A groin pull -- or groin strain -- results from putting too much stress on muscles in your groin and thigh. If these muscles are tensed too forcefully or too suddenly, they can get over-stretched or torn. Groin pulls are common in people who play sports that require a lot of running and jumping.
Full Answer
How do you know if you pulled a groin muscle?
bruising or swelling of the inner thigh. pain when a person raises their knee. pain when a person closes or opens their legs. the groin or inner thigh may feel warmer than usual. muscles feel weak or tight. limping or difficulty moving the leg. How long does a strained groin take to heal?
What does a pulled groin muscle feel like?
What Does a Pulled Groin Muscle Feel Like? Sharp pain that originates from your lower abs or inner thigh; Dull, aching pain that is constant and present at all times; Pain that increases with movement, especially with running or playing sports requiring quick bouts of agility and direction changes (soccer, football, basketball, etc.)
How long does a pulled groin muscle take to heal?
This may include:
- Manual therapy techniques to promote hip and leg range of motion
- Custom exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles of the groin area, including areas of the lower back, hamstrings, and hips.
- Gait analysis is used to identify muscle imbalances
- Core/hip stabilization to decrease over use of groin muscles
How to heal and prevent a pulled groin muscle?
- What are the groin muscles?
- What is a groin pull?
- Start with this simple self-assessment
- Make sure one groin isn’t tighter than the other
- Avoid static stretching (use undulating stretches instead)
- Use active movement to improve groin flexibility
- Make sure you train & move in side-to-side patterns
- Do a legitimate warmup (here’s how)
How do you heal a pulled groin muscle?
To speed the healing, you can:Ice the inside of your thigh to reduce pain and swelling. Experts recommend doing it for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone.Compress your thigh using an elastic bandage or tape.Take anti-inflammatory painkillers.
How long does it take for a pulled groin to heal?
There may be swelling or bruising in the groin area or inner thigh. If you have a bad strain, you may walk with a limp while it heals. Rest and other home care can help the muscle heal. Healing can take up to 3 weeks or more.
How do you know if you pulled your groin muscle?
Signs and symptoms of a groin strain include pain, swelling, and loss of mobility with the adductor muscles, nearby tendons, or close to the pubic bone. Slight bruising, muscle weakness and spasms, and difficulty walking are also possible.
Is walking good for groin strain?
Immediately following your consultation, your physical therapist may advise you to: Rest the area by avoiding walking or any activity that causes pain. Crutches may be recommended to reduce further strain on the muscles when walking. Apply ice packs to the area for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 hours.
How do I know if my groin pain is serious?
Seek immediate medical attention if you have:Groin pain associated with back, abdomen or chest pain.Sudden, severe testicle pain.Testicle pain and swelling accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fever, chills or blood in the urine.
How do I know if I have a hernia or a pulled groin?
How do I know if I have a hernia or a pulled groin muscle? Feelings of dull aching and pain in the groin area are common for both a muscle strain and a hernia. A key indicator that you may have a hernia, however, is if you have a small bulge, lump, or bump on one side of the groin.
Where is groin pain located?
Groin pain refers to discomfort in the area where the abdomen ends and the legs begin. This article focuses on groin pain in men. The terms "groin" and "testicle" are sometimes used interchangeably. But what causes pain in one area does not always cause pain in the other.
What does it mean when your groin is pulled?
A groin pull -- or groin strain -- results from putting too much stress on muscles in your groin and thigh. If these muscles are tensed too forcefully or too suddenly, they can get over-stretched or torn. Groin pulls are common in people who play sports that require a lot of running and jumping. In particular, suddenly jumping or changing direction ...
What causes groin pulls?
Groin pulls are common in people who play sports that require a lot of running and jumping. In particular, suddenly jumping or changing direction is a likely cause. Groin pulls often appear in people who play soccer and football, and they make up about 10% of all injuries in professional hockey players.
How long does it take for a groin pull to heal?
But there's no easy answer. Recovery time depends on how serious your groin pull is. It may take 4 to 6 weeks, but that's just a rough estimate. People heal at different rates. In the meantime, switch to a new activity that won't put too much stress on your groin muscles. For instance, runners could try swimming.
How to tell if you have a groin pull?
