Pain in the groin: it's serious, doctor?

A little lesson in anatomy: the groin is the fold that makes the junction between the pelvis and the thigh.

This hinge region (so-called "inguinal region" in medical language) is a crossroads for several major nerves (the ilioinguinal nerve, the ilio-hypogastric nerve, the crural nerve and the obturator nerve) for the system. circulatory (there is the femoral artery and vein) and for several muscles (iliac psoas, adductor and abductor muscles of the leg ...).

A groin pain can be caused by many health concerns ... and perform a self-diagnosis is almost impossible! "If the pain is acute, persists and disrupts your daily activities, do not let it drag on: make an appointment quickly with your doctor or with an osteopath or a physiotherapist" advises Dominique Blanc , osteopath.

Pain in the groin: what if it was tendinitis?

If the groin pain is severe and appears during physical exertion (or just after), it may be a Tendinitis to adductors of the thigh.

Specifically, when too much muscle is applied to bring the leg back into the vertical axis of the body (the adductors, not to be confused with the abductors that allow the reverse movement), inflammation occurs in the tendon: it is tendonitis.

"Typically, it's a pain that occurs when you suddenly get into the big gap or when you play sports at risk," says Dominique Blanc, "for example, if you go skiing or riding. there is a risk of tendonitis. "

Tendinitis in adductors of the thigh is characterized by pain (related to inflammation of the tendon) but also by difficulty to perform certain movements: walking, climbing stairs, spreading the legs ... "From the appearance of the pain, an appointment with the osteopath or the physiotherapist can be beneficial "adds Dominique Blanc.

My groin hurts: watch out for osteoarthritis of the hip

Theosteoarthritis of the hip more likely for women over the age of 50: it occurs when the cartilage of the hip joint is worn, resulting in friction between the femur (the thigh bone) and the hip bone (the bone from the pelvis) ... so a pain.

Osteoarthritis of the hip is characterized by a dull ache that progresses over time: as the cartilage wears out, it becomes more and more difficult to bend forward, to sit on one's knees and spread your legs. In addition, the perimeter of walking (that is to say, the distance that you can walk without pain) is reduced.

"To diagnose osteoarthritis of the hip, an X-ray or an MRI is necessary: ​​as soon as the pain and the first symptoms appear, make an appointment with your doctor!" advises Dominique Blanc.

A pain in the groin may also have a gynecological or urological origin - in case of cystitis, for example, a pain in the groin with a feeling of "heaviness" may appear. During pregnancy, the inguinal area can also become painful.

Good to know : "If there is pain in the groin and the leg is red, warm and swollen to the touch, it is necessary to consult a doctor urgently: it may be a circulatory problem, which is an indication of medical emergency. "

Thanks to Dominique Blanc, osteopath in Lyon (69) and president of the association Osteopaths from France.

Read also :

>>> Hip pain: when to consult?

>>> How to stretch your psoas?

>>> Tendonitis: how to relieve pain?