Hip & Thigh
Groin (Adductor) Strain
Also called: Pulled groin
Injury to the inner-thigh muscles from cutting, skating, kicking, or a slip into a split — the hockey and soccer signature. Shares real estate with hip joint problems and athletic pubalgia, so persistent 'groin pulls' that don't heal deserve a differential, not just more rest.
Common signs
- Sharp inner-thigh/groin pain with a cutting or kicking moment
- Pain squeezing the knees together
- Tenderness along the inner thigh toward the pubic bone
- Pain with sprinting or change of direction
Seek help now if
- Severe pain with a pop and major weakness
- Groin pain with abdominal involvement, coughing/sneezing pain (consider athletic pubalgia/hernia)
- Deep joint-type groin pain with rotation (consider the hip joint itself)
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- Brief relative rest, then early gentle loading — adductor squeezes at pain-free intensity start within days
- Ice initially; keep walking normally as soon as gait allows
- Grade it: squeeze strength versus the other side is the practical measure
If it's become chronic
- Progress: isometric squeezes → adduction against resistance → lateral movement → cutting progression
- Chronic groin pain that shrugs off rehab: examine the hip joint, pubic symphysis, and abdominal wall — the great mimics
- Copenhagen adduction exercises are the evidence-backed long-term protector for field/ice athletes
Natural healing options we use
- Manual therapy for the adductor group and related chains
- Chiropractic care for pelvic mechanics
- Graded loading through sport-specific patterns
- Attended e-stim; nutrition support for repair
About imaging
Clinical for most; MRI when high-grade tear or the mimics are in question.
Daily self-care
- Daily pain-free adductor squeezes during recovery
- Retrain lateral movement before returning to cutting sports
- Keep Copenhagens in the program permanently (athletes)
More in Hip & Thigh
Hip OsteoarthritisFemoroacetabular ImpingementHip Labral TearGreater Trochanteric Pain SyndromeHip Flexor StrainHamstring StrainMeralgia ParestheticaHip Pointer
Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.