Understanding Athletic Groin Pain: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

Athletic groin pain is a common issue that can affect athletes across various sports. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a more casual athlete, understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment of groin injuries can help you stay active and achieve your fitness goals. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the specifics of groin pain, and how physiotherapy can aid in recovery.

Groin pain can caused by a vast number of structures, including the adductor muscles, the hip flexors and extensors, the hip joint, or the boney and tendonous structures in the area. It can be caused by various injuries, acute strains, tears, or overuse of the muscles and tendons in this region. Athletes often experience groin pain during activities that involve sudden movements, changes in direction, or intense physical exertion. Athletic groin pain is particularly common in people taking part in sports that involve a large amount of kicking, such as Gaelic Football or Soccer.

1. Muscle Strains: One of the most frequent causes of groin pain is a strain of the adductor muscles in the inner thigh. These muscles are crucial for stabilising the pelvis and controlling the large sweeping  leg movements involved in kicking or rapid change of direction.
2. Hip Joint Issues: Problems such as labral tears or a hip joint pathology (osteoarthritis, femoro-acetabular impingement) can also be a cause of pain in the groin.
3. Tendon Injuries: The tendons connecting muscles to bones can become irritated or torn due to repetitive strain. Chronic tendon injury or overuse can also cause the Pubic Symphysis to become inflamed, resulting in Osteitis Pubis.
4. Sports Hernia: also known as Gilmores Groin. This condition which is most commonly seen in athletes, is caused by a small tear in the abdominal wall at the inguinal ligament, which can cause pain high up in the groin and into the abdomen, which is worsened with high intensity training, or things like coughing and sneezing.

Although symptoms can vary vastly from athlete to athlete in a broad variety of sports, individuals experiencing groin pain may have:
– Sudden onset of pain during sports following a kick, a change of direction, or when sprinting.
– Difficulty running or walking that develops slowly over time with a change of training intensity.
– Pain that worsens with movement or stretching in the gym or at training.
– Muscle weakness or tightness in the inner thigh and abdominal muscles.

Treatment will vary greatly from case to case, and be tailored to the individual athletes training load and sporting demands. However, there are some expected commonalities that will be helpful in most cases of groin injury. Rest and Ice can be particularly helpful in the acute stage of injury, especially soon after experiencing a traumatic groin injury during a game or in training. The role of the physiotherapist will initially include the assessment and diagnosis of a groin injury, before a tailored rehabilitation plan can be introduced. The rehab plan may include:
– Stretching and Strengthening Exercises targeted at building strength and mobility across all ranges of motion to ensure power and stability through the demands of sport.
– Manual Therapy such as massage or mobilisation can relieve tightness that may be present following injury and improve range of motion and reduce pain.
– Functional Training gradual reintroduction of sport-specific movements, such as running or kicking and exercises to assist in them to ensure a safe return to play.

For athletes who are worried about developing Groin Pain, or who feel they may be at increased risk due to the demands of their sport, there are a number of things we can be aware of and implement to help keep groin pain at bay.
– Comprehensive Warm-Up routine before engaging in sports activities to help prepare the muscles and tendons for the expected demands of the sport.
– Strength Training targeted at increasing the strength of the adductors, hip flexors, glutes, and hamstrings which all have a significant effect on the function and movement of the hip joint can help to ensure that we remain throughout or sport.
– Mobility Training such as stretching and gentle strengthening across different ranges of motions and positions will help reduce the likelihood of finding ourselves in positions where too much tension can be placed on a muscle or tendon that may cause a strain.
– Gradual Increase in Load can help us avoid injuries by allowing us to adapt to higher loads more slowly, and ensure that we are capable of higher demands before being exposed to them too soon.

At PMC Physiotherapy, our team of expert chartered physiotherapists is dedicated to helping athletes recover from injuries like groin pain, empowering you to stay active and reach your performance goals safely. If you’re experiencing groin pain or want to prevent injury, book an appointment with Jack Barrett who leads our sports rehabilitation services to get started on your tailored recovery plan.