How do you heal a pulled groin muscle?
The first few days of treatment follow the protocol for any muscle injury:
- rest
- ice
- compression
- elevation
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
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
What are some home remedies for a pulled muscle?
How to Treat a Pulled Muscle
- Elevate, compress, and ice it. The sooner you can get the pulled muscle above your heart, apply compression, and ice it, the better, Hamilton says.
- Avoid pain medications. Your first instinct about how to treat a pulled muscle might be to grab some ibuprofen. ...
- Watch for bruising. ...
- Don't stretch or roll it out. ...
- See a doctor. ...
- Take it easy. ...
What should I do if I have pulled my groin ligament?
Given that groin pulls can be painful and debilitating, the best advice is to prevent them. You should: Always warm up your legs and groin muscles before physical activity. A light jog or other activities to increase body temperature have been shown to reduce risk of muscle stains.
What is the fastest way to heal a pulled groin?
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.
What do doctors do for a pulled groin?
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 pull, see a healthcare professional.
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 you tell if your groin is pulled or torn?
Groin strain symptomsbruising 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 do you tell if you pulled your groin?
What Are the Signs & Symptoms of a Groin Strain?swelling and bruising in the groin area.muscle spasms.weakness in the leg.trouble walking.
Is Deep heat good for groin strain?
After the initial swelling and inflammation has subsided, some people like to apply therapeutic heat. This can help loosen up stiff muscles and increase range of motion. Massage is another popular method for reducing tension in the groin muscles while recovering from a pull or tear.
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.
What is the best exercise for a groin strain?
1. Hip adductor stretchLie on your back with bent knees.Press your feet into the floor.Allow your knees to drop open to the sides.Press the soles of your feet together.Hold this position for up to 30 seconds.Return your knees to the starting position.Repeat 3 times.
How to prevent groin strain?
The best way to prevent groin strain is to avoid using the adductor muscle without proper training and preparation. Especially if you play a sport that’s likely to cause groin strain, regularly stretch and strengthen your adductor muscles.
How long does it take to recover from a groin strain?
Depending on the grade of your strain, here’s estimated recovery times: Grade 1: two to three weeks. Grade 2: two to three months. Grade 3: four months or more.
What is a groin strain?
Overview. A groin strain is an injury or tear to any of the adductor muscles of the thigh. These are the muscles on the inner side of the thigh. Sudden movements usually trigger an acute groin strain, such as kicking, twisting to change direction while running, or jumping. Athletes are most at risk for this injury.
What is grade 1 groin strain?
A grade 1 groin strain occurs when the muscle is overstretched or torn, damaging up to 5 percent of the muscle fibers. You may be able to walk without pain, but running, jumping, kicking, or stretching may be painful.
How to heal adductor muscle?
As your adductor muscle is recovering, avoid activities that involve pain. Resume activities gradually. This will enable your muscle to heal fully and prevent you from developing a recurrent groin strain injury. The length of time you need to recover will also depend on your level of fitness before the injury.
How to tell if groin is strained?
They can include: pain (usually felt in the inner thigh, but located anywhere from the hip to the knee) decreased strength in the upper leg. swelling.
What is the risk factor for groin strain?
The primary risk factor for groin strain is playing a sport that involves kicking, turning suddenly while running, and jumping. Needing to change direction frequently is also a risk factor.
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 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 ...
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:
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.
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.
What is the best medicine for swelling?
Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ), like ibuprofen and naproxen, will help with pain and swelling. But studies show their effects are controversial especially if taken long-term.
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.
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.
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 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.
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)
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.
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 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 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.
Which muscles are most strained when jumping?
The adductor muscles include the adductor magnus, ad ductor longus, gracilis, adductor brevis, and pectineus.
What is the best medicine for groin pull?
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): These include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and aspirin (Ecotrin, Bufferin) that help reduce inflammation and pain and improve your ability to move around. But, aspirin shouldn't be given to children. Rest: Rest after a groin pull helps with the recovery.
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 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 is the treatment for pulled groin muscle?
Like with most other types of soft tissue injuries, pulled groin muscle treatment can include RICE therapy 5 : Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation. You can administer this treatment with traditional ice packs and compression bandages, or increase the effectiveness of therapeutic cold and compression with a cold therapy system.
How to relieve groin pain after pulling?
Massage is another popular method for reducing tension in the groin muscles while recovering from a pull or tear. This type of treatment is appropriate after the area is no longer tender to the touch, as otherwise it might be too painful and uncomfortable. 7.
Why does my groin tear?
This is because groin muscles can tear or stretch when pivoting to avoid a tackle, changing directions quickly to catch a ball, or stretching beyond the natural limits of the muscles. Any type of sudden movement in the groin area can potentially cause a strain or pull, especially when the muscles are not properly warmed up. 2.
How do you know if you pulled your groin?
When you pull a groin, you can expect to experience some or all of the following symptoms 1: Pain when you lift your knee. Pain when you use the adductor muscles, which bring your legs together. Tenderness and discomfort in the inside of the thigh. Swelling or discoloration in the groin area.
How to stretch your groin?
Seated short groin stretch: While seated on the floor, bend the knees, and bring the soles of the feet together in front of you. With a straight back, use your elbows to gently push your knees toward the floor until you feel a light stretch in the inner thigh, and hold the position.
What is a pulled groin?
A pulled groin—also known as a groin strain or sprain—occurs when the muscles in the inner thigh get overstretched or torn. 1 This can happen when they contract too quickly during activities such as running, jumping, or changing direction. 1 Although a pulled groin is a common injury among athletes, it can happen to anybody.
