Pulled groin: how long it takes to heal and how to recover
A sudden sharp pain on the inner thigh while kicking, sprinting or changing direction is the classic groin strain. It's common in soccer, football, hockey and martial arts. Most heal well, provided you don't rush back.
What is a pulled groin?
It's a strain of the adductor muscles on the inner thigh, most often the adductor longus near where it attaches to the pubic bone. It happens when the muscle is stretched forcefully while contracting, for example reaching for a ball, a sudden change of direction, or a kick.
What does it feel like?
A sudden sharp pain or pull high on the inner thigh or in the groin, tenderness to press, pain when squeezing your knees together or moving the leg out to the side, and sometimes bruising over the following days. Walking and getting in and out of the car can be sore.
How long does a pulled groin take to heal?
In a study of 81 athletes with acute adductor injuries following a structured, criteria-based rehabilitation program, those with mild to moderate injuries on MRI were pain-free in clinical tests after a median of 13 days and back in full team training after about 18 days. Those with the most severe grade, a complete tear or the tendon pulled from the bone, took a median of 78 days to return to full training (Serner et al., Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2020). These were athletes with close supervision; recreational players should allow longer.
What should I do in the first few days?
Stop the activity. Use ice and gentle compression for comfort. Walk normally as pain allows. Avoid stretching the groin and avoid massage of the injured area for the first few days. Begin gentle, pain-free muscle contractions early, such as squeezing a soft ball or pillow between your knees.
Should I stretch a pulled groin?
Not early. Stretching a freshly strained muscle can aggravate it. Gentle movement within a comfortable range is fine. Flexibility returns as the muscle heals and strengthens.
What exercises help it heal?
Progress in stages: squeezing a ball between the knees with knees bent, then with legs straight; side-lying leg lifts for the inner thigh; standing band exercises pulling the leg across; then the Copenhagen adduction exercise, a side plank with the top leg supported, which loads the adductors heavily. Add hip and trunk strengthening alongside.
When can I run?
When walking is pain-free and you can squeeze your knees together firmly without pain. Start with straight-line jogging, then build speed, then add change of direction, and kicking last.
When can I return to sport?
When you have no pain on pressing the area, squeezing against resistance or stretching, your strength matches the other side, and you've completed sprinting, cutting and kicking at full intensity in training. Returning on time alone, without meeting these, is how groin strains recur.
Why do groin strains come back?
The adductors are often not fully strengthened before return, and sports with kicking and cutting load them heavily. In the study above, 8% of athletes re-injured within a year. Continuing adductor strengthening after you return reduces the risk.
Could it be something other than a strain?
Yes. Groin pain that came on gradually, is felt at the pubic bone or lower abdomen, or has lingered for weeks, may be a longer-term adductor or pubic-related problem. A deep pinch in the groin can come from the hip joint. A lump or pain with coughing can be a hernia.
See our post on groin pain in athletes.
Do I need a scan?
Usually not. Most strains are diagnosed by examination. Imaging is useful when a complete tear is suspected, for example with a pop, a lot of bruising and marked weakness, or when recovery isn't going as expected.
Can I keep training other things?
Yes. Upper-body training, cycling if comfortable, and trunk work can continue. Avoid wide-stance squats, lateral lunges and breaststroke kick until the adductors tolerate them.
Should I use heat, ice or compression shorts?
Ice in the first day or two eases pain. Compression shorts or a groin strap can make walking and early running more comfortable and are fine to use. Heat is useful later, before exercise, once the early soreness has settled.
How can I prevent another groin strain?
Keep adductor strengthening in your routine through the season; the Copenhagen adduction exercise once or twice a week is widely used in football codes for this. Build pre-season running and kicking loads gradually, and warm up with progressively faster running and change-of-direction drills.
How can an osteopath help?
We confirm the diagnosis and grade the strain, rule out the hip, pubic bone and hernia as sources, and take you through staged strengthening and a return to running and sport.
When should groin pain be checked urgently?
See a doctor promptly for a groin lump, pain with fever, testicular pain or swelling, or groin pain after a fall with difficulty bearing weight.
See our muscular strains page and our training hub. Book an assessment at our Berwick clinic. A 60-minute initial consultation is $149, with no referral needed and HICAPS on-site.
Sources
Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.
Related articles