Here are some symptoms of a groin pull: Pain and tenderness in the groin and the inside of the thigh. Pain when you bring your legs together. Pain when you raise your knee. A popping or snapping feeling during the injury, followed by severe pain. Groin pulls are often divided into three degrees of severity:
How to stop groin pain?
Stop exercising if you feel pain or tightness in your groin or the inside of your thigh. Do regular strengthening exercises for your thigh muscles, especially if you've had a groin pull before. Groin injuries can result from added stress due to weakness elsewhere.
What is the 3rd degree of groin pull?
3rd degree: Severe pain, severe loss of strength and function due to a complete tear of the muscle. To diagnose a groin pull, your doctor will give you a thorough physical exam. Tests like X-rays and MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) may be needed to rule out other problems.
How long does it take for a swollen thigh to heal?
To speed the healing, you can: Ice the inside of your thigh to reduce pain and swelling. Experts recommend doing it for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone. Compress your thigh using an elastic bandage or tape.
What is a pulled groin?
A pulled groin, also called a groin strain, can occur when you put too much stress on your groin and thigh muscles. If you tense these muscles too suddenly or too forcefully, they can become torn or overstretched. Groin pulls are common in individuals who participate in sports requiring a lot of jumping and running, ...
How do you know if you have a pulled groin muscle?
Certain exercises like resistance training. Symptoms of a Pulled Groin Muscle. The primary pulled groin symptoms are tenderness and pain in the area. Other symptoms might include: Pain when you raise your knee. Swelling or bruising of your inner thigh. Muscles feel tight or weak. Pain when you open or close your legs.
How long does it take to recover from a pulled groin?
Depending on what grade your strain is, here's the estimated times of recovery: Two to three weeks for a grade 1 injury. Two to three months for a grade 2 injury. Four months or more for a grade 3 injury. The outcome of a pulled groin and associated pain will depend on the cause.
How do you know if you have a groin strain?
Symptoms vary depending on the grade of your groin strain and are: Grade 1: You might not notice mild pain until you've finished exercising, followed by tenderness and tightness.
Why is my groin straining?
A groin strain is a high possibility when you perform movements requiring your muscle to both contract and lengthen simultaneously because it stresses your muscle, leading to it tearing or overstretching. While the most common cause of a pulled groin is sports, it can also occur from: Lifting heavy objects.
How long does ice last on groin?
Your doctor will like suggest you apply the ice every three to four hours for 30 minutes each for two to three days. Heat treatment: Muscle spasm or muscle tear can cause groin pain that lasts for a prolonged time period. Spasm could be continuous or intermittent. Pain or spasm could last for several hours a day.
What to do if you pull a grade 3 strain?
Surgery. You might require surgery if you have a grade 3 strain to repair torn fibers, particularly if a tendon is involved. Surgical treatment will depend on what caused your groin pull. Ligamental tear or muscle tear can be treated with simply surgery like suturing muscles or tendon.
What are the symptoms of a pulled groin?
Individuals suffering from pain in the groin area groin muscle often display or describe the following: Individuals with a torn groin injury may feel pain in other areas of the body, including the hip, pelvis, and lower back.
What is a strained groin?
STRAINED GROIN: INJURY SYMPTOMS, TREATMENT & TIMING. Athletes frequently suffer from groin strain or torn groin injuries. These muscle strains often occur during physical activity that includes the following: Quick starts and stops, especially in the lower body. Sudden trauma (i.e. tackled on the field)
What is a grade 1 groin injury?
Torn groin injuries are given a grade, according to the amount of damage: Grade 1: Mild overstretching or slight tearing of muscle fibers. The muscle is painful, but has near normal strength. Grade 2: Moderate tear of a larger amount of muscle fibers.
How long does it take to heal a torn groin muscle?
Typically, recovery for an injured groin muscle can run between 4-12 weeks and estimates for each grade are below: Grade 1: 4-6 weeks. Grade 2: 2-3 months.
How many muscles are in the groin?
The groin muscles are complex and include six different muscles. Groin muscles help with movements of the hip joint. In fact, groin injuries are often misdiagnosed as hip injuries leading to continued pain and tenderness.
How to diagnose a torn groin?
To diagnose a torn groin injury, doctors will conduct a physical examination or provide a referral to a specialist, like a sports medicine professional. This physician team may request an X-ray or MRI to assist with diagnosis. Torn groin injuries are given a grade, according to the amount of damage:
Where is the groin located?