How to strengthen adductor muscles?
Use a small medicine ball placed between the knees to create resistance, and squeeze for five-second intervals. Repeat 10 times, and increase the duration and number of repetitions as strength improves. Straight-leg adductor exercise: Remain in a reclined position, and extend the legs flat on the floor.
How to stop groin pain from hip?
Performing daily moderate exercise to slow bone loss and maintain muscle strength. For non-hip related causes of groin pain, it's important to see your doctor periodically for routine check-ups and screenings (for example, screening for sexually transmitted disease, which is a common cause of epididymitis).
What is a groin strain?
Muscle Strain. Groin strain, also referred to as a pulled groin muscle, typically occurs as a result of an athletic injury or awkward movement of the hip joint, which leads to stretching or tearing of the inner thigh muscles. 2 . Usually, the pain of a groin strain is sharp, the onset is abrupt, and the cause of pain is clear.
What is the pain of an inguinal hernia?
3 Sometimes, an inguinal hernia causes no symptoms. If symptoms are present, people often report a tugging sensation in the groin area and/or a du ll groin pain when coughing or lifting things. There may also be a visible bulge in the groin.
Why does my groin hurt?
Prevention. When people experience pain in their lower abdomen, where the leg meets the pelvis, they often refer to this as groin pain. 1 While a muscle strain is the most common cause of groin pain in adults, a wide variety of other conditions may be to blame, including an inguinal hernia, kidney stone, or problems in or around the hip joint, ...
How to prevent hip fractures?
In order to prevent hip-related problems (a common groin pain origin), here are a few simple strategies you can consider adopting: 1 Maintaining a healthy weight 2 Engaging in low-impact sports, like swimming or cycling, that place less stress on the hip 3 Talking with your doctor about strategies, like balance training or tai chi, to prevent falls—the most common cause of hip fractures 4 Performing daily moderate exercise to slow bone loss and maintain muscle strength
How to diagnose groin pain?
To determine the cause of your groin pain, your doctor will perform a comprehensive physical examination and, if needed, order blood and/or imaging tests. In the end, your treatment plan may range from something as simple as rest and ice to something more involved, like physical therapy, or invasive, like surgery.
Can cortisone be injected into the hip?
Sometimes a steroid like cortisone is injected into the hip to alleviate groin pain, especially in the case of hip osteoarthritis, or into the lower back, as with a pinched nerve . Lastly, depending on the underlying condition, antibiotics may be needed to treat an infection, as in the case of epididymitis.
How to treat a groin injury?
To treat a groin injury, apply ice to the area as soon as possible to reduce the swelling. Continue to apply ice for 15 minute intervals every 2 hours for the first 48 hours after the injury. Additionally, take painkillers, like ibuprofen or aspirin, to manage the pain.
How long does it take to recover from a groin injury?
More severe injuries require at least six to eight weeks or even longer for adequate recovery. Take at least five to seven days off from physical activity to allow your injury ...
What causes pain in the inner thigh?
The inner thigh pain caused by a groin injury can range from mild to severe, and can happen to anyone at any age. The pain results from a tear or rupture of any one of five muscles that run along the inner thigh, attaching to the pelvic bone at the upper end, and just above the knee area at the other.
What does it feel like to have a groin strain?
The symptoms commonly seen with a groin strain or injury include feelings of tightness or cramping, sudden or sharp pain, and pain when the muscle is either contracted or stretched. Severe injuries can include extreme pain even when just walking.
What is a grade 1 groin injury?
Groin injuries are graded based on the severity of the injury. Grade 1 injuries are milder and are caused by overstretching one or more of the five muscles, with micro-tearing of muscle fibers within the injury. Grade 2 injuries are the most common type, and involve partial tearing of muscle tissue.
How to stretch your groin?
Perform a simple stretch that targets the groin area before and after you work out or participate in sports. Sit on the floor with your back gently against the wall. Place the bottoms of your feet together and pull your feet in toward your groin. Gently and slowly move your knees toward the floor.
What is the best medicine for pain?
Drugs that help reduce inflammation and pain include ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin. Acetaminophen products available over-the-counter can help with pain management, but do not address inflammation. Follow the instructions on the product label, or directions provided by your doctor. ...
Groin Strain Symptoms
Causes
- Use ice pack on the sore area
- Stop any activity that puts strain on the groin area
- Rest for a day or two
- Try an over- the- counter pain reliever like ibuprofen
- Do not lift heavy objects
- Groin pain does not improve with home treatment within a few days
- Mild testicle pain occurs longer than a few days
- A lump or swelling in or around a testicle
See a doctor immediately if you notice:
- Intensity of pain keeps increasing
- Tender bump just above the groin crease that does not flatten when you lie down or press on it
- Overall abdominal swelling or pain
- Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or above lasting for 24 to 48 hours
- Repeated vomiting
- Pain that moves to the lower right abdomen, just below the waistline, or spreads to the back
- Sudden, severe testicle pain
Diagnosis
Treatment
Stretches to Prevent Injury
- Groin pulls are often seen in athletes who play ice hockey and soccer. Injuries may be more likely in people with: 1. Less strength in their hip muscles 2. Less effective preseason conditioning 3. Previous injury To prevent a groin strain, it's really important to have proper conditioning. Athletes, especially hockey and soccer players, should design their workouts to: 1. Strengthen adductor m…
A Word from Verywell
- 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 mus…