You can suffer a groin strain in both contact and non-contact sports - everything from rugby to gymnastics, football to swimming. This is not surprising if you look at the structure of the hip joint.
The hip is the largest joint in the body, with a range of motion second only to that of the shoulder. Furthermore, this large, mobile joint is subject to repetitive stress while carrying most of our body weight. It is therefore very susceptible to injuries such as groin strain.
Groin strains can be divided into chronic and acute.
The most common acute injuries are soft tissue contusions and hematomas that result from direct force in which adduction of the hip occurs, in sports like football, ice hockey, basketball, or rugby.
Chronic injuries commonly occur in sports that involve overuse of groin area, for example swimming breaststroke, ice hockey, football, and running.
Treatment can often be problematic - rest is essential, but this is a difficult place to isolate and rest. It is also crucial to follow a comprehensive rehab program to prevent reoccurrence of injury to this area.
