How Can an Osteopath Help With Hip Pain and Groin Strains

Hip pain and groin strains are common problems that can affect people of all ages and activity levels. Whether you’re an athlete, gym-goer, tradesperson, runner or simply experiencing hip pain during everyday activities, the discomfort can make walking, running, bending and exercising difficult.

A groin strain can occur when the muscles on the inside of the thigh are overloaded or injured. Hip pain, however, can have many different causes, including muscle strains, tendon problems, joint irritation, arthritis and referred pain from the lower back.

At Hoppers Crossing Sports & Spinal, our osteopaths assess your hip, pelvis, lower back and surrounding muscles to help identify factors that may be contributing to your symptoms. Treatment can then be tailored to your individual needs and goals.

What is a groin strain?

A groin strain commonly involves the muscles that bring your leg towards the midline of your body. These muscles are often referred to as the adductor muscles.

Groin strains can occur when these muscles are exposed to a sudden or excessive load.

They are particularly common in sports involving:

• Running

• Sprinting

• Kicking

• Sudden changes of direction

• Jumping

• Twisting

• Rapid acceleration and deceleration

A groin strain may cause pain in the inner thigh or groin region, particularly when running, changing direction or bringing the legs together.

What causes hip pain?

Hip pain can have many different causes.

Some common causes include:

• Groin strains

• Hip flexor strains

• Adductor injuries

• Tendinopathy

• Hip osteoarthritis

• Bursitis

• Muscle tightness

• Sporting injuries

• Hip joint irritation

• Lower back-related pain

• Repetitive loading

• Sudden increases in exercise

Because pain around the hip and groin can come from different structures, an appropriate assessment is important before beginning rehabilitation.

How can an osteopath help with hip pain?

An osteopath can take a comprehensive approach to assessing and treating hip and groin pain.

Treatment may include a combination of hands-on therapy, exercise rehabilitation, movement advice and education.

1. Comprehensive assessment

Your osteopath will begin by discussing your symptoms and how they started.

They may ask about:

• When the pain began

• Whether there was a specific injury

• Your sporting activities

• Exercise and gym training

• Work activities

• Previous hip or groin injuries

• Movements that aggravate your symptoms

• Your current level of activity

Your osteopath may then assess the movement and function of your:

• Hip

• Pelvis

• Lower back

• Knee

• Adductor muscles

• Gluteal muscles

• Hip flexors

This can help identify areas that may be contributing to your symptoms.

2. Hands-on osteopathic treatment

Depending on your individual presentation, hands-on treatment may be used to help improve movement and reduce muscular tension around the hip and pelvis.

Treatment may involve areas such as:

• Hip and surrounding muscles

• Gluteal muscles

• Adductors

• Hip flexors

• Lower back

• Pelvis

• Thigh

Hands-on treatment is generally used alongside rehabilitation rather than as a standalone solution.

The goal is to help you move more comfortably and create an environment where you can progressively rebuild strength and function.

3. Exercise rehabilitation for groin strains

Exercise rehabilitation is an important component of recovering from a groin strain.

Initially, exercises may focus on restoring comfortable movement and gradually loading the injured tissues.

As your symptoms improve, your program may progress towards:

• Adductor strengthening

• Hip strengthening

• Glute strengthening

• Core strengthening

• Balance exercises

• Running drills

• Change-of-direction exercises

• Sport-specific movements

The intensity and type of exercise should be gradually progressed according to your symptoms and physical capacity.

4. Building strength after a groin injury

One of the biggest mistakes following a groin strain is returning to sport as soon as the pain improves without rebuilding adequate strength.

You may feel comfortable walking but still lack the strength and load tolerance required for sprinting, kicking or rapidly changing direction.

A progressive rehabilitation program can help bridge the gap between being pain-free during everyday activities and being ready to return to sport.

For athletes, this may involve progressing from basic strengthening exercises through to running, acceleration, deceleration and sport-specific movements.

5. Improving hip mobility

Hip mobility can also be an important part of managing hip and groin pain.

Your osteopath can assess how your hip moves and determine whether mobility limitations may be contributing to your symptoms.

