Groin Pain - What do your Symptoms Mean?

Groin is the area which links the abdomen and the legs and pain in this area due to injury or strain causes groin pain. Pain in the groin may indicate some problem with the hip joint. Usually, if there is an injury to the hip joint, there may be pain in the groin region. This happens because the nerves in our body are arranged in such a way that if there is an injury to the hip joint, the pain is felt in the groin. It's somewhat similar to people who have heart or gallbladder problems wherein pain is felt in shoulder and arm respectively.

Groin Pain in Men

The reasons for groin pain in men and women are similar. A muscle pull in the groin region is the main cause, and it can be quite painful. Many a time, you may not be able to carry out your daily activities, like walking, due to severe pain. Usually, groin pain is divided into three grades: grade I, grade II and grade III. In grade I groin pain, there's mild discomfort and it does not limit your daily activities. In grade II pain, discomfort may be moderate and can limit your ability to run and jump, and may be accompanied by bruising and swelling. It's in the grade III pain that, you may not be able to walk.

Another important symptom may occur due to a rupture in the adductor muscles of the groin, as these muscles become weak due to the rupture. There may be severe pain which starts from the groin and passes on to the legs and is often accompanied by inflammation. If this is the case, you can face difficulty in pulling your knees together.

Groin pain is quite common in sports persons, especially athletes and people who play sports like soccer and ice hockey. The pain may be due to weakening or too much stress on the hip muscles. As such, proper conditioning is necessary so as to prevent injury. Groin pain may also be accompanied by rashes and itching sensation. This may be due to infection caused by yeast or ringworm. Usually, rashes can be treated at home, and there is nothing to worry.

Groin Pain due to Hernia

Hernia is one of the major causes of groin pain, especially in men. Women are also affected, the number of cases are very few, but in case of men, the instances are high. Initially, when a person gets hernia, there may be no symptom, but may feel some kind of pressure or heaviness in the groin region. However, as the condition grows, symptoms start appearing. If you remain in a standing position for a long time or perform some activities which put pressure on the abdomen such as continuous coughing or heavy lifting, you may feel groin pain. Moreover, you may also find it difficult to urinate.

As time progresses, the condition deteriorates and a bulge in the abdomen near the groin may be formed. The bulge would become tender and uncomfortable to touch. As its size increases, a part of the intestine may be trapped and over time, may not be able to go back to its original position in the abdomen. In such a case, there are chances that the intestine may be trapped and they may twist and die. This results in severe pain, and in such a case, immediate medical care needs to be provided.

Thus, there are several groin pain symptoms which you should look out for, the main ones being severe pain in the groin region due to hip injury, a feeling of pressure or heaviness and bulge in the region. Consult a doctor immediately, whenever you find something wrong with the groin, or else it may escalate into a dangerous problem.