The groin muscles are located where the abdomen meets the leg, and the muscles of the inner thigh are attached to the front of the hip. A torn groin injury occurs when these adductor muscles are overstretched because of extreme force. The groin muscles are complex and include six different muscles.
What is a pulled groin?
A pulled groin is usually a clear diagnosis. Most athletes know what the injury is before they seek medical attention. However, other conditions can mimic the symptoms of a groin strain. 1 One condition that was previously not well-recognized is called a sports hernia .
What is a severe groin pull?
Severe groin pulls should be evaluated because, in some very rare situations of complete muscle rupture, surgery may be necessary to reattach the torn ends of the muscle.
How painful is a groin pull?
Groin Strain Symptoms. An acute groin pull can be quite painful, depending on how severe the injury is. Groin pulls are usually graded as follows: Grade I groin strain : Mild discomfort, often no disability. Usually does not limit activity.
What is a groin pull?
Stretches to Prevent Injury. A groin pull is an injury to the muscles (a muscle strain ) of the inner thigh. The groin muscles, called the adductor muscle group, consists of six muscles that span the distance from the inner pelvis to the inner part of the femur (thigh bone). These muscles pull the legs together and help with other movements ...
What muscles pull the legs together?
These muscles pull the legs together and help with other movements of the hip joint. The adductor muscles are important to many types of athletes including sprinters, swimmers, soccer players, and football players. When a muscle is strained, the muscle is stretched too far. Less severe strains pull the muscle beyond their normal excursion.
How to prevent groin strain injury?
Athletes, especially hockey and soccer players, should incorporate adductor strengthening, pelvic stabilization, and core strengthening exercises into their workouts to prevent injury.
Why do athletes pull their groins?
Because of this, proper conditioning is of utmost importance to prevent groin strain injury .
How long does it take for a groin strain to heal?
Groin strain should be treated quickly, ideally in the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. This is to reduce swelling and bleeding and to ease pain in the area. A person will often be advised to rest their leg. Staying still and trying not to walk or exercise may help to stop the injury getting worse.
How do you know if you have a groin strain?
The main symptoms of groin strain are pain and tenderness in the area. Other symptoms include: bruising or swelling of the inner thigh. pain when a person raises their knee. pain when a person closes or opens their legs. the groin or inner thigh may feel warmer than usual. muscles feel weak or tight.
What is the muscle that moves the leg called?
Muscles that move a part of the body, such as a leg or arm, are known as adductor muscles . Groin strain affects the adductor muscles in the inner thigh. A groin strain is usually a muscle tear from an awkward or sudden movement. It often affects people who play active and competitive, physical sports.
What is the grade of groin strain?
Groin strains are graded with numbers 1 to 3, depending on how serious the injury is: Grade 1 causes some pain and tenderness, but the stretch or muscle tear is minor. Grade 2 causes pain, tenderness, weakness, and sometimes bruising. Grade 3 is a severe tear of the muscle, causing bruising and a lot of pain.
What does it feel like to have a groin pain?
the groin or inner thigh may feel warmer than usual. muscles feel weak or tight. limping or difficulty moving the leg. Pain can range from a dull ache to sharp pain. The pain will often be worse when walking or moving the leg. A person may also experience spasms in the inner thigh muscles.
How to help a thigh ache?
Over-the-counter painkillers can be taken to help relieve any discomfort. A physical therapist can put together a treatment program to help with recovery.
How to avoid injury to the body?
Warming up the muscles with stretches or light exercise before sport or physical activity can help avoid damage to the body. Keep to the same amount of exercise, rather than taking part in intense activity now and then. Professional athletes usually train throughout the year to maintain their fitness.
What is a groin strain?
A groin strain refers to a set of five different muscles, also known as the adductors, that help adduct (bring in towards your midline) the thigh and stabilize the hip. These muscles are most strained with activities such as ...
How to avoid groin strains?
Keeping Your Groin Safe. How to avoid muscle strains: Incorporate a dynamic warm up prior to more intense physical activity. Make sure you are stretching and strengthening the groin and surrounding muscles regularly. Focus on technique and posture with your exercises -- don’t rush through them.
What is the difference between a grade I strain and a grade II strain?
