Pulled Groin

Pulled groin refers to a condition in which the muscles that extend from the groin area all the way down to the knees, are damaged. These muscles pass through the inner thigh and as compared to other muscle groups, the groin muscle are less elastic. Pulled groin commonly occurs when the muscles are stretched beyond a certain limit. People participating in sports like rugby, hockey, football, etc., are subjected to leg movements that may cause overstretching of the groin muscles. In this condition, the affected muscle may be either partially or completely torn. In such cases, bringing the legs close to each other can be certainly difficult. Other symptoms are persistent inflammation and pain in the groin area, that may also affect the inner thighs. The groin area hurts when performing day-to-day activities and the discomfort may worsen while sneezing, coughing or playing outdoor sports. These symptoms do resemble to that of hernia, and hence, it is necessary to undergo a medical check up to diagnose whether it is a hernia or a groin injury.

Treatment

Rest
Those wanting to recover from this muscle injury at the earliest should stay away from activities that stretch the groin area. Taking rest is of prime importance when it comes to averting any complications. How much restrictions to put on day-to-day activities depends on the severity of the injury. Sometimes simply standing on the feet can be a cause of discomfort. On the other hand, a minor to moderate pulled muscle may not allow the person to walk for long periods of time. In any case, activities that remind the person of groin pain should not be done temporarily. No pulled groin remedy mentioned below will work unless it is complemented with adequate rest.

Pain Medications
Besides taking rest, one may consider intake of pain killers or anti-inflammatory medicines to alleviate the discomfort. Rest alone is usually not helpful to relieve pain and so the doctors may prescribe medicines like ibuprofen for groin pull treatment.

Ice Therapy
Application of ice on the affected area can work wonders to subside the pain. However, this treatment is most effective when used in the first 48 hours. Applying ice packs such as frozen peas or ice cubes wrapped in a cloth not only decreases pain but also reduces the inflammation. Exposure to cold environment restricts blood circulation to the injured muscle, which is essential to speed up recovery.

Exercise
Exercising is essential to reduce the stiffness of the ligaments and the tendons associated with this muscle injury. Although, limiting movement is the mainstay of the treatment, too much rest and no movement will slow down the healing process. The doctor may suggest few stretching exercises, once the patient's leg movement improve noticeably.

Say No to Heat Therapy

Applying heating pads is many times recommended for the treatment of pulled groin. However, studies show that heat therapy may further impair the damaged muscle. This is because, application of heat causes expansion of blood vessels in the injured area. As a result, the blood circulation improves dramatically. However, the damaged muscle is not in a position to handle the increased flow of blood. This can further damage the muscle, worsen the pain and prolong the recovery time. A massage also facilitates flow of blood and so has to be avoided. However, once the person starts feeling, he may adopt these treatment options after consulting a doctor. Heat therapy or massage under any circumstances should not be implemented in the first 2-3 days after injury.

Recovery Time

Well, it all depends on how severe the injury is. A groin injury may take weeks or even months before he is finally able to start his day-to-day routine. Pulled groin recovery time also depends on how seriously one adopts the treatment method. Ignoring rest may aggravate the pain and increase the healing time. On the other hand, a minor muscle injury may heal within a week or two, provided the person does not perform any strenuous activity.

A severe damage that causes substantial or complete tear of the muscles is treated with surgery. This remains the only option to recover from severely-torn muscles. However, in most cases, a pulled groin resulting from sports injuries responds quite well to the conservative treatment methods.