Definition
Inflammation of the groin is an inflammation of the tendons that connect the muscles in the thigh or abdomen with the bone. In general, a distinction must be made between inflammation of the tendons (tendinitis) and inflammation of the tendon sheath (tendovaginitis). Athletes are often affected by the symptoms of tendon inflammation in the groin area. In order to avoid protracted disease progression, a doctor should be consulted for therapy planning.
Causes
The causes of tendon inflammation in the groin are manifold. Often, overloading of the muscles and the associated tendon is responsible for the disease. An acute injury to a tendon can also cause the inflammation. Especially athletes like dancers, footballers, runners or track and field athletes are at risk. In most cases, the tendon of the hip flexor, the so-called iliopsoas (muscle iliopsoas), is affected by the inflammation.
Symptoms
The main symptom is pain in the groin area, which occurs particularly under stress. Other signs may include redness, warming or swelling of the region. A temporary loss of function or a functional impairment of individual muscles and tendons are also among the symptoms of tendonitis in the groin.
Due to a more or less severe loss of tendon function, the leg may feel very weak when walking, which in some cases leads to a limping of the affected side. The main symptom of tendon inflammation in the groin is pain, which occurs particularly when the affected tendon is strained. People who suffer from such an inflammation often describe the pain as stabbing.
If pressure is applied to the groin with the hand, pain is usually also felt (pain from pressure). Radiation of the pain into the hip area and into the thigh up to the knee is common. Sports and movements that require strain on the muscles of the groin region cause particularly severe pain.
The radiating of the pain into the hip or thigh is a phenomenon that can often be observed in the case of tendonitis in the groin. Thus, if pain occurs in the groin, hip or thigh, one should always consider an inflammation of the tendon in the groin. The reason for the radiating pain is an irritation of the nerves in the affected area.
If the tendons in the groin are inflamed, the nerves that run along the groin and extend to the thigh are irritated. The pain in the thigh is therefore not caused by an inflammation of the thigh region itself, but by an irritation of the nerves. If the inflammation of the tendon improves, in most cases the pain in the thigh also subsides.
However, an inflammation of the tendon in the thigh can also occur, which can have exactly the same causes as the inflammation of the tendon in the groin. Do you suffer from unclear thigh pain? Please also take our self-test “Pain in the thigh“.
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