What to know about groin strain in padel players

Padel repeatedly combines short sprints, lunges, pivots, reaching, and sudden changes of direction. The adductor muscles on the inner thigh help control these actions and may be overloaded when intensity rises quickly, recovery is limited, or movement control is reduced. Pain may be felt in the groin or inner thigh and can increase with squeezing the legs together, accelerating, or stretching. Hip joint problems, abdominal injuries, and hernia can produce similar pain.

Stop the movement that causes sharp pain and use relative rest rather than testing the injury repeatedly. In the early period, comfortable walking and gentle range of motion may be suitable; a clinician can guide loading as pain settles. Rehabilitation commonly progresses from controlled adductor activation to strengthening, then jogging, lateral steps, lunges, and padel-specific drills. Warm up gradually, build court time in stages, and return only when sport movements are comfortable and controlled.

Arrange assessment if pain prevents normal walking, follows a sudden pop, causes bruising or marked weakness, or does not steadily improve with reduced activity. Seek urgent care for severe pain after trauma, a visible bulge in the groin, inability to bear weight, numbness, or a cold or discoloured leg. Testicular pain or swelling also needs urgent medical evaluation.

Ask which tissue is involved, what level of loading is safe now, how to progress court drills, and which strength or movement findings should delay your return to padel.