Lower Body · Treatment

Groin Pain

Adductor strain, FAI, hip impingement and chronic groin pain — common in cricketers, footballers and runners. The fix is almost always in the glutes and core, not the groin itself.

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Typical programme

8–12 weeks

Session length

60 min

Recovery rate

88%

Understanding the condition

Groin pain almost always starts elsewhere.

Adductor strain, hip impingement (FAI) and chronic groin pain are some of the most misunderstood injuries we treat — common in cricketers, footballers and runners. Patients chase the painful spot for months. But the real problem is usually weak glutes and a core that cannot control the pelvis under load.

We assess the whole kinetic chain — hip, pelvis, trunk — to find what is actually overloading the groin. Then we build the strength and control that takes the strain off it, with a graded return-to-sport plan so you do not re-tear the moment you sprint or change direction.

Image — hip and adductor strength testing

Why it happens

The root causes we look for.

Weak glutes

When the hip stabilisers underperform, the adductors overwork to control the leg.

Poor core control

A pelvis that tips and rotates under load funnels stress straight into the groin.

Hip impingement (FAI)

Bony shape at the hip can pinch and limit range, irritating the joint and groin.

Spike in load

Sudden increases in sprinting, kicking or change-of-direction outpace the tissue's capacity.

Symptoms we treat

Recognise any of these?

Sharp groin pain on kicking or cutting

Tightness deep in the hip

Pain on getting in/out of a car

Difficulty crossing legs

Pain on twisting movements

Weakness on single-leg balance

Our Approach

How we'll actually treat it.

WEEK 1

Differential diagnosis

Distinguish between adductor, hip joint, and pubic-symphysis driven pain.

WEEK 2–4

Calm the tissue

Manual therapy, gentle loading, and corrective movement drills.

WEEK 4–8

Build the chain

Glute strength, core control, hip mobility — the actual fix.

WEEK 8–12

Return to sport

Progressive loading, change-of-direction drills, return-to-play criteria.

Services Involved

The disciplines we'll combine.

Every programme braids two or three of our core services. Here's the typical pairing for this condition.

Physiotherapy

Hands-on clinical care — the backbone of every programme.

Fitness Training

Strength and conditioning programmed alongside your therapy.

Clinical Pilates

Mat and reformer pilates supervised by clinicians.

The results

Treatment that actually holds.

Groin injuries have a reputation for lingering — but that is almost always because they were treated locally. Address the hip and core and recovery becomes predictable, with a clear return-to-sport milestone.

88%

Recovery & satisfaction rate

8–12 wk

Typical return-to-sport window

8–12 weeks

Typical programme

60 min

Per session

Common questions

Your questions, answered.

Still unsure? Our clinicians answer the questions patients ask most. You can always call the HSR Layout clinic for a straight answer first.

Ask us directly

Because rest alone does not fix the cause. Groin pain usually persists when the underlying weakness in the glutes and core is never addressed — the tissue heals, you load it the same way, and it strains again. Our programme breaks that cycle.

They can feel similar but behave differently under specific tests. We assess this carefully at your first visit. Many cases labelled as hernias respond fully to targeted strengthening, but we will refer for a surgical opinion if the picture warrants it.

Often we can keep you training in modified ways while we rebuild, but playing through sharp groin pain risks a longer layoff. We will give you a clear traffic-light system for what is safe.

FAI is a bony shape at the hip that can pinch with deep movements. Many people have it without symptoms, and most symptomatic cases improve with physiotherapy that changes how the hip is loaded. Surgery is considered only when conservative care has had a fair trial.

By making sure you return to sport stronger than the injury, not just pain-free. Our graded return-to-sport milestones test sprinting, kicking and cutting under load before you are cleared, which is how recurrence is prevented.

Because that is exactly when the demand on the adductors, hip and core peaks — lower-intensity movement rarely exposes the gap. It's a useful sign, not a bad one: it tells us your tissue tolerates moderate load fine, and we just need to build it up to match match-speed demands.

Occasionally, yes — nerve irritation in the lower back or pelvis can refer pain into the groin and mimic a muscular strain. We check this at assessment, because treating the groin directly would do nothing for a back-driven pain.

It can feel that way, mostly because the groin is loaded constantly through walking, sitting and turning, which gives it less downtime than, say, a calf strain. That's exactly why our programme focuses on building capacity rather than waiting it out — it shortens what can otherwise become a frustratingly long recovery.

Ready to start?

Let's get this handled.

Book a 60-minute assessment with one of our clinicians. You'll leave with a clear diagnosis, a written programme, and a realistic timeline.

Book assessment

What's included:

→ Full movement assessment
→ Diagnosis & root-cause analysis
→ Written programme with milestones
→ Cost & timeline upfront
→ Same-day hands-on treatment if appropriate