5 Best Groin Strain Exercises for Pain Relief and Strength
It usually shows up as a sharp, stabbing pain in the groin area that stops you on your tracks, especially during sports. Sometimes it sets in as an innocent pain during a workout until you realize it's not going anywhere anytime soon. If you've ever experienced groin pain, you're part of millions dealing with its realities across the globe. Ice Hockey and Soccer players are the usual victims, with groin injuries making up about 10-11% of all injuries in this population.
Like most strains, groin strains respond very well to conservative treatment. Exercise is a huge part of treatment, playing an instrumental role in all phases of recovery. A well-designed home exercise program with the guidance of a physiotherapist can be a game-changer when it comes to managing symptoms, optimizing recovery, and preventing recurrences.
This article will explore some of the best exercises to help you optimize your recovery process. We'll start with a quick look at key things you need to know about Groin strains, then proceed to at-home moves you can use at your convenience to get better.
What's exactly a Groin Strain?
The term “Goin Strain” refers to an injury in muscles or tendons located in your groin area. Your groin is home to two main groups of muscles around the hip joint:
Adductors: A group of 6 muscles connecting the front portion of your Pelvic bone to inner portions of your thigh bone. Their primary function is to move your thigh bone inwards. They also refine movement and stabilise your thighs when performing a variety of movements.
Illiopsoas: A two-headed muscle that connects your Pelvis and spine to the upper parts of your thigh bone. It helps with raising your thighbone forwards(flexion), controlling its movement in various directions, and stabilizing the spine.
What Causes Groin Strains?
Like all strains, these occur when one or more of groin muscles or their tendons get stretched or loaded beyond limits. Expectedly, they're common in sports involving high intensity movements of the lower body i.e turning, twisting, sprinting and kicking.
There are three main mechanisms involved:
Sudden high- intensity contraction: This is the commonest cause of Adductor Strains. Intense muscle contractions come with high mechanical stress within the muscle tissue. When this is beyond what the muscle can handle, its fibers may rupture/tear, which triggers a series of inflammatory processes, causing typical signs and symptoms of a strain i.e pain, tenderness, swelling.
Repetitive Strain: It doesn't always take high-impact trauma to cause a muscle or tendon injury. Sometimes, small but repetitive stresses can take their toll on the muscles' structural integrity over time. Being involved in occupations or activities which require frequent contraction of groin muscles is a major risk factor. This is why these sorts of injuries are commonly seen in professional soccer players, sprinters, and hockey players.
Direct physical trauma: Though relatively less common, a direct blow to Adductor muscles can tear muscle fibers. In the long run, it may become a chronic issue if not managed properly.
Signs and Symptoms: What it Looks and Feels Like
Severe inner thigh pain which is typically aggravated by Adduction(inward movement of the thigh).
Tenderness along the adductor muscle area.
Like most muscle Strains, Adductor injuries can be graded into three:
Grade 1: Minimal tears or fibre disruption(less than 5% of the muscle). There's typically moderate pain with no compromise of strength and function.
Grade 2: Affects at least 5% of the muscle, causing severe pain and some muscle weakness. However, the tears don't extend across the whole muscle tissue. Other signs include persistent swelling over a few days post injury and hemorrhaging(bleeding within the muscle).
Grade 3: A complete tear, marked by severe pain and loss of function, haemorrhaging and swelling.
Treatment Overview
Conservative/non-invasive treatment methods have always been the first line of care for Adductor Strains. Surgical interventions are only considered when there are complete tears, or when conservative treatments prove ineffective.
Physiotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment in all phases of recovery, complemented by medication whenever it's needed. Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs may be prescribed by your Doctor to help with reducing inflammation(pain, swelling etc).
Acute injury management focuses on reducing symptoms, promoting early healing, and preventing complications. Key interventions include medication and a range of physiotherapy techniques i.e Manual therapy, electrotherapy, and gentle exercises(stretching and strengthening exercise).
Once the inflammation is under control(minimal pain, resolved swelling), more advanced exercises are incorporated into the routine to promote further healing and optimize function.
Best Exercises for Groin Strains
Quadruped Adductor Stretch
Get into a Quadruped/all-fours position.
Prop on your elbows.
Spread your knees as far as you can. You should feel a gentle stretch in your Adductors at this point.
Shift your bottom backwards and downwards to increase the stretch.
Hold for 15-20 seconds, repeat 2-3 times.
Kneeling Adductor Stretch
Kneel down on the affected knee. Use a soft pad to cushion the knee for comfort.
Place the unaffected leg straight out to the side. Toes should be pointing sideways.
Gently, shift your pelvis and lean towards the unaffected side. This should create a “stretch” sensation on the inner thighs of the affected knee.
Hold for 15-20 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.
Sumo Squat
Stand tall, feet at shoulder width, hands interlocked at chest level.
Get your feet at a comfortable distance a little wider than Shoulder width.
Rotate your feet outwards by about 45 degrees.
Lower your body down into a squat position, as if you're sitting down.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat to complete another rep, aim for 10-15 reps/set, 3-4 sets.
Progression: Simply hold a Dumbbell, kettlebell, or weight plate on your chest with elbows tucked in on the sides of your torso.
Ball Squeeze
Lie down on your back, arms on the side, feet flat on the floor.
Place an exercise ball between your knees. You can also use a foam roller or improvise with a folded pillow.
Squeeze the ball as much as you can.
Hold for 1-3 seconds, then relax.
Repeat 10-15 times. Aim for 3-4 sets.
Adductor Side Plank
You'll need a raised platform to get this one done i.e a bench, chair.
Get into a side plank position. The injured leg should be on top, resting on the bench or chair.
Lift the bottom leg, and try to sustain the position for at least 10 seconds.
Relax. Repeat for another rep. Aim for 2-3 reps.
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