Groin Pain
Groin pain can be frustrating, as without a proper assessment and treatment it can be difficult to pin down. It can result from either an acute injury or overuse injury to muscles in the area or it can be referred from the hips, the lower back or a hernia. Seeing a physiotherapist to work out the mechanism of injury and the pain pattern is the first step to getting on top of your injury.
Causes of groin pain
There are many possible causes of groin pain including referral from other structures. The following are groin specific sources:
Strains of groin muscles or tendons: An acute groin strain generally occurs during an incident when you are aware that ‘something happened’, if you are not aware of a specific mechanism then it is less likely this is a muscle strain. With a groin strain your pain may be worse when you squeeze your legs together or stretch your groin in a sideways lunge position. There may be swelling or bruising in the groin area or inner thigh. If you have a bad strain, you may walk with a limp while it heals.
Osteitis pubis: This is a debilitating overuse issue causing inflammation of the pubic symphysis (the joint at the front of your pelvis) and surrounding muscle insertions. It usually occurs in athletes often involved in kicking, twisting and cutting activities in sports such as soccer and rugby. It will present with pelvic pain and tenderness over the public symphysis. This is usually managed with a non-surgical physiotherapy led, individualised rehabilitation program.
Tendinopathy (adductor or other): Tendinopathy is para-inflammation of a tendon which is the part of the muscle that attaches it into bone. It tends to present as a problem after an increase in load or with overuse. A graded physiotherapy strengthening program with concurrent load management is the key to successful rehabilitation.
Bursitis: Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion our joints. Bursitis can be thought of as a blister that fills up with fluid due to friction or rubbing from the surrounding structures. Medication can often be helpful to mask your pain in order to enable you to complete effective physiotherapy rehabilitation. Physiotherapy works to manage your load with activity modification while addressing muscle strength and endurance deficits.
Symptoms of groin injuries
Groin injuries can cause a range of symptoms such as:
Pain in the groin area whilst completing functional movements such as walking, running, or jumping
Swelling and redness around the groin area, indicating an injury with an inflammatory response
Difficulty in moving the leg or hip joint
Numbness or tingling sensation in the groin area or down the leg
How can physiotherapy help with groin pain?
At Best Physiotherapy, we utilize a range of treatment modalities to assist in managing your groin pain. We are experts at identifying the cause of your pain in order to commence the right treatment course. It is important to identify the underlying cause of the pain and the aggravating factors to make your rehabilitation specific to you. There are many benefits to seeing us for your groin pain:
Accurate diagnosis and education on the condition.
Pain and symptom management: We can use a variety of manual therapy techniques (mobilisations, massage, needling) and biomechanical modification (changing the way you move your body) to reduce groin pain. This in turn reduces the need for or reliance on medication. It should be noted however that sometimes prescription medications are required and if a medical review is indicated we will always refer to when necessary.
Graded exercise rehabilitation: Movement is medicine so figuring out how to move safely and what exercises you should be doing in what order is the key. We will tailor exercises specifically to you and your symptoms depending on the driver of your groin pain. We will work on a range of exercises for mobility, strength and endurance to improve function and reduce pain.
Functional rehabilitation: Ultimately the goal of any rehabilitation program is to get back to doing the things you love as well as the basics that you need for day to day life. We will work with you to create a personalised program that will help you to regain your functional abilities
Prevention of further injury: A successful physiotherapy rehabilitation program ensures that you are not at risk of repeated or additional injury. Checking that you have dealt with the underlying cause of an injury and then incorporating functional training to reduce reinjury risk is the final stage of rehabilitation.
Groin pain can have a significant effect on your goals and daily activities, but with the right physiotherapy treatment, you can regain your function and freedom. At Best Home Therapy, located at 72 Maribyrnong Street, Footscray, we aim to manage your pain, prevent future injuries and get you back to doing what you love.