Groin pain (male)
DEFINITION
Groin pain is pain in the area where the inner, upper thigh and lower abdomen meet.
CAUSES
The most common cause of groin pain is muscle, tendon or ligament strain, particularly in athletes who play sports such as hockey, soccer and football. Groin pain may occur immediately after an injury, or pain may come on gradually over a period of weeks or even months. Groin pain may be worsened by continued use of the injured area.
Less commonly, a bone injury or fracture, a hernia, or even kidney stones may cause groin pain. Although testicle pain and groin pain are different, a testicle condition can sometimes cause pain that spreads to the groin area.
Direct and indirect causes of groin pain can include:
- Avascular necrosis (death of bone tissue due to limited blood flow)
- Avulsion fracture: How is it treated? (ligament or tendon pulled from the bone)
- Bursitis (joint inflammation)
- Epididymitis (testicle inflammation)
- Hydrocele (swelling of the scrotum)
- Inguinal hernia
- Kidney stones
- Mumps
- Muscle strain
- Orchitis (inflamed testicle)
- Osteoarthritis
- Pinched nerve
- Piriformis syndrome
- Retractile testicle (testicle that moves between the scrotum and abdomen)
- Sciatica
- Scrotal masses
- Spermatocele (fluid buildup in the testicle)
- Sprains and strains
- Stress fractures
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Tendinitis
- Testicular cancer
- Testicular torsion (twisted testicle)
- Urinary tract infection
- Varicocele (enlarged veins in the scrotum)
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR
If your groin pain is caused by a strain or sprain, these self-care measures may help:
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
- Place an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on the sore area for 20 to 30 minutes two to four times a day.