Groin Pain: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatments

What is Groin?

The groin area is a part of your hip that connects your stomach to your thigh. It’s the point where your abdomen and legs connect. Five muscles in the groin region work together to move your leg. Adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus are the names for these muscles.

Groin pain is a term used to describe pain in the lower abdomen, where the leg meets the pelvis. The most prevalent cause of pain in the groin region in adults is muscle strain. Other factors, though, could be to fault. The pain is usually caused by an injury sustained during physical exercises, such as sports. One of the most prevalent injuries among sportsmen is a pulled or strained muscle in the groin area.

Pain in the groin area can manifest itself in a variety of ways. It can be mild to very serious. This could happen slowly or quickly. It could feel like a dull ache, a sharp pain, throbbing, or even burning. Depending on the symptoms and underlying cause, pain in the groin area can be diagnosed and treated in a variety of ways. Doctors may find it difficult to diagnose groin strain because there are so many illnesses that can cause or contribute to it. The origins, diagnosis, and management of groin strain in adults are discussed in this article.

Groin strain symptoms

Pain and tenderness in the groin region are the most common signs of a groin strain. 

The inner thighs may swell or bruise, and a person may experience pain when raising or lowering his or her legs.

There may be an increase in the temperature of the groin or inner thigh muscles

weak, tense, or unable to move your leg

A faint aching to a strong stabbing pain can be experienced. It is common for the discomfort to be worse when moving the leg or walking. Spasms in the inner thigh muscles might also occur.

Causes of Groin pain

1. Muscle Strain

A pulled groin muscle is another name for a groin strain. In most cases, this is a sports-related injury. Also, when the hip joint moves in an unusual way, the inner thigh muscles may become strained or torn.

2. Inguinal Hernia

An inguinal hernia can also cause groin strain. You get this condition when a portion of your abdominal wall is either weak or damaged and allows fat or intestines to protrude through it. Those who suffer from an inguinal hernia frequently describe a tugging sensation in the groyne. Other symptoms may include an excruciating discomfort in the lower abdomen when coughing or carrying heavy objects.

3. Kidney Stone

Small clumps of minerals called kidney stones to grow inside your kidneys. As it moves through the urinary tract, it may cause pulsating pain. The degree of discomfort is highly variable. In most cases, it happens between your ribs and your hips. Groin-related discomfort is common in both instances.

4. Hip Labrum Tear

The hip joint’s labrum is made of cartilage. There is a strong, elastic tissue that covers the ball in the hip joint’s socket. Pain in the groin or buttocks can be caused by a hip labrum tear. In most cases, the pain is sharp and can only be felt when performing certain hip actions.

5. Pain in the groin area male may be caused by testicular problems. These are only a few examples:

• Epididymitis: Inflammation of the epididymis, a duct near the back of the testes, is known as epididymitis. Groin and testicular pain might occur at the same time. 
• Swelling of the testicle: There is a possibility of fever and chills in some cases. Sexually transmitted diseases are frequently to blame for this ailment. When the structure that conducts nerves to the testicles twists, this is an extremely serious problem. The groin and testicles are severely painful as a result of this pain in the groin area male.

6. Ovarian cysts

Premenopausal women are more likely to have ovarian cysts, according to the Office on Women’s Health. These growths are normally harmless, but they can become malignant as we get older.

In certain cases, ovarian torsion may also occur in the groin area in females. A rapid onset of acute, colicky, and unilateral discomfort emanating from the grain may occur in women. There is a chance that some people may also experience nausea and vomiting. A woman may notice if a cyst is malignant:

• loss of weight
• chronic bloating in the abdomen
• quickly satiated or discomfort in the lower abdomen or pelvic region
• Urinary urgency and frequency have risen.

7. Groin pain associated with pregnancy

During pregnancy, some women may suffer from pain in the groin area. Pregnant women’s vulnerability to round ligament varicocele which is the groin area in females has been studied. In most cases, this ailment affects the right side of the body, however, it can occur on both sides. Inguinal hernias are often mistaken for round ligament varicocele.

8. Nerve Problem

Groin discomfort may be caused by a pinched nerve in the lower spine. The groin region might also be affected by numbness and tingling. Lumbar radiculopathy is the medical term for this illness. Groin and middle-thigh pain may be caused by direct nerve entrapment (nerve entrapment). The tingling and numbness associated with this ailment may also be present in those who suffer from it.

9. Joint Infection

Infection of the hip joint is quite rare. Over the age of 80, this is more common. People with the following medical problems or circumstances may also experience this:

• Diabetes mellitus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Joint replacement surgery just 
• Replacement of the hips or knees

Pain in the groin area is a common symptom, and it gets worse as you move your legs. Additionally, patients may have a fever, swollen hips, warmth and redness.

10. Tumour

Pain in the groin area can very infrequently be caused by malignancy in a muscle or bone. As an example, an inner thigh muscle tumour is more likely to spread. Pain in the groin caused by a tumour does not usually get worse with exercise.

Diagnosis of Groin pain

Because pain in the groin area can have a variety of reasons, your doctor may be able to diagnose your condition in a variety of ways.

1. Physical examination

The doctor will do the following procedures during your physical examination:

• An examination of the abdomen
• A testicular exam is required if you were born male.
• An examination of the nervous system
• An examination of your hip musculoskeletal system.

2. X-ray

Pain in the groin area is frequently diagnosed using an X-ray. This imaging exam takes pictures of your body’s internal structures. In this scenario, an X-ray can reveal the hip joint’s bone biology and structure.

3. MRI

The soft tissue around the hip joint is frequently examined with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test. An MRI creates images of your inside body structures using a magnetic field and radio waves. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and the labrum can all be seen on an MRI.

Treatment of Groin pain

1. Home care

You can recover from some types of groin pain at home with basic self-care. If you have a groin strain, for example, your doctor may suggest the following to assist reduce discomfort and swelling:

• Rest
• Putting ice on the affected area
• Wrapping an elastic compression wrap around the upper thigh

Treatment for hip osteoarthritis may include reducing activities that aggravate the discomfort.

2. Medications

For some cases, over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil (ibuprofen) can be beneficial. If the pain is severe, stronger pain drugs, such as opioids, may be required. These can be used to treat a variety of

ailments, including 

• Kidney stone
• Hip fracture
• Infected hip joint

Some illnesses may benefit from steroid injections such as Cortone Acetate (cortisone). The hip injection may be given to those with hip osteoarthritis. Antibiotics may be required if the pain is caused by an infection.

3. Surgery

Some serious illnesses may necessitate surgery. Some conditions, such as testicular torsion or hip joint infection, necessitate immediate surgery.

During surgery for a hip joint infection, the damaged tissue is removed and the affected area is flushed with a saline solution. After the surgery, antibiotics are given to prevent infection.

Other types of groin pain require less urgent but required operations, such as:

• Hip replacement for advanced hip arthritis
• Arthroscopic hip surgery for some labral tears
• Core decompression surgery for hip osteonecrosis

Hence, after consulting with your doctor, your doctor may prescribe you medicine according to your health condition. So, you can buy medicine at your nearest medical store or if you are looking for online medicine and also for free online doctor consultation. You can refer to our Truemeds physician which provides free online consultations. We also provide you with  PAN India home medicine delivery, with a discount offer, and monthly savings on your medical bill. 

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