Groin Pain Relief – Causes, Relief for Back Pain and Hip Injuries
Groin pain is more than a physical ache. It can affect everyday life, especially when it links to back problems or hip injuries. This pain may be sharp, dull, constant, or coming and going.
If you are searching for ways to relieve groin pain either as a male or female, you are not alone.
Whether you have a pulled groin muscle or are wondering what causes this hip pain in elderly, it is vital to understand both the root cause and the best methods to relieve this pain.
Massage therapy has been deeply studied to ease groin pain in women, men, athletes, and anyone with discomfort in their hip or groin area by improving blood circulation, reducing muscle tightness and spasms, breaking down adhesions, and promoting healing of muscle fibres.
Studies show that massage increases blood flow and lowers neuromuscular excitability, helping to relax stiff muscles and improve joint range of motion.
For instance, Deep tissue massage targets the deeper layers of muscle fibers in the groin area, breaking down adhesions and scar tissue to reduce stiffness and promote healing.
Likewise, myofascial trigger point massage gently kneads tight knots, enhancing circulation and reducing pain signals while activating the body’s own mechanisms for pain relief
What Is Groin Pain?
Groin pain is a discomfort in the area where the lower abdomen meets the inner thigh. It can result from muscle strain, joint issues, nerve irritation, or problems in nearby organs. In women, causes of groin pain often include pulled adductor muscles, hip arthritis, urinary infections, or reproductive conditions such as ovarian cysts or torsion.
Interestingly, symptoms of groin pain vary by cause. For example, a pulled groin muscle may hurt with movement; hip arthritis (a painful inflammation of the hip joint) may feel like stiffness; UTIs (Urinary tract infections) may cause burning or irritable sensation. Knowing whether the pain is sharp, dull, one-sided, or linked to other symptoms helps find the correct cause.
Common Causes of Groin Pain in Men and Women
Are you experiencing discomfort in your hips, lower back, or groin and wondering what could be causing it?
Groin pain in male and females can be linked to many underlying conditions. While it’s easy to assume it’s just a strained muscle, the root cause is often more complex.
Without proper evaluation or medical attention, the pain can persist and even get worse over time. To give you a clearer understanding, here are seven (7) common causes that may explain pelvic and groin discomfort in both men and women:
1. Muscle or tendon strain
This kind of groin pain happens when the inner thigh muscles (called adductors) or the muscles that lift your leg (called hip flexors) are overstretched or torn. It often happens in sports when you move suddenly or twist quickly.
You may feel sharp pain, swelling, or weakness when trying to move your leg. This type of injury makes it hard to walk or bring your legs together. It is common in both men and women who are active or do sports with fast leg movements.
Massage therapy helps to relieve muscle pains and the hip flexors are no different.
2. Musculoskeletal Injuries (Adductor tendinopathy)
Adductor tendinopathy is a chronic overuse condition needing rest and rehab. Adductor tendinopathy develops slowly and is not from one big injury.
Instead, it comes from doing too much activity with your inner thigh muscles over time. The tendons (which connect muscles to bone) start to weaken and become painful. This pain gets worse with activity and improves with rest. It is common in runners and people who move their legs side to side a lot.
Treatment involves a subtle massage like the Swedish massage, adequate rest and rehabilitation that means gentle exercises, stretching, and slowly building strength again.
3. Osteoarthritis and Hip Impingement
As people get older, the cartilage (smooth tissue) in the hip joint can wear away. This condition is called osteoarthritis and it makes your hip stiff and painful, often with pain spreading into the groin. Another condition, called hip impingement, happens when the ball and socket of your hip do not fit smoothly.
Bones may rub against each other and cause a dull ache in your groin, especially when moving. This pain is common in older adults but can also appear in younger people with joint misalignment.
4. Osteitis pubis is inflammation
Osteitis pubis inflammation happens often in athletes who run, kick, or twist a lot, and also in women after pregnancy. This when the joint at the front of your pelvis, becomes inflamed (red and sore). You might feel a dull ache or a sharp pain in your groin or lower belly when walking or moving. It can feel worse when standing up or turning over in bed. Recovery needs rest, gentle therapy, and time to let the area heal.
5. Inguinal or femoral hernias
A hernia is when some tissue (like part of your intestine or fat) pushes through a weak spot in the lower belly wall and forms a bulge in the groin. Inguinal hernias appear near the groin canal and are much more common in men but can happen in women too. Femoral hernias appear lower, near the thigh. These hernias can cause pain when standing, coughing, or lifting heavy things. You may notice a bulge that goes away when you lie down. If the tissue gets stuck, blood flow can be cut off, causing severe pain and needing urgent medical help.
6. Ovarian cysts, torsion, or ectopic pregnancy may cause severe one-sided groin pain
In women, serious reproductive issues can cause strong groin pain on one side. An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac on the ovary and it can twist (called torsion) or burst, causing sudden sharp pain. An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg grows outside the womb, often causing intense pain and is dangerous. These conditions may also cause nausea or bleeding. They require medical attention right away because they can be life-threatening.
