When does your groin pain occur?
Since the possible causes for the development of groin pain are so varied, it is particularly important to classify the occurrence of the symptoms in a chronological order. For example, if the pain occurs mainly in the morning and diminishes significantly over the course of the day (so-called start-up pain), it is possible that hip joint arthrosis is present. In addition, a distinction should be made as to whether the pain in the groin persists at rest or only occurs under stress, for example during or after sport.
Pain in the groin that only occurs after exercise and disappears completely at rest may indicate overloading of the ligaments. Hip joint diseases can also cause pain in the groin in the early stages, which is only noticed after sport. Similar to coughing, lifting heavy things creates a high pressure in the abdominal cavity.
If the inguinal canal is wide enough, parts of the intestine can be pressed into it and a hernia can develop. Especially if the pain occurs more frequently, a doctor should be consulted to see if these strains can be avoided or if surgery is necessary, for example to maintain the ability to work. In addition, stress also causes pain in the groin in athletes, especially footballers.
In this case, one speaks of an athlete’s groin, which is caused by incorrect loading of the adductors. The adductors are located on the inside of the thigh and are typically stressed when shooting a ball. In contrast to the inguinal hernia, the sportsman’s groin does not cause any swelling to be felt and also occurs under stress without increased pressure in the abdominal cavity, e.g. when playing soccer.
Pain in the groin, which occurs mainly when coughing, can be an indication of an inguinal hernia. In an inguinal hernia, internal organs (usually parts of the intestine) push their way through the so-called inguinal canal, which runs through the abdominal wall.An inguinal hernia occurs mainly when the inguinal canal is quite wide and also when there is a higher pressure in the abdominal cavity. This happens especially when coughing, because the chest and abdominal muscles contract involuntarily.
As a result, parts of the intestine are pushed into the inguinal canal for a short time, leading to pain. After coughing, the intestine usually retracts back into its original place. Mostly, however, a feeling of pressure in the groin is more likely to occur.
If pain suddenly appears and persists after a severe cough, there is a risk that the hernia is trapped. This means that it no longer pushes back into the abdomen. In this case, a painful swelling can usually be felt. In case of an incarceration, the blood circulation in the intestinal section is no longer guaranteed and a doctor must be consulted immediately to prevent the intestine from dying.
