Groin Pull From Running

Groin Pull is pain in the upper inner thigh or abductor muscle , and it comes from tensing the inner thigh muscle when you turn your toe in. Turning your toe in is normal in running, especially when you run after rain or snow. The inner thigh muscle tenses up to increase stability. People who have improper balance may tense this muscle. Shoes with flared heals make the problem worse.


Dr. Murray Weisenfeld, in his book The Runner's Repair Manual, gives several stretches that will help you avoid a groin pull. These are illustrated in my page of pictures of stretches. Do the toe press and the inner/outer thigh.


According to Weisenfeld, if the pain moves from the upper groin area to the lower groin area, you may have an ischeal fracture of the pelvis, and you should see an orthopedist. In addition to the suggestions given by Weisenfeld, go to the Sports Injury Bulletin Groin Injuries and Groin Pull and Strain web sites.

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Thanks for that information. I have an ongoing groin injury and can't seem to shake it off. The pain in not felt when I'm running, only a tenseness in the upper inner thigh. I can no longer sit cross legged and have noticed how stiff I am now in that area when stretching. I have found that this problem started when I become a minimalist foot ware runner (Vibram 5 fingers) Any help would be appreciated.

Sharon said...

I agree. It is important to do warm ups before doing any kind of exercise to promote proper circulation and posture. Groin pulling seems painful indeed. That must be the reason why an individual who has this kind of injury needs to visit an orthopedist.