Why Does My Groin Hurt When I Walk?

Key Takeaways

• Groin pain with walking often directs attention toward the hip joint, but the location alone does not establish the diagnosis. Muscles, tendons, bone, hernias, nerves, and other pelvic or abdominal conditions can also produce pain in this region.
• Hip osteoarthritis commonly causes groin pain and stiffness, particularly with weight-bearing and loss of hip motion, but degenerative changes on an X-ray must still be correlated with the patient’s symptoms and examination.
• Adductor and hip-flexor problems often behave differently from joint-related pain. The activity that provokes symptoms, tenderness location, strength testing, range of motion, and mechanism of injury can help distinguish them.
• Walking tolerance is an important clinical clue. Pain that begins only after longer distances may represent a different level of irritability or capacity than pain that occurs with every step or prevents weight-bearing.
• Severe pain after a fall, inability to bear weight, a painful groin bulge, fever or systemic illness, testicular or significant abdominal symptoms, or unexplained progressive pain requires evaluation for conditions beyond routine musculoskeletal hip pain.

Groin Pain Is One of the Most Important Hip Pain Locations

When patients say:

“My hip hurts.”

one of the first things we ask is:

“Where?”

Pain over the outside of the hip may suggest a different group of conditions than pain in the buttock.

Pain deep in the front of the hip or groin increases our attention to the hip joint itself.

That does not mean every groin pain comes from the hip.

But location gives us an important starting point.

The Hip Joint Sits Deeper Than Many Patients Realize

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint.

The head of the femur sits within the acetabulum of the pelvis.

Unlike the lateral portion of the hip, which can be easily felt from the outside, the actual hip joint is located relatively deep.

That is why patients with a joint-related hip problem often point toward the:

• Groin
• Front of the hip
• Upper inner thigh

rather than directly over the outside of the pelvis.

Some hip conditions can also refer symptoms into the:

• Thigh
• Buttock
• Knee

The perceived location does not always sit directly over the involved structure.

Walking Repeatedly Loads the Hip

Every step requires the hip to:

• Accept body weight
• Move through a functional range
• Generate force
• Control the pelvis and femur
• Transition into the next step

A sensitive hip joint or surrounding tissue may therefore become symptomatic during walking.

The pattern can vary.

One patient may hurt immediately.

Another may say:

“I’m fine for the first fifteen minutes, and then the groin starts aching.”

Another may feel relatively comfortable on level ground but hurt on:

• Hills
• Stairs
• Longer strides
• Faster walking

Those differences help us understand what type and amount of load provoke the problem.

Hip Osteoarthritis Is a Common Cause of Groin Pain

Hip osteoarthritis becomes increasingly common with age and can produce:

• Groin pain
• Stiffness
• Reduced hip motion
• Pain with walking
• Difficulty getting out of a chair
• Difficulty putting on shoes or socks
• Difficulty getting into or out of a car

Patients sometimes describe a deep ache rather than a sharply localized pain.

Morning stiffness or stiffness after prolonged sitting may also occur.

But arthritis should not be diagnosed from age or pain location alone.

The examination and, when appropriate, imaging help establish whether osteoarthritis is clinically meaningful.

Arthritis on an X-Ray Does Not Automatically Explain the Pain

Degenerative changes are common as people get older.

Some patients have substantial imaging findings and relatively modest symptoms.

Others have significant hip pain with less dramatic radiographic change.

Therefore:

“Your X-ray shows arthritis.”

is not the same as:

“Every symptom you feel is caused by the arthritis.”

Imaging should be interpreted alongside:

• Pain location
• Range of motion
• Functional limitations
• Physical examination
• Overall symptom pattern

This prevents us from treating an image rather than the patient.

Loss of Hip Rotation Can Be an Important Clue

Patients with clinically meaningful hip-joint restriction may lose certain movements.

Internal rotation is often one movement that becomes limited or uncomfortable in hip osteoarthritis and other intra-articular conditions.

Patients may notice this functionally when they struggle to:

• Put on a shoe
• Cross the leg
• Get into a car
• Pivot
• Turn while weight-bearing

Range-of-motion loss does not identify the diagnosis by itself.

But when it occurs alongside deep groin pain and weight-bearing symptoms, the hip joint deserves closer attention.

Stiffness After Sitting Can Behave Like a Hip-Joint Problem

Some patients feel reasonably comfortable while sitting but develop groin discomfort when they first stand.

They may need several steps before the hip begins moving more comfortably.

