Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesDiagnosisHome RemediesTreatmentPreventionWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Diagnosis
Home Remedies
Treatment
Prevention
When to See a Provider
This article looks at eight possible causes of groin pain when walking, including how they are diagnosed and treated.
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What Are the Causes of Groin Pain?
The groin is a complex structure consisting of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, joints, blood vessels, and nerves. Together, they support the upper body and enable walking, bending, turning, squatting, kicking, and opening and closing the legs.
If you have groin pain while walking, it can be due to an injury or malfunction of any of these structures. Here are eight common and uncommon causes to consider:
Groin Strain
One of the most common causes of groin pain while walking is a groinstrain(also known as “pulled groin”). A strain occurs when a muscle ortendon(which connects muscles to bones) is overstretched or torn.
Typically with a groin strain, either thehip flexor muscles(located at the top of your thigh) or hip adductor muscles (located inside of your thigh) are involved.
Symptoms of a groin strain include:
The severity of the groin strain can be categorized as follows:
Hip Labral Tear
Another condition that can cause groin pain is ahip labral tear. Yourlabrumis a ring of cartilage that lines the socket of the hip joint. It helps with hip mobility and creates a vacuum-style seal in the hip joint to improve stability.
A labral tear can occur during sports like soccer, hockey, or football that involve repetitive or forceful movements. In older adults and those who are overweight, the joint cartilage can also thin and wear over time, causing a labral tear.
In addition to groin pain, labral tears can cause:
Hip Impingement
Hip impingementhappens when the hip socket and ball joint of the upper thigh bone (called the femoral head) don’t fit together properly. This causes “pinching” or “bumping” sensations as you move your leg.
Symptoms of hip impingement include:
While some affected people are born with a hip joint deformity, others can develop it later in life due toosteopenia(bone mineral loss) orosteoporosis(porous bones).
Inguinal Hernia
The bulging often occurs in the inguinal canal. This is the passage through which thespermatic cordpasses in males and where the uterus connects to the labia in females. Because the inguinal canal is larger in males, they are 25 times more likely to get an inguinal hernia.
Symptoms of an inguinal hernia include:
Hip Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA)is often referred to as “wear-and-tear arthritis” because it involves the wearing down of joints over time. This causes the gradual loss of joint cartilage and the progressive deformity of the hip joint due to abnormal bone remodeling.
With hip osteoarthritis, these changes can undermine the function of the hip joint, leading to symptoms like:
Groin Tendinitis
Tendinitis, sometimes referred to as tendonitis, occurs when a tendon becomes inflamed and irritated. It is often the result of repetitive sports activities like long-distance running or biking.
Tendonitis of the groin may involve the tendons attached to the hip flexor muscles but is more often related to the tendons attached to the hip adductor muscles. The latter case is commonly referred to as adductor tendinopathy.
Common symptoms of groin tendinitis include:
Other Causes
Other, less common conditions can cause groin pain while walking. Unless a thorough investigation is performed, these problems may be overlooked and left untreated:
Lump in Groin: Causes With or Without Pain
How Is Groin Pain Diagnosed?
During the physical exam, the healthcare provider will apply pressure to various muscles in the groin and move your leg and hip in different directions to assess your range of motion.
Based on the initial findings, the following tests and procedures may be ordered;
Home Remedies for Treating Groin Pain
In most cases, groin pain can be managed with rest. If needed, you may be given crutches or other assistive devices to move about, But even then, excessive movement can make the pain and swelling worse.
In addition to rest, several at-home therapies may help:
How to Treat Groin Pain
The treatment of groin pain varies based on the underlying cause and severity of symptoms. Options include physical therapy, medications, and surgery.
Physical Therapy
With conditions like osteoarthritis, hip impingement, a labral tear, groin strain, or tendinitis, the first line of defense is usually physical therapy.
The physical therapist may use different treatment modalities such as:
Prescription Medications
Prescription drugs may be added to the treatment plan if OTC painkillers fail to provide relief. These include:
Surgery
Surgery may be considered for severe cases or when all other treatment options fail. Examples include:
How Is Groin Pain Prevented?
This is what the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons currently recommends:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
While groin pain can often be treated at home, you may need to see a healthcare provider if home therapies fail to provide relief.
You should seek immediate medical treatment if:
If medical treatments fail, surgery may be your only option. Surgery is needed when:
Summary
There are many reasons why you may experience groin pain when walking. Some of the more common causes include a groin strain, labral tear, hip impingement, hip osteoarthritis, inguinal hernia, and groin tendinitis. Less likely causes include osteitis pubis and hip stress fractures.
These injuries may be diagnosed with a physical exam and imaging studies like a CT scan or MRI. The treatment may include rest, ice or heat applications, oral painkillers, physical therapy, cortisone shots, and, in severe cases, surgery.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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