Groin strain

Groin injury

A groin injury is the common term for a muscle strain of the adductor muscles. The injury is associated with pain or tenderness along the inner side of the thigh or in the groin area.

There are five adductor muscles and their purpose is to help maintain balance. These muscles are commonly injured in sports that involve sudden changes in direction and there are two that most commonly get injured:

• The adductor magnus (the muscle running down the inner side of the thigh)

• The sartorius (a thinner muscle that starts on the outside of the hip, crosses the thigh, and ends near the inside of the knee)

It is important that any pain in the groin area is thoroughly investigated to establish the cause, because not all pain in this region is a result of muscle strain. Possible other causes include lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint, hip joint and nerve conditions

SportsMed TENS therapy for Groin strain

After a diagnosis of groin strain your injury management plan should include treatment as often as possible.

SportsMed is the TENS, ECS and EMS machine we suggest to aid repair of groin strain.

SportsMed electrotherapy can be used everyday - between visits to the clinic - for drug-free, on-demand pain relief. It is also designed and programmed to aid circulation, reduce inflammation, hasten healing and help with calf muscle strengthening.

User guide

Please read the User Guide which comes with your TENS unit

Pad placement - groin strain

Pain relief - place pads where they are comfortable and most effective for pain relief

Injury healing - there are two groups of hip adductor muscles: the short adductors go from the pelvis to the thigh bone and the long adductors go from the pelvis to the knee.

One electrode is placed deep in the groin, where the abdomen creases into the leg, and on the inside of the leg. The second electrode is placed either at the top of the thigh muscle, or half way down the upper leg, well above the knee, but still on the inside of the leg.

Muscle rehabilitation - the generic advice is to place one pad at the top of the muscle and the second pad one-third along the length of the muscle you wish to strengthen. You may need to consult your physiotherapist for specific guidance on which muscles to target.

If you have any questions please phone our office for further advice.