Associated symptoms
In addition to the burning in the groin, pain of different character can be added. Burning, pulling, dull or stabbing pain can be distinguished and provide important clues for diagnosis. Other accompanying symptoms can arise and vary greatly depending on the underlying disease.
Muscle, bone or tendon complaints are accompanied by pain when moving the hip joint, as well as pressure pain in the hip and groin and restrictions in mobility. The affected areas can also be reddened, overheated and swollen. Diseases of the skin in the groin may also be noticeable as swelling and redness.
Weeping and unpleasantly itchy rashes can also occur. If parts of the urinary tract are affected by disease or inflammation, symptoms occur more frequently when urinating. Fever, general malaise and bloody or cloudy discolouration of the urine may also occur.
In the case of severe acute clinical pictures of the intestines, the fallopian tubes or other abdominal organs, severe abdominal pain, tension in the immune system and circulatory problems can also occur in the context of a so-called “acute abdomen“. Pain in the groin is often described as pulling. Pulling pain can be a typical symptom of pulled tendons, inguinal hernias, urinary tract infections, ectopic pregnancies or testicular torsion.
All these conditions can cause unpleasant and strong pulling pain in the groin. The inguinal canal is one of the many causes of inguinal pain. This runs diagonally from the outer hip bones towards the genitals.
Both blood vessels, lymph nodes and the spermatic cord run within the inguinal canal, during the course of which various diseases of the primary sexual organs can cause pulling pain in the groin. One of the most frequent causes of pulling in the groin is the inguinal hernia. Here, weakness of the connective tissue in the abdominal wall causes the intestine to protrude at the inguinal canal outside the abdominal cavity.
A burning sensation in the groin that continues towards the thigh is not uncommon. Muscular structures as well as nerves move from the lower abdomen below the inguinal ligament towards the thigh. The most common cause of complaints in this region is muscle strain and overstrain after excessive sport or incorrectly executed movements.
Strains in the groin can be very unpleasant and lead to instability in the hip joint. In rare cases, the pain can also be caused by nerve irritation. This can occur, for example, with herniated discs. In this case, the intervertebral disc presses on the nerves exiting the spinal column and can cause pain that is transmitted along the groin to the thigh and in severe cases even to the foot.
During pregnancy
Burning or stabbing discomfort in the groin is not uncommon during pregnancy. This is often due to a combination of different problems that are caused by the pregnancy. Through the release of certain pregnancy hormones, many muscles in the body relax, which can lead to many types of complaints.
In the groin, too, complaints can arise due to the relaxed muscles of the abdominal wall and the additional pressure and weight load caused by the growing child. Hernias of the abdominal wall can also be favoured by the pressure and slack muscles. If symptoms occur during pregnancy, a doctor should always be consulted immediately.
A burning sensation in the groin may in rare cases be due to a problem in the uterus, which can endanger the pregnancy. An incorrect position of the embryo can also cause discomfort in the groin. These can even be an important diagnostic sign.
A burning sensation in the groin is a rather unusual pregnancy sign. However, it can indicate an incorrect position of the embryo. A common birth anomaly is ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo is implanted in the fallopian tube and not in the uterus.
Even before the pregnancy is known, stabbing and burning pain may occur in the lower abdomen and groin on the side of the affected fallopian tube. Nausea, vomiting and slight bleeding from the vagina may also occur. The ectopic pregnancy must be terminated surgically in order to preserve the fallopian tubes and ovaries and prevent complications. A normal so-called “uterine” pregnancy often causes discomfort in the lower abdomen and groin only in much later stages. You can find more information about ectopic pregnancy here.