Groin pain (male)
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/groin-pain/MY00181
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
Groin pain is pain in the area where the inner, upper thigh and lower abdomen meet.
Causes
The most common cause of groin pain is muscle, tendon or ligament strain, particularly in athletes who play sports such as hockey, soccer and football. Groin pain may occur immediately after an injury, or pain may come on gradually over a period of weeks or even months. Groin pain may be worsened by continued use of the injured area.
Less commonly, a bone injury or fracture, a hernia or even kidney stones may cause groin pain. Although testicle pain and groin pain are different, a testicle condition can sometimes cause pain that spreads to the groin area.
Direct and indirect causes of groin pain can include:
- Avascular necrosis (death of bone tissue due to limited blood flow)
- Avulsion fracture: How is it treated? (ligament or tendon pulled from the bone)
- Bursitis (joint inflammation)
- Epididymitis (testicle inflammation)
- Hydrocele (swelling of the scrotum)
- Inguinal hernia
- Kidney stones
- Muscle strain
- Mumps
- Orchitis (inflamed testicle)
- Retractile testicle (testicle that moves between the scrotum and abdomen)
- Osteoarthritis
- Pinched nerve
- Piriformis syndrome
- Sciatica
- Sprains and strains
- Scrotal masses
- Spermatocele (fluid buildup in the testicle)
- Stress fractures
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Tendinitis
- Testicular cancer
- Testicular torsion (twisted testicle)
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Varicocele (enlarged veins in the scrotum)
When to see a doctor
Seek immediate medical attention if you have:
- Groin pain along with back, abdomen or chest pain
- Sudden, severe testicle pain
- Testicle pain accompanied by nausea, fever, chills or blood in the urine
Schedule a doctor's visit if you have:
- Severe groin pain
- Groin pain that doesn't improve with home treatment within a few days
- Mild testicle pain lasting longer than a few days
- A lump or swelling in or around a testicle
- Intermittent intense pain along the lower side of your abdomen (flank) that may radiate along your groin and into your testicle
- Blood in your urine
Self-care
If your groin pain is caused by a strain or sprain, these self-care measures may help:
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
- Place an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on the sore area for 20 to 30 minutes two to four times a day.
- Sherman V, et al. Sports hernia. In: Brunicardi FC, et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5031383. Accessed Dec. 21, 2010.
- Ferrri FF. Groin pain, active patient. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011. Philadelphia, Pa. Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00042-1--s0225&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&sid=1098001856&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00042-1--s0225&uniqId=230457697-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00042-1--s0225. Accessed Dec. 22, 2010.
Share on:
Find Mayo Clinic on