Depending on your presentation, your program may include exercises targeting:

• Hip rotation

• Hip flexion

• Hip extension

• Adductor mobility

• Lower back mobility

• Pelvic movement

Mobility exercises should be appropriate for your individual condition rather than simply performing aggressive stretching.

6. Managing your training load

Groin and hip problems can sometimes occur when the amount or intensity of physical activity increases too quickly.

For example, you may have recently:

• Increased your running distance

• Started playing a new sport

• Increased your gym training

• Returned to sport after a break

• Added more sprinting

• Increased your football or soccer training

• Started a new exercise program

Your osteopath can help you identify activities that may be placing excessive stress on the hip or groin and develop strategies to gradually rebuild your training capacity.

Can you exercise with a groin strain?

In many cases, appropriate exercise is an important part of recovery from a groin strain.

However, the type and intensity of exercise should be appropriate for the stage of your injury.

Early rehabilitation may involve gentle movements and low-load strengthening.

As your strength improves, exercises can become progressively more challenging.

Eventually, athletes may need to return to:

• Running

• Sprinting

• Jumping

• Kicking

• Cutting

• Changing direction

• Sport-specific drills

The goal is to progressively increase the load on the hip and groin until you are ready to return to your normal activities.

How long does a groin strain take to heal?

Recovery time can vary considerably depending on the severity of the injury, the structures involved, your overall health and how you respond to rehabilitation.

A mild strain may settle relatively quickly, while a more significant injury can require a longer rehabilitation period.

Returning to sport based solely on whether the pain has disappeared isn’t always appropriate.

Your strength, movement, confidence and ability to tolerate sport-specific loads should also be considered.

Hip pain and arthritis

Hip osteoarthritis is another common cause of hip pain, particularly as we get older.

Hip arthritis can cause:

• Groin pain

• Hip stiffness

• Difficulty walking

• Pain getting in and out of a car

• Difficulty putting on shoes and socks

• Reduced hip mobility

• Pain during exercise

Exercise and strengthening can play an important role in managing hip osteoarthritis.

An osteopath can help develop an exercise program aimed at maintaining mobility, improving strength and helping you stay active.

When should you see an osteopath for hip or groin pain?

Consider having your hip or groin assessed if your pain:

• Is affecting your ability to walk

• Is preventing you from exercising

• Is affecting your sporting performance

• Makes stairs difficult

• Is affecting your work

• Is interfering with sleep

• Keeps returning

• Hasn’t improved with self-management

• Started following an injury

An assessment can help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms and whether osteopathic treatment is appropriate.

When should you seek medical assessment?

Some hip and groin injuries require medical assessment.

Seek prompt medical attention following a significant trauma, particularly if you are unable to put weight through the affected leg, have severe pain, significant swelling or obvious deformity.

Persistent or unexplained hip or groin pain should also be assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional.

Your osteopath can refer you to a GP, physiotherapist, sports physician or other healthcare professional when further assessment is appropriate.

Osteopath for Hip Pain and Groin Strains in Hoppers Crossing

If you’re experiencing hip pain, a groin strain, hip stiffness or an injury that’s stopping you from exercising, an osteopath may be able to help.

At Hoppers Crossing Sports & Spinal, we provide individualised assessment, hands-on osteopathic treatment and exercise rehabilitation to help you recover from hip and groin injuries.

Our clinic is conveniently located in Hoppers Crossing and provides care for people from surrounding suburbs including Werribee, Point Cook, Williams Landing, Tarneit, Truganina, Manor Lakes, Seabrook, Mambourin, Wyndham Vale, Laverton and Altona Meadows.

Whether you’re an athlete wanting to return to sport, a gym-goer dealing with persistent hip pain, or you’re struggling with hip pain during everyday activities, our osteopaths can assess your condition and develop a treatment and rehabilitation plan around your goals.

Looking for an Osteopath near Hoppers Crossing, Werribee or Point Cook?

Hoppers Crossing Sports & Spinal provides osteopathic care for hip pain, groin strains, hip injuries, muscle strains, hip arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Contact the clinic today to arrange an assessment and take the next step towards getting your hip and groin moving comfortably again.