A sudden, sharp pain in the inner thigh during sport or exercise is a common sign of a groin strain, an injury to the adductor muscles. It is one of the most frequent injuries seen in active people, and while it can put a real dent in your training, most cases recover well with the right approach.
What Is a Groin Strain?
The adductor muscles, which run along the inner thigh, are most commonly injured while playing sport or being physically active. Typically, people feel a sudden pain after a specific movement, such as changing direction quickly or overstretching the leg. Occasionally, the adductor tendon itself can also be injured or irritated, which is a more significant injury and will usually need physiotherapy treatment to resolve properly.
What to Do Immediately
As with most acute injuries, the first step is to stop the activity, then rest, ice and apply compression if needed. This helps limit swelling in the early stages before more targeted treatment begins.
How We Treat Adductor Injuries
Your physiotherapist will assess the extent of the injury and build a treatment plan around it. Treatment typically progresses through clear stages:
Early Stage
Initial treatment focuses on optimising tissue health and repair, minimising swelling, and gradually restoring flexibility and movement without overloading the healing tissue.
Progressive Loading
After the initial phase, your physiotherapist will continue to work on the injured muscle while also addressing any other areas of the body that may have compensated as a result of the injury, such as the hip or lower back.
Rehabilitation
A thorough rehab programme, including targeted strengthening and sport-specific exercises, is essential to optimise recovery and support a safe return to sport or activity.
How Long Does Recovery Take?
As with most muscle injuries, small-grade tears can take around 2 to 4 weeks to recover from and return to sport, while bigger or repeated tears can take considerably longer. Every case is different, so a physiotherapist can give you a more accurate timeline once the injury has been properly assessed.
When to See a Physiotherapist
If you think you have an adductor or groin strain, it is worth asking for help early, especially if your symptoms are not improving with rest. Getting an accurate assessment early helps avoid re-injury and supports a faster, more complete recovery.
FAQ
Can I keep training with a mild groin strain?
It depends on severity. Mild strains may allow modified activity fairly early on, but this should be guided by a physiotherapist to avoid turning a minor strain into a more serious one.
Why do groin strains keep coming back?
Recurrence is often linked to returning to sport too soon, or not addressing compensations that built up elsewhere in the body during the injury. A full rehab programme helps prevent this.
Is a groin strain the same as an adductor tendon injury?
Not always. A muscle strain and a tendon injury can present similarly, but a tendon injury is usually more significant and needs a more structured physiotherapy plan to resolve.
Ready to get started? Book your Initial Physiotherapy Assessment today.
