotherapist
Publication date: June 2009
