Diagnosis | Pain in the thigh and groin – What is behind it?

Diagnosis

The cause of groin and thigh pain can best be determined by an orthopedic surgeon. The orthopedic surgeon will consider the symptoms described above in conjunction with the potential movement restriction or loss of sensitivity and thus make a diagnosis based on the physical examination. Imaging by x-ray or MRI/CT can, but does not have to be necessary.

Treatment

The treatment of pain depends entirely on the cause. Even if any pain can be made temporarily more bearable with painkillers, in the long run the cause should definitely be eliminated. In the case of an inguinal hernia, this may require immediate surgery to prevent the trapped intestine from dying off.

A thrombosis is treated by consistently wrapping the leg and diluting the blood with medication. Spatial masses that irritate nerves should be removed and overstrained muscles should be spared. Iliopsoas syndrome is treated with anti-inflammatory pain medication such as ibuprofen or diclofenac.

After the inflammation has subsided, special stretching exercises and physiotherapy can help to prevent recurrence. In the case of hip joint arthrosis, joint-gentle sport is the therapy of choice until a joint replacement becomes necessary. Similarly, targeted back training can also help to alleviate the symptoms of a pinched sciatic nerve. A bottleneck syndrome of the hip can either be treated conservatively with physiotherapy or the source of the complaints can be eliminated in a small operation via arthroscopy.

Duration

The duration of the symptoms varies greatly depending on the cause. While people with hip joint arthrosis usually have complaints for years or even decades, a simple first-degree groin strain heals within a few days. In general, if the cause can be removed quickly, the symptoms tend to improve quickly.

This includes for example the hernia. However, the pain from triggers that are not easy to treat tends to last a long time. This includes hip joint arthrosis, which does not yet require a joint replacement.