Groin and Hip Pain

It's common for abdomen pain, hip pain and groin pain to be lumped together as simply as groin pain. Pain that occurs due to a hip problem is often felt as groin pain.

In this article, we'll list and describe causes of pain you might feel in the groin, regardless of whether the pain truly originates in the groin area, in the hip, or in some other location.

We'll also separate groin pain from other pain that occurs in the same area of the body: specifically buttock pain and thigh pain.

Groin and hip pain involving muscles, joints and bones  

Athletes often suffer a type of groin pain that is commonly called a "groin pull." A groin pull actually involves the adductor muscles, which athletes use to raise the legs toward the midsection. A groin pull can result from a strain, which is common among sprinters, or adductor tendinitis, which is an inflammation of the adductor muscles.

A similar form of inflammation is known as osteitis pubis. This is an inflammation of the cartilage that joins the front bones of the pelvis. For reasons that are unknown, this problem is more common to women than men.

When there is trauma to a muscle, a condition called myositis ossificans may develop. This is a fairly rare condition, but it seems to happen most often to football players, especially in thigh muscles.

An inguinal hernia is a common cause of groin and hip pain. Inguinal hernias occur when organs or tissues slip through a tear, opening, or weak spot in the muscles of the abdominal wall. in an adjacent part.

Another sports-related condition that can cause hip and groin pain is known as sports hernia. A sports hernia occurs when muscles or tendons of the lower abdominal wall become weakened. In a sports hernia however, organs or tissue do not usually punch through the abdominal wall, as they do in a classic inguinal hernia.

Two more common causes of groin and hip pain are known as an iliopsoas strain and iliopsoas bursitis. In these disorders, pain occurs in the front of the groin and hip. Pain is more noticeable when the hips is flexed, as it would be if you were stepping up a flight of stairs.

Tendinitis and bursitis often cause pain in the hip and groin area. There are many different forms of these ailments, and most require the help of a medical professional to diagnose specifically.

Among older individuals, arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, are among the most typical causes of groin and hip pain. Wear and tear on cartilage in the joints of the hip, which causes groin pain, contribute to arthritic conditions.

Other hip and groin pain causes include

• septic arthritis, which occurs when a joint becomes infected,
• gout, which is a form of arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in the joints, and
• a condition called osteoid osteoma. Osteoid osteoma is a benign tumor that often causes distressing pain at night.

Fractures involving bones in the hip area are certain to cause groin pain. also causes hip and groin pain. Normally, it's easy to diagnose a bone fracture. However, in some individuals, osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, may be a contributing factor.

Neurological pain causes

Sometimes, groin and hip pain will actually original elsewhere in the body yet be felt in the groin and hip areas. When there's a problem in the spine, such as a slipped disc, pain can radiate along nerve pathways down to the groin. This is known as "referred pain."

Lumbar disc disease, spinal stenosis, coccidynia, and many types of low back problems may cause referred pain to the back or front of the hip and groin. For more information, click on nerve pain.

Organ disorders that cause pain in the hip and groin

There's a long, long list of organ-related problems that can cause groin and hip pain. The most common include:

• abdominal aortic aneurysm,
• appendicitis,
• bladder infections,
• certain forms of cancer, especially testicular cancer.
• diverticulitis,
• inflammatory bowel disease,
• kidney stones,
• prostatitis.

Symptoms of several of these causes of groin and hip pain are obvious: for instance, appendicitis and kidney stones. Others require diagnosis by a trained medical professional.

Women and hip or groin pain

There are, of course, many conditions and disorders involving a woman's reproductive organs that present as groin hip pain. Menstrual conditions, ovarian cysts, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, and certain forms of cancer are among these.

Both women and men may suffer hip and groin pain caused by sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs.