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How can you limit the time sidelined due to a groin strain? Sounds like a simple question for a minor injury (some may assume), but if not appropriately addressed, this injury could impact your performance in the long run. Injured or not, this post will equip you with knowledge to prevent or recover from a groin injury. But this doesn’t substitute seeking care from a healthcare provider to create a tailored program for you! At the end, I’ll share easy and effective groin exercises, focusing on soccer movements, that you can implement in your workout routine.

What is the role of your hip adductor (groin) muscles? These muscles play a key role in your hip control and strength, especially during tasks such as accelerating, decelerating and the most repetitive action in soccer — kicking a ball.

Adductor muscles (highlighted in blue):

Common causes of an injury? Often times, these injuries occur without contact: 

What factors may increase your likelihood of an injury?

• Prior groin injury
• Strength imbalances along your hip and core muscles
• Lower leg weakness
• Limited hip mobility

Common symptoms? 

• Pain along the inside of your thigh or lower belly
• Discomfort when your groin muscles are stretched or contracted during activities such as kicking
• Pain when pressure is applied along your inner thigh

What will your physical therapist assess?  

• Overall lower leg strength
• Hip mobility
• Core strength
• Movement patterns
  • During single leg functional activities, such as a single- leg squat or step-down

How long will you be out?    

• The average time is 14 to 17 days (Dupre T. et al, 2018), but that doesn’t mean those muscles have gained its full strength. Hence, why it’s necessary you continue your exercises, even after returning to the pitch.
• Other factors to determine your timeline: the injury severity (Grade 1-3 strain) and the location
• Consider seeking additional medical attention if you have no relief after three months of physical therapy.

Components that will be addressed during physical therapy

• Decreasing your pain
• Addressing any hip mobility and flexibility restrictions
• Aside from improving your global strength, incorporating hip eccentric/concentric exercises (video below).
• Correcting movements that may put you at risk for a subsequent injury

Strengthening and Injury Reduction Exercises