There are different grades of muscle strains. Grade I: A grade I strain is the smallest amount of tissue tearing , and can cause mild discomfort or pain, tenderness to touch, but there will not be swelling and the strength of the muscle should not be greatly affected. Grade II: A grade II strain affects more muscle fibers and is considered moderate.
How long does it take for a muscle to heal from a sprain?
Grade I: A mild strain may take 1-2 weeks to heal , depending on the recovery process. Grade II: A moderate strain can take anywhere from 4-10 weeks to heal, de pending on which muscle is affected and how large the muscle (and tear) are.
Where do the muscles in the groin attach?
Most of these muscles originate from the pubic bone and attach along the inside of the femur or thigh bone. When strained, a person can feel a sudden sharp pain right along the groin line, at the pubic bone or along the inner thigh, depending which muscle is most affected.
How long does it take to recover from a grade 3 muscle tear?
Expect several months for a full recovery.
How to heal a torn muscle?
Apply ice for 10-15 minutes to the affected area a few times a day. Avoid aggravating the injury site. When there is a muscle strain, fibers have been torn in the muscle and the body needs to heal itself. Avoid straining this area by stressing it more to allow the healing process to occur.
What does it mean when you pull your groin?
A pulled groin muscle is an acute injury, meaning it happens due to a specific traumatic event. This is different than an overuse injury or tendinitis, which develop over time. However, each can contribute to the occurrence of the other. Because it is acute, it's likely that you're aware when the injury happened.
What is a pull in the muscle?
A muscle pull, or strain, occurs when muscle fibers become overstretched or torn 1 2. These are the muscles that help bring the legs together. According to PhysioWorks, the most commonly injured muscle in the group is the adductor longus 2 3.
What is the pain of a pelvic fracture?
Pelvic fracture: According to Cedars-Sinai, the primary symptom of a fractured pelvis is groin pain 5. In addition, you may have pain in the hip or lower back that worsens with walking. Labral tear: The labrum is a crescent-shaped structure composed of cartilage that extends along the edge of the hip socket.
How do you know if you have a muscle strain?
After the injury, you may also experience one or more of these symptoms: Muscle weakness. Loss of muscle function. Swelling. Bruising. Muscle spasm. Muscle tightness. With a mild strain, you might only feel the pain momentarily 2. After the injury, it might only be noticeable when performing certain activities.
What is the pain in the hip joint?
Over time, this causes injury to the hip joint. A common symptom of FAI is groin pain, but there may also be pain in the outer hip. The pain may be sharpest when turning, twisting or squatting. Kidney stones: This painful condition is caused by the formation of firm deposits of minerals in your kidneys 9.
What does it mean when you feel a sharp pain in your groin?
The pain may have been mild or very intense, and you may or may not have felt a snapping sensation or heard a popping noise that indicates a complete tear. After the injury, you may also experience one or more ...
Can a groin injury hurt?
If your groin injury is more moderate, it may be painful to open and close your legs or raise your knee. The pain may radiate down the inside of your thigh as well.
Groin Strain Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
- A pulled groin is usually a clear diagnosis. Most athletes know what the injury is before they seek medical attention. However, other conditions can mimic the symptoms of a groin strain.1 One lesser-known condition is a sports hernia. Sports hernias have been found in patients with chronic groin strains. A sports hernia is similar to a regular inguinal hernia, which is a weakening of muscles in the abdomen. The symptoms of a sports hernia can …
Treatment
- Once a strain is diagnosed, you can begin treatment. Rest, stretching, and oral pain medications are the most common treatments. Surgery is not usually necessary. Groin strains can be frustrating for athletes and weekend warriors alike. You may want to return to your activities before you're fully recovered. Exactly how long it takes to recover will depend on how severe the pull is and how quickly your body tends to heal. Sticking to your treatmen…
Stretches to Prevent Injury
- If you have a groin strain, a stretching program will help you recover. Simple stretches can help ease the symptoms and keep new strains from occurring.
Summary
- A groin pull is an injury to the inner thigh muscles. Most of the time, these strains involve small tears to the muscle fibers. They can be treated with rest, stretching, and over-the-counter medications. Sometimes, however, more severe muscle tears can happen. In rare cases, these tears have to be repaired with surgery. If you have a severe groin ...
A Word from Verywell
- If you're not sure if you have a groin pull or your symptoms do not improve quickly, it's a good idea to see a healthcare provider. Other conditions can be confused with a groin pull, and they may need different treatments.