This pattern can occur with hip osteoarthritis and other joint-related conditions.

The same patient may report:

• Difficulty after a long car ride
• Pain getting up from a low chair
• Stiffness when first walking
• Reduced ability to rotate the hip

The combination is more informative than any one symptom alone.

Not Every Groin Pain Is Arthritis

A younger athletic patient who develops groin pain after:

• Sprinting
• Kicking
• Cutting
• Skating
• Changing direction

requires a different differential diagnosis from an older adult with gradually progressive stiffness and reduced walking tolerance.

Potential musculoskeletal causes include problems involving the:

• Adductor muscles and tendons
• Hip flexors
• Hip joint
• Labrum
• Bone
• Other surrounding structures

Age helps provide context.

It should never substitute for examination.

Adductor Problems Can Produce Inner-Groin Pain

The adductor muscles run along the inner thigh and help control movement of the hip.

They are heavily involved in many athletic activities, particularly those requiring:

• Cutting
• Kicking
• Rapid direction changes
• Acceleration
• Deceleration

An acute adductor injury may occur during a forceful movement.

Other patients develop gradually increasing tendon-related symptoms without one dramatic event.

Pain may be reproduced with:

• Resisted adduction
• Stretching the involved tissues
• Running
• Cutting
• Certain walking patterns

The location and loading pattern help distinguish an adductor problem from deeper hip-joint pain.

A “Groin Pull” Can Range From Mild to Significant

Patients often use groin pull to describe an adductor muscle injury.

The severity can range from relatively mild muscle injury to more substantial tearing.

A significant acute injury may produce:

• Sudden sharp pain
• Difficulty continuing activity
• Bruising
• Weakness
• Pain with walking

A severe injury should not simply be stretched aggressively in the first few days.

The tissue and severity need to be identified before rehabilitation is progressed.

Hip-Flexor Problems Can Be Felt Near the Front of the Hip

The hip flexor region can also produce anterior hip or groin discomfort.

Symptoms may be influenced by activities such as:

• Repeated hip flexion
• Running
• Sprinting
• Climbing stairs
• Certain exercises

A patient may feel pain when lifting the thigh or performing resisted hip flexion.

But because the hip flexors and hip joint occupy nearby regions, location alone may not clearly distinguish them.

Provocative testing and the overall pattern help.

The Hip Labrum Can Be Part of the Differential Diagnosis

The acetabular labrum is a ring of fibrocartilaginous tissue around the hip socket.

Labral pathology can sometimes be associated with:

• Groin pain
• Clicking
• Catching
• Pain with certain hip positions
• Activity-related symptoms

However, imaging abnormalities of the labrum do not always correlate perfectly with symptoms.

A labral finding should therefore be interpreted in the context of the patient’s history and examination.

Not every click in the hip represents a clinically important labral tear.

Femoroacetabular Impingement Is More Than “Bones Bumping Together”

Femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI, describes certain hip morphology and symptom patterns in which specific positions can contribute to joint-related symptoms.

Patients may experience pain with:

• Deep hip flexion
• Squatting
• Pivoting
• Prolonged sitting
• Athletic movements

But hip shape varies naturally among people.

An imaging finding consistent with cam or pincer morphology does not automatically mean the person has symptomatic FAI.

Clinical symptoms and examination findings need to correlate with the imaging.

Clicking in the Hip Is Not Automatically a Serious Problem

Hips can:

• Click
• Snap
• Pop

for several reasons.

Some are painless and have little clinical significance.

A painless click that has existed for years is very different from:

• New painful catching
• True locking
• Progressive loss of motion
• Significant groin pain

The sound itself is less important than what accompanies it.

Bone Stress Injury Must Be Considered in the Right Patient

Groin pain during weight-bearing can sometimes represent a femoral neck stress injury.

This deserves particular caution.

Risk can increase in the setting of factors such as:

• Significant increases in running or impact activity
• High training volume
• Previous bone stress injury
• Reduced bone health
• Inadequate energy availability
• Other medical or medication-related bone-health risks

Symptoms may initially occur only during activity and then become more persistent as the condition progresses.

This is not a diagnosis to manage by repeatedly testing whether the patient can “run through it.”

Walking Pain That Progresses Toward Rest Pain Raises Concern

With a bone stress injury, symptoms can sometimes progress from:

Pain with higher-level activity

to:

Pain with walking

and potentially:

Pain at rest

That progression increases concern.

A patient with focal deep hip or groin pain and worsening weight-bearing tolerance—particularly in an appropriate risk context—may require advanced imaging.

