Groin Pull Symptoms

A sharp pain may be experienced in your groin and inner thigh area if you are suffering from a groin pull or strain. You will feel tightness, tenderness and/or muscle spasms when you try to move your groin muscles by flexing, extending or rotating your hip or leg inward during active and resistive movements. Point tenderness in your adductor magnus or longus, gracilis, rectus femoris or iliopsoas muscles may be present, especially when the area is touched, which may radiate further down your inner thigh. If you have a chronic injury, you may feel more of a dull ache that lasts for long periods of time. This pain can happen in one area or multiple areas at one time.

You may experience stiffness and decreased range of motion (ROM) in your hip joint as a result of a pull in your groin muscles. This will make it more difficult to bend and rotate your hip and knee. To test your stiffness and ROM, sit on the floor and put the soles of your feet together. If you have tightness, pain and/or tenderness while doing this, you are likely suffering from a damaged groin muscle. You may also feel tightness in your lower abdominal, spine, hip and thigh region. This is often more prevalent on the left than right side, however it is really dependent on your injury.

Swelling in your groin muscles is a result of your tissues becoming inflamed and normally occurs with a more serious groin pull. Warmth and redness may accompany swelling in severe cases.

Weakness of your groin muscles can also be experienced as a result of a groin pull. This along with your other symptoms may make it difficult for you to walk or run and can result in you walking with a limp.

Occasionally, bruising (broken blood vessels) in your groin area or over your muscles may appear a few days after your injury. This may be in one spot or can span from your groin to your knees.

A popping or snapping sensation in your hip can often be heard when your hip flexor or hip adductor muscles are tearing.