What should you know about upper thigh groin pain?

The groin sits where the abdomen, hip, and inner thigh meet. Pain after a sprint, kick, change of direction, or wide-leg movement may involve the adductor muscles or their tendons. Deep groin pain with turning, sitting, or bringing the knee toward the chest can arise from the hip joint. Hip impingement, a labral tear, and hip osteoarthritis are different hip conditions that can present with groin pain; the symptom alone cannot tell them apart. A clinician also considers back, abdominal, and nerve-related causes.

Temporarily reduce sprinting, kicking, deep lunges, and side-to-side movements that reproduce symptoms. Keep gentle walking and comfortable hip movement if they do not increase pain later. Do not force a stretch into the groin. Ice after a recent activity flare may feel soothing, while a gradual strengthening plan is often guided by examination. [Groin Pain](/symptoms/groin-pain/) information can help you track the pattern. Sports physiotherapy may be useful when pain is related to training or movement.

Arrange assessment if pain persists, limits walking, causes a limp, or returns whenever you resume activity. Seek urgent care after trauma if you cannot bear weight, the hip appears out of position, or swelling and bruising are substantial. Immediate medical help is also needed for groin pain with fever, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, or a painful bulge.

Ask whether the hip joint, adductor muscles, tendon, back, or another area is the likely source. Ask which movements to avoid, whether imaging is needed, and how to progress walking, strengthening, and sport-specific drills.