7. UTIs and kidney stones
Problems in the urinary system can also lead to groin pain. A urinary tract infection (UTI) can cause cramping or a burning feeling in the groin when you pee. Kidney stones are hard mineral lumps that move through your urinary tract. As they move, they can cause sharp, wave-like pain that travels from your back or lower side into your groin. You may also notice symptoms like blood in your urine, needing to go often, or pain while peeing. These need a doctor’s diagnosis and treatment.
Can Sciatica Cause Groin Pain?
What is Sciatica? Sciatica is nerve pain that starts in your lower back or butt and travels down your leg along the path of the sciatic nerve.
When these nerve roots are irritated or compressed, it can cause pain, burning, tingling, numbness or weakness from your back down to your foot. Most people feel pain on one side of the body and often describe it as sharp or electric shock. It may worsen with movements like bending, coughing, or sneezing.
Sciatica usually causes pain down the leg, but sometimes it may refer to the groin if the lumbar nerve roots are compressed near the L1-L3 levels (these are nerve roots in your lower spine serving the groin area).
In women and men, this referred pain can feel like deep ache or burning. It happens because the nerves for the groin share the same origin in the spine as the sciatic nerve.
Other sources explain that sciatica may lead to groin pain due to nerve compression causing muscle spasms in the lower back and pelvis area.
Diagnosis needs careful nerve tests or imaging to confirm the cause and rule out more common groin or back issues. Though less common, it is important to address sciatica as a groin pain source in accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
How to Relieve Hip and Groin Pain
Start here, before any hands-on therapy. The aim is to calm the irritated tissues, protect the area, then rebuild strength and mobility in a gradual, safe way.
1. Stop the trigger and check red flags
Pause the activity that sets your pain off. Seek urgent care if you notice a new groin bulge that becomes red or very painful, sudden testicle pain or swelling, severe back or belly pain with groin pain, fever, or you cannot put weight on the leg. These signs may point to a hernia or other emergencies that need medical care. For females, sudden one-sided pelvic or groin pain with bleeding, fainting, or nausea can signal an ectopic pregnancy or ovarian torsion and needs emergency attention.
2. Begin gentle movement after the initial calm-down
When sharp pain settles, usually after 48 hours, start easy range-of-motion moves within comfort, like slow hip circles or short, pain-guided walks. Gentle movement prevents stiffness and supports blood flow without stressing the healing tissue.
3. Ease into light stretching
Add simple, comfortable stretches for the inner thigh and hip flexors. Hold each for 15 to 30 seconds and avoid bouncing. Stop if pain sharpens. Examples include a reclined butterfly stretch for adductors and a gentle kneeling hip-flexor stretch.
4. Start pain-guided strengthening
Introduce isometric work first, like an adductor squeeze with a ball or pillow between the knees, then progress to bridges with a squeeze as symptoms allow. Keep the effort light to moderate and increase reps slowly.
5. Adjust daily habits to unload the area
Avoid sudden pivots, deep lunges, and high steps while sore. Use shorter strides on stairs and reduce prolonged sitting with the hip bent sharply. Small changes limit repeated strain while tissues recover. (General load-management guidance aligns with sports-injury care best practices.)
Can Massage Help with Groin Pain?
Massage has many benefits supported by research on muscle and soft tissue healing. For example, Swedish massage improves circulation (blood flow) and drains extra fluid from tissues, reducing swelling and soothing nerve-related pain.
Deep tissue massage goes deeper to release tension in muscles, especially in cases of chronic pain or sports injuries. While there are fewer studies focused only on groin-specific massage, general findings show massage promotes healing of soft tissues, lowers pain, and helps people recover faster.
In older adults with hip or groin pain, gentle Swedish strokes can ease stiffness and boost comfort safely. When added to physical therapy, these massage techniques support faster recovery, better function, and improved daily movement. Massage helps both the body and mind by reducing strain, improving mobility, and supporting healing over time.
Massage therapy, especially when delivered at clients’ place through mobile services, offers precise relief in familiar and comfortable surroundings.
FAQs
1. What causes groin pain in the elderly?
Often hip osteoarthritis, muscle strains, hernias, bursitis, or stress fractures due to aging structures and sarcopenia.
2. What medicine is good for hip and groin pain?
Over-the-counter NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) or acetaminophen may ease pain. Always check with a physician if other conditions are present.
3. Can hip problems cause back and groin pain?
Yes. Hip arthritis or labral tears may produce referred pain to the groin or back. Proper massage and physical therapy can help.
4. What is the best pain relief for back and hip pain?
Combined treatment: massage, gentle exercises, heat, and pain relief medication. Mobile massage integrates well into patient routines.
5. How do you relieve groin and hip pain?
Rest, ice, massage, stretching, and strengthening; follow a structured rehab plan tailored to cause.