Patient education: Groin strain (The Basics)

What is a groin strain? — A groin strain happens when 1 of the muscles in the inner thigh gets stretched too much or too quickly, or works too hard. This sometimes makes the muscle tear. Another term for a groin strain is a "pulled groin."

A groin strain can happen while exercising, such as from suddenly changing direction, or during an accident. The muscles involved in a groin strain are called the adductor muscles. The adductor muscles connect the pelvis to the thigh bone, and pull the legs toward each other.

A groin strain is the most common cause of groin pain, especially in active adults. It can be mild or severe.

What are the symptoms of a groin strain? — Some people feel a pull in their groin when the strain happens. Other symptoms can include:

●Pain

●Muscle spasm or tightness

●Swelling

●Bruising

●Leg weakness, or having trouble walking or moving the legs

Will I need tests? — Probably not. Your doctor or nurse should be able to tell if you have a groin strain by learning about your symptoms and doing an exam.

But some people do need tests. Depending on your symptoms, your doctor or nurse might order an imaging test such as an ultrasound or MRI scan. Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body.

How is a groin strain treated? — A groin strain usually gets better on its own. It can take up to a few weeks to heal completely, depending on how bad the strain is.

To help with your symptoms, you can:

●Rest your groin muscles and avoid movements or activities that cause pain

●Ice the area – You can put a cold gel pack, bag of ice, or bag of frozen vegetables on the painful area every 1 to 2 hours, for 15 minutes each time. Put a thin towel between the ice (or other cold object) and your skin. Use the ice (or other cold object) for at least 6 hours after the injury. Some people find it helpful to ice up to 2 days after an injury.

●Wrap your upper thigh with an elastic bandage or other type of wrap (picture 1), or wear compression shorts – These things can help support your muscles.

●Raise the muscle above the level of your heart (if possible) – For example, if you lie down, you can put a pillow under your groin or thigh. This is helpful only for the first few days after an injury.

●Take medicine to reduce the pain and swelling – If you have a lot of pain or a severe groin strain, your doctor will prescribe a strong pain medicine. If your strain is not severe, you can take an over-the-counter medicine such as acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand name: Aleve).

After your pain gets better, your doctor or nurse will recommend that you gently stretch and exercise your groin muscles. Stretches and exercises can help strengthen your muscles and keep them from getting too stiff.

Your doctor or nurse will show you which stretches and exercises to do. Or they will have you work with a physical therapist (exercise expert).

It's important to let your groin muscle heal before you play sports or do other activities that use the muscle again. If you don't let your muscle heal, you are likely to injure it again.

Can a groin strain be prevented? — You can help prevent a groin strain by warming up your muscles before you exercise. You can do this by walking or doing another gentle activity that gets your body moving. You can also prevent injuries by doing exercises to strengthen the muscles in your legs and core, and make these muscles more flexible.

If you are not sure how to do these things, a physical therapist or other exercise professional can help you.

More on this topic

Patient education: Muscle strain (The Basics)
Patient education: Exercise and movement (The Basics)
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