In most cases, a groin strain is caused by sudden overuse during sports. It can have three different degrees of severity and affects the adductors. You can avoid a groin strain by warming up and stretching each muscle group intensively and by cooling down slowly after sports.
What is a groin strain?
A groin strain is an overstretching or injury of the so-called adductors caused by a sudden sideways movement or straddle. In this case, adductors are skeletal muscles and tendons that serve to pull the legs up. Their counterparts are called abductors. A groin strain is a relatively common sports injury. It often affects soccer players, hurdlers, swimmers, skiers or ice hockey players. The aforementioned sports are characterized by intense leg work, as a result of which a groin strain can occur. Especially as a competitive athlete, one suffers a groin strain more often. The severity of the groin strain can be one of three grades:
Mild adductor strain means overstretching, where less than five percent of the adductor fibers are damaged. You can definitely continue exercising with this groin strain, but you will feel pain. The second severity of a groin strain means more than 5 percent muscle fiber tears, which you feel even with lighter loads or pressure on the adductors. Pronounced muscle fiber tears characterize the third severity of groin strain. Here, bruising, swelling and severe stabbing pain may occur. The healing process will take different amounts of time depending on the severity of the groin strain.
Causes
Overuse and sudden overstretching of the legs or abdominal muscles can lead to what is known as a groin strain. The pain occurs with strain on the inner thigh. Often a sudden movement while jumping after a ball or over a hurdle is enough to cause a groin strain. The groin strain is also favored by unsuitable footwear, an incorrect jumping or running technique and a sudden sideways movement. As another cause, however, a congenital malposition of the hips, a pelvic obliquity with different leg lengths or a malfunction of the hip joints can be causative for a groin strain.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
A groin strain is usually caused by an unaccustomed or excessive load on the groin region. This causes a strain of the muscles, so that the affected person suffers from stabbing pain in the groin area. Often, the pain occurs immediately after exercise. In particularly severe cases, there is even visible swelling and hematoma, which can last for several days. Affected persons are very severely restricted in their entire daily life, so that their quality of life suffers considerably. If the affected person decides to seek medical treatment, then a quick and smooth healing can be expected. Groin strains are also noticeable during certain movements, so that this can lead to severe tension. The muscles tense up, so that long-lasting cramps in the groin region can occur under certain circumstances. Groin strains usually make themselves felt through stabbing pain and occur immediately after an unaccustomed activity. Severe swelling in the affected region is also possible, making medical treatment essential. Without any treatment, nerve inflammation or even permanent damage is possible, so a visit to the doctor should not be put on the back burner.
Course of the disease
The course of a groin strain can vary depending on its severity. In the first degree of a groin strain, you often don’t notice the pain until after you’ve played sports. The groin strain may be announced by cramps or pain may occur when the legs are rotated. The pain of mild adductor strain is load-dependent. In severe types of groin strain, visible hematoma and swelling may occur. If the legs are pressed laterally against resistance, severe pain occurs. In severe groin strain, spreading the legs is also extremely painful.
Complications
With a groin strain, patients primarily suffer from severe pain. This pain can be burning or stabbing, and in the process significantly limit the quality of life and daily routine of the affected person.It is not uncommon for the pain associated with a groin strain to occur at night, leading to sleep problems or irritability in the patient. Furthermore, parts of the body may also be affected by swelling, and it is not uncommon for bruising to occur. The mobility of the affected person is also restricted. Due to the groin strain, various activities in everyday life can also no longer be carried out without further ado. The condition sometimes leads to cramps and thus to severe pain. Due to the permanent pain, the patient may also develop depression and other mental illnesses. A groin strain can be treated well in most cases. Special complications do not occur. With the help of various therapies, the discomfort can usually be limited. Life expectancy is not reduced by a groin strain. Only in rare cases are those affected thereby dependent on a surgical intervention.
When should one go to the doctor?
If stabbing pain in the groin area becomes noticeable after physical activity, a groin strain may be present. A visit to the doctor is indicated if the discomfort increases or if other symptoms, such as swelling and hematoma, develop. If tension or cramps occur, medical advice is also required. Although a groin strain heals on its own in many cases, the symptoms should always be clarified and treated if necessary. If bruising, chronic pain and other complications develop, relatives and friends must take the affected person to a hospital. In the event of severe discomfort, a call to the emergency physician is also advisable. Athletes and the elderly are particularly susceptible to a groin strain and should inform a doctor at the first sign. The same applies to people with chronic muscle or bone diseases. Anyone who has been suffering from severe pain in the groin area for a long time is best advised to consult a sports physician. Other contacts are the orthopedist, an internist and the physiotherapist.
