A groin strain is an injury to the connective tissues that comprise part of the adductor muscles of the hip or thigh. This condition is common among athletes who participate in running-related sports, such as soccer players, hockey players, and football players.

Are you experiencing groin strain? 

In this article, we’ll be talking about the different causes of this injury, its different types of severity, and some of the home remedies that you can do to help with the healing process. 

We will also be talking about a kinesiology taping protocol that can help alleviate some of the discomfort that you feel if you have this injury. 

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What are the causes of groin strain? 

Some of the most common causes of groin strain include:

• A change, or even a lack, in training regimen like increasing speed/intensity too much, too soon
• Playing on different fields/surfaces than what you're used to
• Inadequate warm-ups before exercise
• Poor technique or improper equipment
• A sudden explosive movement or twisting can also cause groin tears

What are groin strain symptoms? 

The symptoms of groin strain may depend on the severity of the injury. It may include: 

• Pain felt in the inner thigh
• Weakness in the upper leg 
• Bruising
• Swelling
• Pain when running
• Difficulty walking

What are the degrees of severity for groin strain? 

Groin injuries are classified based on their severity: 

• Grade 1 groin strain injury happens when the muscle is torn or overstretched. You may feel pain when you’re running, jumping, stretching, or when kicking. But you may not feel any pain when you’re walking. 

• Grade 2 groin strain happens when there is significant damage to the muscle fibers. With this severity, walking and bringing your thighs together may feel painful. 

• Grade 3 groin strain happens when there’s a complete muscle tear. You may feel a sudden sharp pain when the injury happens and using the injured muscle will be painful. You may also experience swelling and bruising.

Groin strain treatment 

Here are some things that you may do at home to treat groin strain: 

• Rest. Rest the muscles for a couple of weeks. Take a break from any intense activities and activities that may put any strain on the injured muscles. 

• Ice. Put an ice pack on the affected area for ten to twenty minutes. Do this every one to two hours for several days. Try to do this until the swelling subsides.

• Compression. You can compress your thigh by using an elastic bandage.

• Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers. Taking ibuprofen and naproxen may help in reducing the pain and swelling. However, these drugs may bring about side effects, especially when they are taken long-term. 

These medicine for pain should only be used occasionally unless your healthcare provider specifies otherwise.  

• Kinesiology taping. Kinesiology tape delivers support and stability for the injured area.  

• Surgery. If you have a grade 3 groin strain, your doctor may recommend surgery as the muscle fibers are completely torn. 

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Groin Strain Kinesiology taping

Kinesiology taping is increasingly becoming popular not just for elite athletes, but also for gym-goers, working professionals, and even pregnant mothers. It’s proven itself time and time again how much support it can bring alongside its other numerous benefits. 

If you’re new to taping, you should read more about all the basics here. And, don’t forget to read up on the kinesiology taping tension guidelines - it’ll be really helpful when you’re applying the tape. 

Here are the steps on how to apply kinesiology tape to help alleviate the discomfort from groin strain: 

1. In a standing position with your heel pushed firmly into the ground, measure the first security strip running from the groin towards the knee. 
2. Measure the second security strip running from the inside of the groin towards the knee.  
3. Round your tape ends. 
4. Apply the first security strip with 0% tension. 
5. Apply the second security strip forming an X pattern on the inside of the leg with 0% tension.  
6. Rub in the tape to activate the adhesive. 

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How do you prevent groin strain?

There are several ways you can prevent groin strain including warming up properly before strenuous physical activity, rotating groin muscles regularly, and strengthening the groin area.

If you do sustain groin strain it is important to rest your groin muscles in order for them to heal properly. This means avoiding any strenuous activity involving the groin region. 

Conclusion

If you’ve been diagnosed with a groin strain, it can be helpful to know what this injury is and how best to treat it. 

We hope that the information we provide will help give you some relief so you can get back out there doing your favorite things without any further discomfort!

If you want to read up on different types of injury like AC joint sprain as well as lateral ankle sprain, you can learn more about them in the Tape Geeks blog. 

Get the best deals from Tape Geeks by visiting our Amazon store today! 

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