The recovery time for a strained groin muscle can depend on the severity of the muscle injury and the type of treatment you need. A groin strain is an injury or tear to any of the adductor muscles of the thigh. These are the muscles on the inner side of the thigh. Sudden movements usually trigger an acute groin strain, such as kicking, twisting to change direction while running, or Prime Boosts jumping. Athletes are most at risk for this injury. Groin strains usually aren’t serious, although a severe strain may take a long time to recover from. Immediately after injury, the goal of treatment for a groin strain is to reduce pain and swelling. Depending on the severity of your strain, you may need additional treatments to speed healing. If you have a grade 3 strain, you may need surgery to repair the torn fibers, especially where the tendon is involved.

Recovery time for a groin strain injury depends on the degree of the injury. In general, you can gauge the level of your recovery by your level of pain. As your adductor muscle is recovering, avoid activities that involve pain. Resume activities gradually. This will enable your muscle to heal fully and prevent you from developing a recurrent groin strain injury. The length of time you need to recover will also depend on your level of fitness before the injury. There’s no definitive time frame, since it’s different for everyone. However, as a general guide, you can expect to rest several weeks before you’re able to return to full activities after a groin strain. To diagnose whether you have a groin strain, your doctor will first want to know how your injury happened and whether the circumstances indicate a groin strain. They’ll ask you about the activity you were doing when the injury happened, your symptoms, and whether you’ve had a similar injury in the past.

Next, your doctor will do a physical examination. This could involve stretching your adductor muscles to determine if stretching is painful, as well as testing your leg’s range of motion. Any pain you feel during the exam will help your doctor identify where your injury is located. In addition to identifying the location of the strain, your doctor will evaluate how serious your injury is. A grade 1 groin strain occurs when the muscle is overstretched or torn, damaging up to 5 percent of the muscle fibers. You may be able to walk without pain, but running, jumping, kicking, or stretching may be painful. A grade 2 groin strain is a tear that damages a significant percentage of the muscle fibers. Walking might be difficult, and it also might be painful to bring your thighs together. A grade 3 groin strain is a tear that goes through most or all of the muscle or tendon.

This usually causes a sudden, severe pain at the time it happens. Using the injured muscle at all will be painful. There’s usually significant swelling and bruising. You may be able to feel a gap in the muscle when you touch the injury. Could it be something else? A groin strain can be confused with other problems. Your doctor will often start with an X-ray and follow up with an MRI to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other injuries. Symptoms of a groin strain can range from mild to severe, depending on the degree of the injury. Groin strain is most common among both professional and Prime Boosts recreational athletes. It’s often caused by straining the adductor muscle while kicking, so it’s more common in the athlete’s dominant leg. It can also be caused by turning quickly while running, skating, or jumping. Movements that require your muscle to both lengthen and contract at the same time usually cause a groin strain.