Groin Pain When Playing Sports? What It Could Mean
Groin pain during soccer, running, hockey, gym training or other sports can be frustrating—especially when it settles with rest but returns as soon as training intensity increases.
Sometimes the discomfort follows a clear strain. In other cases, it develops gradually and becomes noticeable during sprinting, kicking, changing direction or other demanding movements.
The important point is that “groin pain” is a symptom, not a single diagnosis. Several structures around the hip, pelvis and groin can produce similar symptoms, which makes proper assessment particularly important.
At OsteopathyNearMe in Etobicoke, we assess sports-related groin pain to better understand which musculoskeletal factors may be contributing and whether osteopathic care is appropriate.
What Causes Groin Pain When Playing Sports?
Groin pain when playing sports is a common reason athletes seek assessment, especially when symptoms return during running, kicking, cutting, or changing direction.
Groin pain may be related to the adductors, hip joint, iliopsoas region, inguinal region or pubic area. More than one region may sometimes be involved.
This is one reason why searching for a single muscle or trying to identify the problem only by where it hurts can be misleading.
What Does Adductor-Related Groin Pain Feel Like?
The adductors are the muscles along the inner thigh that contribute to controlling the hip during running, cutting and kicking.
When the adductor region is involved, people may notice pain around the inner thigh or groin during activities such as:
Running or sprinting
Kicking a ball
Changing direction
Skating
Lunging or certain gym movements
Returning to sport after a period away
Recent research identifies previous groin injury and reduced hip-adduction strength among the factors most consistently associated with groin pain in athletes. However, the researchers rated the overall evidence as low to moderate, so these factors should not be interpreted as proof of the cause in an individual patient.
Why Is Proper Assessment Important?
Two people can point to almost exactly the same area of pain but have different contributing factors.
An assessment may consider how the symptoms started, which movements reproduce them, hip movement, muscle function and the demands of the person’s sport.
This helps distinguish a likely musculoskeletal presentation from symptoms that may need investigation by another healthcare professional.
Clinical reasoning is particularly important with persistent groin pain because there is no single test that explains every case.
Can Osteopathy Be Part of Care for Sports-Related Groin Pain?
Potentially, when assessment suggests an appropriate musculoskeletal presentation.
Research supports conservative management for many athletes with longstanding groin pain, with active rehabilitation generally having a stronger evidence base than relying only on passive treatment. A systematic review and meta-analysis found that the certainty around the optimal combination of exercise and passive/manual approaches remains very low.
For this reason, osteopathic care should not be presented as a treatment that simply “fixes” the groin.
At OsteopathyNearMe, the role of assessment is to understand the relevant hip, pelvic and surrounding musculoskeletal findings and determine whether manual osteopathic care may reasonably form part of the person’s management.
When Should Groin Pain Be Assessed?
An assessment may be worthwhile when groin pain:
Keeps returning during sport
Has persisted despite reducing activity
Limits running, kicking or changing direction
Started after a sports injury
Is affecting your ability to train at your normal level
Severe pain following significant trauma, inability to bear weight, marked swelling or bruising, a noticeable groin lump, systemic symptoms, or unexplained persistent pain should receive appropriate medical assessment.
Sports Injury Assessment in Etobicoke
Recurring groin pain does not necessarily mean that you need to stop your sport indefinitely—but identifying what may be contributing is an important first step.
If groin discomfort is limiting your soccer, hockey, running, gym training or other activity, you can book an osteopathic assessment at OsteopathyNearMe in Etobicoke.
We will assess the presentation and determine whether osteopathic care is appropriate or whether further medical investigation may be advisable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my groin hurt when I run?
Groin pain while running can arise from several areas, including the adductors, hip, iliopsoas, pubic or inguinal region. The location of pain alone usually isn’t enough to determine the cause.
Is groin pain common in soccer players?
Yes. Groin problems are particularly relevant in sports involving kicking, sprinting and frequent changes of direction.
Is groin pain always an adductor strain?
No. Adductor-related pain is one possibility, but several musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions can produce pain in the groin region.
Can an osteopath assess sports-related groin pain?
Yes. A musculoskeletal assessment can examine relevant movement, symptom behaviour and hip/pelvic function. Whether osteopathic treatment is appropriate depends on the individual presentation.
Should persistent groin pain be checked?
Yes. Pain that repeatedly returns, limits sport or does not settle as expected deserves assessment rather than assuming it is simply a pulled muscle.
References
Martins TB, Martins TB, Migliorini F, Maffulli N, Okubo R. Risk Factors Associated with Groin Pain in Athletes: A Systematic Review. Life (Basel). 2025;15(11):1688. PMID: 41302113. DOI: 10.3390/life15111688.
Bisciotti GN, et al. The conservative treatment of longstanding adductor-related groin pain syndrome: a critical and systematic review. Biol Sport. 2021. PMID: 33795914. DOI: 10.5114/biolsport.2020.97669.
Serner A. Current Clinical Concepts: Exercise and Load Management of Adductor Strains, Adductor Ruptures, and Long-Standing Adductor-Related Groin Pain. J Athl Train. DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-0496.21.
Brito R, Cruz P, Costa D, Afonso S, Barros P. Nonsurgical Interventions for the Management of Long-Standing Groin Pain in Athletes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Cureus. 2023;15:e40149. PMID: 37425562. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40149.
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