Groin strain or hip flexor pain

Adductors sit on the inner thigh and pull the leg inward. The hip flexors sit at the front of the hip and help lift the thigh. Pain near the groin may increase when squeezing the knees together, raising the leg, climbing, or taking a long stride. These clues can guide an examination, but they do not identify the injured tissue by themselves. Hip joint problems and abdominal conditions can produce similar symptoms.

Temporarily reduce sprinting, deep lunges, kicking, and other actions that sharply increase symptoms. Continue easy movement if it remains comfortable, rather than staying still for long periods. A physiotherapist can compare hip flexor and adductor strength, then prescribe graded mobility and strengthening. Exercise Therapy may restore control; a Return-to-Sport Programme can add running, cutting, and kicking in a measured sequence.

Book an assessment if pain limits normal walking, follows a forceful injury, or does not show gradual improvement. Seek urgent help for inability to move the leg, a visible deformity, rapidly increasing swelling, fever, or severe abdominal or groin pain. A physical examination is particularly useful when the pain location is difficult to pinpoint.

Ask which movements reproduce symptoms, whether the hip joint needs assessment, and which exercises suit the suspected tissue. Ask how to tell ordinary exercise soreness from a flare that means the load should be reduced.