How do you treat a groin injury?

A groin injury is a muscular tear or rupture to one of your groin muscles. These muscles are at the top of your thigh and most common injuries are associated with the hip adductor muscles; the adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, gracilis, and pectineus.

• What’s the difference between your abductors and adductors?

This frequently occurs with high-speed activities, such as kicking, change of direction or sprinting. In regards to triathlon, we’re most susceptible to this injury when we start to programme in high-intensity run efforts, such as short, fast reps on the track or up a hill.

• Strain versus sprain: what’s the difference?
• Is ice or heat best for treating injuries?
• What’s the difference between muscles, tendons and ligaments?
• Hip pain: diagnosis and causes
• Why is good hip strength important for running?

Typically, mild groin injuries can take a couple of weeks to heal. However, depending on the severity, this can increase to six weeks and more. Initially, decreasing volume and load, as well as ice and rest, will help reduce the pain and accelerate healing. Once symptoms begin to ease, start to gently return to training.

Some groin injuries aren’t always so straight forward, though, and can be associated with secondary hip-related issues, which could signal a biomechanical weakness. So initially seeing a physio for a thorough assessment will help identify, address and eliminate other potential risk factors that may appear over time.

Nick Beer is a sports injury rehab specialist, a development coach and a former elite triathlete. He has a BSc Hons in biomedical sciences.

Nick Beer Rehabilitation strength and conditioning coach

About

Former British elite triathlete Nick has a BSc Hons in biomedical sciences from the University of Sheffield, an MRes in human sciences from the University of Loughborough and is currently at UCL studying for an MSc in sports medicine. Nick's extensive scientific knowledge on the functioning of the human body, coupled with his background as an elite athlete and experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team, have given him the perfect platform to develop a very successful career as a reconditioning performance coach. Nick's broad understanding of surgical procedures and different types of imaging techniques in diagnosing and treating injuries, ensures that a correct, thorough and safe rehabilitation programmes are administered. Overall, it’s his unique ability to creatively orchestrate individually tailored rehabilitation programmes that successfully transition patients into strength and conditioning coaching plans. This invariably leads to patients returning back to their sporting activities fully recovered and in better condition than prior to their injury.