Your guide to groin pain
Our guide to groin pain provides you with helpful information about the disease. You also have the opportunity to clarify your questions quickly and easily in an online doctor’s consultation via video. You can receive prescriptions or sick notes at the doctor’s discretion via the app. No appointment problems or long waits.
Guide to groin pain
Causes, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic groin pain
Pain in the groin makes every step a pain. It can occur acutely, develop gradually or even become chronic. Groin pain is a symptom that should be taken seriously. Find out here what the potential causes are, when you should see a doctor and which forms of therapy promise improvement.
Abstract
- Groin pain is a sign of illness.
- Acute pain must always be clarified by a doctor.
- The causes are complex and diagnosis is often not easy.
- Pain in the groin is a typical symptom of inguinal hernia and appendicitis.
Definition
The groin is the connection between the abdomen, pubic area and thigh. Important blood and lymph vessels as well as important nerve tracts run through the inguinal canal. In men, the spermatic cord is located in the inguinal canal, and in women, the uterine ligament. Muscles, ligaments and connective tissue protect these sensitive pathways and vessels.
Groin pain is pain in the groin that can radiate to the side of the lower abdomen, the testicles or the thigh. It is always an alarm signal, as some of the diseases indicated by groin pain are life-threatening.
Symptoms
“Groin pain” is too general a description when looking for the cause. Pain in the groin can manifest itself in different ways:
- one-sided or double-sided
- only under load or permanently
- variable in intensity
- radiating into surrounding tissue
Other accompanying symptoms such as fever, malaise, vomiting or physical changes help to narrow down the causes.
Men are more frequently affected by groin pain than women. Their groin tissue is usually described as “softer”, which is why inguinal hernias or orthopaedic injuries occur more frequently.
Causes
The groin is a sensitive area of the body due to its many nerves and vessels. The inguinal ligament is involved in stabilizing the internal organs. Pain in the groin can be due to orthopaedic, urological or other causes.
Orthopaedic causes
The most common orthopaedic causes include the following:
| Cause | Symptom |
|---|---|
| Wear and tear / osteoarthritis in the hip | Slowly increasing pain, patient needs time to break in |
| Misalignments in hips, feet, knees | Increasing pain, often worse with movement |
| Symphysis loosening (pelvic ring loosening) | Common in pregnant women, but can also occur without pregnancy, severe pain when walking or standing |
| Overload fracture of the anterior pelvic ring | Acute onset, persistent pain, no improvement through movement |
| Tendon injuries | Damage to the tendon of the iliopsoas muscle, degenerative in older people and traumatic in athletes |
Urological causes
The most important urological causes include the following:
| Cause | Symptom |
|---|---|
| Ureteral stones | Acute, cramp-like pain, often radiating into the back; firm, pressure-sensitive abdomen |
| Testicular torsion (twisting of the testicles) | Acute, severe pain in the testicles and groin, radiating into the lower abdomen; testicles are at different heights |
Other causes
The other triggers also include the main cause of groin pain – the inguinal hernia. This causes a tear in the inguinal ligament, through which intestines can escape from the abdominal cavity. If they are squeezed out, the intestines die. There is a danger to life!
In addition to a hernia, there are other possible causes of groin pain without an orthopaedic or urological cause:
| Cause | Symptom |
|---|---|
| Inguinal hernia (inguinal hernia) | Acute inguinal pain, formation of a palpable bump in the groin
Caution: can be asymptomatic without pain, only palpable as a bump |
| Appendicitis | Increasing pain, often starting in the upper abdomen, then in the right lower abdomen, worse when pulling up the leg; additionally fever, loss of appetite and tiredness |
| Varicose veins, especially with thrombus formation | Varicose vein or even blood clot formation in the inguinal canal |
| Lymph nodes | Severely swollen lymph nodes in the groin with slight pain and a feeling of pressure due to acute infections |
| Tumor formation / cancer (in genital organs or on the bladder) | Increasing pain in the groin and lower abdomen |
| Neuritis (nerve inflammation) | Diffuse pain, variable; can be acute or develop chronically |
Chronic groin pain often occurs after an operation on the groin, such as a hernia or removal of the appendix.
If pain in the groin occurs repeatedly in the first few months after an operation, medical help should be sought. This pain almost always becomes chronic, as the Ärzteblatt reported back in 2009.
Groin pain as a symptom to be taken seriously
Acute groin pain in particular is an alarm signal that must be taken seriously. If left untreated, the following conditions indicated by groin pain can be life-threatening for the patient:
- Inguinal hernia
- Appendicitis
- Ureteral stones
- Testicular torsion
- Thrombus formation
If the cause lies in the orthopaedic area, there is a risk of loss of flexibility and mobility. In the rarest of cases, groin pain goes away on its own.
Visit to the doctor
Both acute and chronic groin pain need to be clarified by a doctor. As some conditions associated with acute groin pain are life-threatening, sudden onset of severe pain should be classified as an emergency. A visit to the medical service or hospital is strongly recommended.
Diagnosis
The type, scope and method of diagnosis depend on the intensity and form of the groin pain. In all cases, a thorough medical consultation should clarify the following points:
- When does the pain occur and how intense is it?
- Are they single-sided or double-sided?
- Do they get stronger when the leg is tightened?
- Do they disappear when you move?
- Does the pain radiate to the abdomen, thigh or back?
- Was there a trigger?
The doctor will then carry out a palpation examination. In the case of acute groin pain, a blood count is usually ordered. Modern diagnostic technology such as MRI or CT allows a precise view of the inguinal canal and helps to differentiate the diagnosis.
Treatment
The diseases behind the symptom of groin pain are as varied as their treatment. For severe pain, of course painkillers are used to make the discomfort bearable. However, pain therapy alone is not sufficient and only provides symptomatic support.
Surgical intervention is necessary for many of the above-mentioned conditions with acute pain. These include
- Inguinal hernia with intestinal prolapse
- Testicular torsion
- Appendicitis
- Ureteral stones
In cases of severe hip osteoarthritis, implantation of an artificial hip joint may be advisable. Surgery is also performed for tumor formation, in severe cases of pelvic ring loosening and to dissolve blood clots in the groin veins.
Pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medication is used for orthopaedic causes such as misalignments or tendon injuries. Physiotherapy is an indispensable component of therapy.
Questions and answers
Does self-medication make sense for unclear groin pain?
No. Groin pain is an alarm signal that you should definitely take seriously. Self-medication is particularly inadvisable if a diagnosis has not yet been made.
Can I take painkillers for groin pain?
Patients who suffer from long-term pain due to hip osteoarthritis, for example, can temporarily help themselves with painkillers, but should still seek medical care.
Can sport make my groin pain worse?
Yes, frequently. It is therefore advisable to refrain from sport until the cause has been clarified. This restriction only does not apply to patients who are supposed to do sport as part of physiotherapy.
Sources
- https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Harnleiterstein
- https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Hodentorsion
- https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Leistenschmerz
- https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/64256/Hernienchirurgie-Postoperative-Schmerzen-im-Fokus
- https://www.medical-tribune.de/medizin-und-forschung/artikel/schmerzen-in-leiste-und-huefte-an-eine-sehnenruptur-denken/
- http://arztpraxis-hittnau.ch/blinddarmentzuendung-leistenbauchwandbrueche/
- https://www.apotheken-umschau.de/leistenschmerzen
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10354-009-0721-5
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- Zuletzt aktualisiert: 11. June 2026
