Groin pain has an unfortunate reputation for becoming persistent.
For some, it settles within a few weeks, while for others it becomes a frustrating cycle of rest, strengthening, injections, scans, conflicting opinions and recurring symptoms. The difficulty is that groin pain is not a diagnosis. It is simply the location where you experience pain.
Why Is Groin Pain So Difficult to Diagnose?
The obvious assumption is that the painful structure must be somewhere in the groin. Yes, that’s possible, but there is no confirmation of that, even when nothing else hurts!
The muscles around the hip, the hip joint itself, tendons, the abdominal wall, stress injuries, inflammatory conditions and even problems requiring surgical management can all present as groin pain. Research has also demonstrated that the lumbar spine is a surprisingly common source of pain felt in the hip and groin, even when there is no lower back pain whatsoever.
It quickly becomes apparent why there is no single treatment that works for everyone, and why successful management begins with understanding the cause rather than simply treating the painful area.
More Than Just “Athlete’s Groin”
The term athlete’s groin illustrates this well. Despite sounding like a diagnosis, it is really an umbrella term describing a group of conditions that produce similar symptoms. It acknowledges that the solution is rarely as simple as waiting for damaged tissue to heal, but it doesn’t explain why the symptoms developed in the first place or what is driving them now.
The important question therefore becomes: what is actually driving your symptoms?
Understanding the Behaviour of Your Symptoms
Before deciding what treatment is appropriate, the first step is understanding what is causing the pain.
Rather than relying solely on where the symptoms are felt or what an MRI happens to show, a thorough assessment looks at how the symptoms behave. What brings them on? What eases them? Do they change with repeated movements? Do they remain localised or spread? Are there signs pointing towards a mechanical problem, an inflammatory process or something requiring further medical investigation?
As these questions are answered, many of the possible causes begin to fall away while others become increasingly likely. The assessment therefore becomes part of the diagnostic process, helping to systematically rule some conditions in and others out.
The Underlying Cause Determines the Treatment
Two people with almost identical groin pain may ultimately require very different management because the underlying cause is different. Their differing experiences might look something like this:
- Targeted rehabilitation failed but surgery succeeded.
- Surgery failed but a rheumatologist lifted the burden.
- Core training consistently aggravated the symptoms, while running brought unexpected relief.
Although the pain is felt in the same place, a careful assessment early in the process could have identified the underlying cause and directed each person towards their most appropriate treatment.
At JMPhysio, our assessments are built around understanding the behaviour of your symptoms rather than making assumptions based on their location. The McKenzie Method forms part of that process, helping to determine whether a mechanical problem is contributing to your pain and ensuring that other possible causes are recognised, where relevant, and referred appropriately.
The ultimate goal is not simply to reduce your pain, but to understand why it is there in the first place. Once the underlying cause has been identified, the path forward often becomes much clearer, avoiding unnecessary delays and treatment that was never going to address the real problem.
Every individual is different. Discuss your unique situation with your preferred physiotherapist to ensure you receive advice specific to you.