Treatment and therapy
With any suspected groin strain, one should stop training, even if it is mild. It is necessary to avoid aggravating the groin strain by further overstretching. Any further stretching of the ligaments at the hip joint intensifies the groin strain. You first treat the groin strain with ice compresses to prevent swelling and hematoma formation. Compression bandages can be used to relieve the groin strain. This relieves pressure on the adductors. Elevating the legs relieves the strain on the thigh muscles. The following treatment of the groin strain can be done with heat treatments, lymphatic drainage, compression bandages or physiotherapy. Magnesium administration can help the healing process of the groin strain. In order to heal the groin strain, one should avoid any sporting activity until the healing process occurs. Otherwise you risk a new groin strain. After that, you can start with moderate weight training. As long as pain occurs under load, the groin strain has not yet healed.
Outlook and prognosis
In principle, the prognosis for a groin strain is favorable. The phase of healing depends on the severity of the strain. Within about two to four weeks, patients with a mild strain are free of any discomfort if the doctor’s instructions for adequate rest and avoidance of sports activities are followed during the treatment phase. If the groin strain is more severe, then a healing period of three to six months must be expected. For a good prognosis, it is then necessary to build up the muscles in a regulated manner, continuously increasing the load. Only in this way can a relapse and subsequent damage be avoided. A power strain usually heals completely without complications and other disorders. The prognosis may be worse if the strain occurs in combination with other disorders (e.g. after a fall or accident). In this case, the healing phase may be prolonged, and movement may be impaired. In some circumstances, these cases may also result in lifelong mobility restrictions. This can also lead to a reduction in physical resilience. Groin strains that occur in competitive sports are often associated with time off for several months.In some cases, athletes can no longer participate in their sport at all, which can lead to psychological and emotional problems. This can worsen the overall prognosis.
Prevention
After a groin strain has been recovered from, it is important to adjust movement patterns so that the next groin strain does not occur right away. Worse still would be a chronic groin strain, which can result from too early and intensive training. As a preventive measure to avoid a groin strain, sufficient stretching exercises before athletic exertion have proven effective. Before any athletic exertion, and especially before athletic competitions where one pushes oneself to the limits of performance, the muscles must be thoroughly warmed up. Afterwards, they must be slowly cooled down (cool-down) and stretched again. Good footwear can help prevent a new groin strain if the foot is misaligned.
Aftercare
In practice, the groin strain is not a condition that requires follow-up care. This is particularly because a mild and moderate groin strain heals completely. This results in freedom from symptoms. Possible symptoms cannot arise from such an initial illness. Life-threatening consequences are also ruled out. Consequently, follow-up care cannot diagnose any possible neoplasms, such as those that occur in tumor diseases. The situation is different in the case of a severe form of the disease. In this case, scars sometimes remain that promote a recurrence of the groin strain. The reason for a recurrence, however, are strains that are familiar from top-level sports. To avoid complications, affected patients should avoid such or similar extreme situations. Aftercare for a groin strain mainly takes place through knowledge transfer. The medical staff teaches patients ways to avoid the risk regarding a new illness. Stretching exercises and thorough warm-up, in particular, reduce the risk of a groin strain. However, the actual implementation is the responsibility of the patient. In case of recurrence, physiotherapy, heat treatment and drains promise to alleviate the signs. The physician makes a diagnosis based on the described movement restrictions and the pain pattern. If follow-up examinations become necessary, imaging techniques are suitable for the purpose of documentation.
What you can do yourself
In the case of a groin strain, the groin must first be rested and cooled. It is best to elevate the legs immediately. Cooling compresses and ice will help relieve the pain and prevent hematomas. In the case of a mild strain, these measures are often enough to ensure rapid healing. A pronounced groin strain should definitely be treated by an orthopedist. The doctor will usually suggest further rest and cooling of the groin. Above all, sports that stress the adductors should be avoided. However, strength training can be performed to maintain physical fitness – under professional supervision, of course. Physiotherapy and yoga also help to prevent a drop in performance without great risk of injury. A change of sports shoes can additionally reduce the risk of a new strain. After recovery, the following applies: warm up well before sports and incorporate a slow cool-down phase after sports in which the muscles are gradually relieved. If the ligaments and muscles are particularly sensitive, it may also be a good idea to wear compression or warm-up pants.
