The groin consists of a group of muscles on the inside of the thigh. These muscles aid you in bringing your leg towards your body, hip flexion, and hip extension. A groin injury is so painful because the groin has a wide variety of roles and it can be hurt in many different ways. The Adductor Magnus, for example, acts like a 4th hamstring muscle. A groin injury is often from one of the muscles being strained due to weakness or being overworked.
A groin injury is not only a painful injury, but it can be uncomfortable to get treatment for groin pain. It is close to your private area, and often a ticklish spot for many people. The best offense is a good defense and that defense is called injury prevention. Work your butt off to not tear your groin because coming back is hard work.
Common Sports
Groin injuries are common in any sport with constant changes of direction or running around corners like in track and field. The unique thing about groin injuries changing direction is that they often happen eccentrically when the groin is lengthening. Stability is a critical area that can help to make these changes of course easier on the body. That includes making the ankle, knee, and hip more stable so that the groin does not end up out of position.
Sports susceptible to groin injury:
- Football
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Tennis
- Hockey
- Soccer
- Track and field
Cause of Groin Injury
Groin injuries are often strained or pulled muscles in the adductor region. If these muscles become too tense or are put under too much stress, they can tear or become overstretched or strained. The causes of these injuries are often overuse of the thigh.
For example, if a hockey player is skating too much, the groin muscles and hip muscles might get tighter. The only way to stop this tightness is to unload all of the muscles that are overloaded or to release the tightness through stretching and other treatment methods.
The groin is closely connected to the quads and the hips. If either of those places is having issues, you have to get them fixed before your groin can be pain-free.
Symptoms of Groin Injury
When you hurt your groin, you know it right away! You will immediately stop whatever activity you are doing due to the pain. It will be painful to move that leg at all. Stretching, hip flexion, adduction, and abduction will all hurt.
- Pain and tenderness on the inside of the thigh
- Pain when you bring your legs together
- A pop followed by sudden pain
- Trouble balancing on one leg without pain
- Pain raising the knee in running motion
Levels of Groin Injury
- 1st degree: Mild pain, but little loss of strength or movement
- 2nd degree: Moderate pain, mild to moderate strength loss and some tissue damage
- 3rd degree: Severe pain, severe loss of strength and function due to a complete tear of the muscle
Treatment of Groin Injury
- Ice – In the first few days ice can help to reduce pain
- Compression – Compression can help with getting around if you need to and also reduce the swelling in the area.
- Anti-inflammatory medication – Use this as a last resort because it masks pain making it easier to move around. The problem is that it can trick you into thinking that your injury is doing better than it is.
- Working with a healthcare provider found through 9INE POINT Health– You want to find excellent therapists that know how to help athletes. These therapists will be able to do things like acupuncture and Active Release Technique which are valuable for healing groin injuries.
Rehab for Groin Injury
Phase 1 – Active Rest
- Protect
- Decrease swelling
- As much pain-free movement as possible
Phase 2 – Reparative Phase
- Continued rest from full-out practice and games
- Repair
- As much pain-free movement as possible
Phase 3 – Weight-Bearing Stress
- Gradually progress exercise
- Begin adding resistance
- As much pain-free movement as possible
Phase 4 – Return to Normal Activity
- Exercise at a game intensity
- No pain
- No swelling or discomfort
- Return to normal activity
Prevention of Groin Injury
- Proper warm-up
- Proper footwear
- Slowly increase intensity and volume of training
- Strengthen groin and thigh muscles
- Working regularly with a health care provider found through Kho
More Resources for a Groin Injury
- Injury App
- Building Your Stretching Routine
- Hamstring Stretches
What If You Can’t Heal Your Groin Injury On Your Own?
Sometimes you can ice all you want, but a muscle is in pain because another area is not working or because it is protecting you. With the hips, for example, your back may be hurting because your psoas is doing too much work and it is also tight. The psoas may be doing too much work because your other hip flexors are not activating correctly. The chain reaction could keep going.
Sometimes you need the help of a sports medicine provider. Sports medicine providers are used to working with athletes that need to get results quickly, to get back on the field. If you are not an athlete, I am sure that you still want quick results.
There are many different options you can go with when looking for a provider. You could get a chiropractor, massage therapist, physical therapist or many other options. The key is finding someone you trust and that you are excited to work with.
How to Find The Best Healthcare Providers for a Groin Injury
9INE POINT Health is the best place to find the health care providers you need for any injuries. It does not matter where you are hurting; a 9INE POINT Health provider will be able to get you healthy again. 9INE POINT allows you to find the best local providers and compare them quickly using the 9INE POINT Number.
If you have no idea what you need, but you know you need something, 9INE POINT Health is an injury guide, and you will get helped through the process. We make it easier for you to find the information and the person you are looking for.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
9INE POINT Health was created by 9INE POINT in '19 as a means to provide athlete-driven resources to "Protect Athletes' Minds, Body and Belly". As well as be a platform for healthcare providers and other specialists to display their knowledge.