Groin Pain

Groin pain is a common sporting injury in high speed running, change of direction or jumping and landing sports.

Around the Pelvis, there is a complicated arrangement of muscles with highly stressed anchor points and the involvement of hip and pelvis joints, plus your lumbosacral spine.

Luckily, Leading Edge Physiotherapists are experts at the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic and biomechanical related injuries affecting your groin.

I have groin pain, what is causing the pain?

    Being such a complex interaction of muscles and joints, injury to the groin region is common in sport, but also in the normal population. Unfortunately, it is a sometimes difficult area to diagnose and treat, due to the myriad of conditions that can exist and co-exist at the same time.

    Common conditions in the groin region are:

    How can physiotherapy help groin pain?

    Physiotherapists are well positioned to accurately diagnose the source and help with groin pain treatment.

    Each of the conditions that can lead to groin pain have a specific set of signs and symptoms that can used to help provide a diagnosis. Leading Edge physiotherapists have been highly trained in special assessment techniques that can determine, for example, if you have a groin strain or an adductor tendinopathy, or both.

    An accurate diagnosis is essential to ensure that the correct management plan is put in place.

    Management usually follows the following pathway:

    • An initial period of rest to allow the irritated structures to “calm down”
    • During this period of rest, special exercises are prescribed to address the root cause of the groin pain
    • A strengthening program is implemented to ready the body for return to sport
    • A graduated return to sport program is provided, including a detailed running program
    • The injury is then monitored during the return to sport to prevent recurrences

    I think I've injured by groin, what do I do now?

    As soon as possible, and for 72 hours after injury, use the RICE method:

    • Rest - Take it easy and only move within your limit of pain.
    • Ice - As soon as possible, and for 20 minutes every two hours, apply ice or a frozen gel pack wrapped in a damp towel. This helps to control bleeding and pain and reduces secondary tissue damage.
    • Compression - Firmly bandage the injury. This helps to control swelling.
    • Elevation - As much as possible, elevate your injury higher than the level of your heart to reduce swelling.

    Your next step is to have your groin pain assessed by a Leading Edge Physiotherapist. Contact us or book online today.