How to Care for a Groin Injury

Groin injuries, sometimes called groin pulls or strains, can occur in men and women. Athletes commonly experience these types of injuries due to kicking, quickly changing direction, running and jumping. When a groin injury occurs, the adductor muscles (those running between the thigh and pelvis) are strained or even ruptured. If you injure this area, you can expect pain, swelling and possibly bruising. Other than the passage of time, there are some ways to help groin injuries heal more efficiently.

Things You'll Need

• Ice packs
• Non-prescription pain medication
• Physician

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Instructions

How to Treat a Groin Injury

• 1

  Rest by getting off your feet until the pain has passed; if you can't completely get off your feet, at least refrain from athletic activities. In the case of minor groin injuries, a few days of rest might be enough to make you feeling better. However, in severe injuries, you may have to alter your activities for weeks or months.

• 2

  Ice the area regularly and elevate your feet in order to reduce swelling.

• 3

  Try non-prescription medications to help with pain and swelling. These include ibuprofen and naproxen.

• 4

  Visit your doctor if your pain is severe or if you aren't noticing any improvement within a few days. Your physician can investigate further to see if you may need physical therapy, stronger medication or surgery.

• 5

  Stretch and warm up slowly once you're better and begin to resume athletic activities. This will help to prevent re-injuring the area.