About this topic
A muscle strain happens when the muscle is stretched too much. Sometimes, this is also called a pulled muscle. In some cases, your muscle may bleed and you may see bruising on the skin. A groin strain is an injury to the muscles on the inside of your thigh. An injury to the groin muscles most often happens when your legs are stretched too far apart. The muscles are strained and may tear a little bit or all the way. Sometimes, a groin strain can be mild with only a little pain. Other times, it can be very bad and painful and limit your activities. Treatment can include drugs, home therapies, and physical therapy. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Rest. Allow your injury to heal before you do slow movements.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Prop your leg on pillows to help with swelling.
- Wear a compression wrap or shorts on your groin area to help support the muscles.
- Heat may be used later but not right away. Heat can make swelling worse. If your doctor tells you to use heat, put a heating pad on the painful part for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor may send you to PT (physical therapy) to help you heal faster.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. Talk to your doctor if you run, work out, or play sports. You may not be able to do those things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Trauma near the groin
- Nerve injury
- Knee and hip stiffness
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
- Warm up slowly and stretch before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to how far you run. Do not work out if your are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
- Take breaks often when doing things that use repeat movements.
- Wear the right equipment when playing sports.
- Wear shoes with good support when you work out and play sports.
- Keep a healthy weight so there is not extra stress on your joints. Eat a balanced diet to keep your muscles healthy.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Pain or swelling gets worse
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain or swelling.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have problems moving my knees or if there is a change in the color of my legs or feet.
Where can I learn more?
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/sports_safety/groin_strain.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