Pulled Groin Essentials

Overview | Symptoms | Severity | Treatment | Prevention

A groin pull, or groin strain, is a partial tear of the small fibers the make up your adductor muscles. The adductors are a group of three muscles that are located on the upper, inner thigh. They stretch from the groin down the thigh to the inside of your knee. Your adduct muscles are responsible for pulling your legs together. Because most healthy activities do not use these adductor muscles as much as the quadriceps and groins, they can be relatively inflexible and weak even if the individual is in great health. Like any muscle pull, groin injuries can range from mild to severe. A mild pulled groin injury is usually the result of a muscle strain, whereas a severe pull is usually a muscle tear.

Most commonly, muscle strains and tears of all types occur because of what is called an eccentric contraction. Imagine contracting (tensing) your muscle in one direction while simultaneously it is being forced in the opposite direction by some outside stimulus, force, or resistance (e.g., a weight, contact with another player, impact with the ground). When the outside force battles against the inside force, a groin pull or groin strain can occur.

Groin Injury and Groin Pull Treatment

A mild to severe pulled groin can be extremely common in all fitness sports that involve sudden movements or bursts of speed. These types of movements and speeds can strain the adductors. Activities that cause the adductors to elongate abruptly which causes the muscles to stretch beyond their normal range can also result in a groin injury.

For more information on detailed symptoms related to groin injury read: Pulled Groin Symptoms

If you think you have a pulled groin and are wanting to treat your pain, its important that you seek groin pull treatment. Common sports and exercise where a groin injury can result include: