Groin pain in athletes: five things it could be
Groin pain is among the more difficult presentations in sports medicine, because several distinct structures refer pain to the same small area and the treatment for each is different. Kicking sports — soccer, AFL, rugby — produce most of what we see.
Adductor-related
The most common. Pain at the top of the inner thigh, worse squeezing the legs together and worse kicking across the body. Responds well to progressive adductor loading and poorly to rest alone.
Iliopsoas-related
Pain deeper and higher in the groin, worse with resisted hip flexion and with sprinting. Often accompanied by a feeling of tightness at the front of the hip.
Pubic-related
Pain centred on the pubic bone itself, tender to press, often with a gradual onset across a season. This is the presentation historically called osteitis pubis, and it needs load management over a longer timeframe.
Hip joint
Pain in the groin from the hip joint itself — impingement or labral irritation — typically presents as a pinch in deep flexion and rotation, sometimes with clicking. See hip and pelvic pain.
Not musculoskeletal at all
Inguinal hernia, and in some cases abdominal or urological causes, can present as groin pain. A lump, pain with coughing, or groin pain that does not behave mechanically needs a GP rather than us. We refer without hesitation when the picture does not fit.
Why the distinction matters
Adductor pain wants loading; pubic-related pain wants a period of reduced loading; hip joint pain wants range and control work. Treating all groin pain the same way is why so many cases persist across seasons.
What a first appointment looks like
We start with what actually happened and what the demands of your sport are, then assess the injured area alongside the joints and muscles above and below it — because the painful structure is often not the limiting one. You get a diagnosis, a realistic timeframe, and a plan that accounts for your training and match schedule rather than assuming you can stop. If we think you need imaging or another practitioner, we will say so at that first visit rather than after six sessions.
Booking in
We are at 5/6-8 Langmore Lane, Berwick, with street parking directly outside and same-week appointments most weeks. Initial consultations are 60 minutes and $149, with private health rebates processed on the spot via HICAPS. No referral is required, and we also work with WorkCover, DVA and Medicare care plans where they apply.
Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.