Early X-rays do not reliably exclude every stress injury.

A Fall Can Produce an Occult Hip Fracture

After a significant fall, especially in an older adult or someone with reduced bone density, persistent groin pain deserves careful attention.

Some hip fractures are obvious.

Others can be less apparent initially.

A patient may even retain some ability to walk.

Persistent substantial groin pain after trauma, particularly with difficulty bearing weight or painful hip movement, may require imaging.

If suspicion remains despite unrevealing initial X-rays, additional imaging may be necessary.

A suspected fracture should not be manipulated.

A Hernia Can Cause Groin Pain

Not all groin pain originates from the musculoskeletal system.

An inguinal or femoral hernia can produce pain or discomfort in the groin.

A patient may notice:

• A bulge
• Pressure
• Pain with coughing
• Pain with straining
• Symptoms during lifting

That presentation requires appropriate medical evaluation.

Exercise or manual treatment aimed at the hip does not repair a hernia.

A Painful Groin Bulge Can Sometimes Become Urgent

A hernia that becomes:

• Suddenly very painful
• Firm or increasingly swollen
• Difficult or impossible to reduce

particularly when accompanied by symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain

may represent an urgent surgical problem.

That presentation is fundamentally different from gradual mechanical hip pain during walking.

The Low Back Can Refer Pain Toward the Groin

Although lumbar referral more commonly involves the back, buttock, or leg, certain upper lumbar nerve patterns can produce symptoms toward the:

• Front of the thigh
• Groin region

Neurological clues may include:

• Numbness
• Tingling
• Weakness
• Reflex changes
• Symptoms influenced by spinal movement

This is another reason the evaluation may extend beyond the hip when the symptom pattern warrants it.

Groin Pain Can Come From Pelvic, Abdominal, or Genitourinary Conditions

The groin sits at the intersection of several anatomical systems.

Depending on the patient’s presentation, pain may also arise from:

• Abdominal structures
• Urinary tract
• Reproductive organs
• Testicular conditions
• Gynecological conditions
• Other pelvic pathology

A musculoskeletal examination should not be used to force every groin complaint into a hip diagnosis.

Symptoms that do not behave mechanically—or that include relevant abdominal, urinary, reproductive, or systemic findings—require appropriate medical evaluation.

Sudden Testicular Pain Is Not a Routine Hip Problem

Severe acute testicular pain, particularly when accompanied by swelling, nausea, or other concerning symptoms, requires urgent medical evaluation.

Conditions such as testicular torsion are time-sensitive.

A patient presenting with this pattern should not undergo routine treatment for a presumed groin strain while waiting to see whether symptoms improve.

When Groin Pain With Walking Should Be Evaluated

Evaluation becomes appropriate when:

• Pain persists or repeatedly returns
• Walking tolerance is decreasing
• Hip motion becomes increasingly restricted
• Groin pain interferes with stairs, exercise, or daily activity
• Symptoms follow a significant athletic injury
• Pain follows a fall
• Clicking or catching becomes painful and functionally limiting
• The source of the pain is unclear

More prompt medical evaluation may be required for:

• Inability to bear weight
• Significant trauma
• Suspected fracture or bone stress injury
• Severe acute testicular pain
• A painful or concerning groin bulge
• Fever or systemic illness
• A hot, markedly painful joint
• Progressive neurological weakness
• Severe unexplained or rapidly worsening pain
• Significant abdominal or pelvic symptoms

The central question is not simply:

“Which hip muscle should I stretch?”

It is:

“Is this pain coming from the hip joint, muscle or tendon, bone, nervous system, abdominal wall, or another structure—and does it represent a condition that should be rehabilitated conservatively or one that requires a different diagnostic pathway?”

How Doyle Chiropractic Evaluates Groin Pain With Walking

The evaluation begins by determining whether the patient’s symptoms behave primarily like a problem involving the:

• Hip joint
• Muscle or tendon
• Bone
• Lumbar spine or nervous system
• Abdominal wall
• Another pelvic or medical structure

Dr. Geoffrey Doyle may ask about:

• Exact pain location
• Whether the pain feels deep in the groin or more superficial
• How long the patient can walk before symptoms begin
• Pain with stairs, hills, running, or pivoting
• Difficulty getting into or out of a car
• Difficulty putting on shoes or socks
• Stiffness after sitting
• Clicking, catching, or locking
• Recent changes in running or exercise volume
• Sudden athletic injuries
• Falls or other trauma
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness
• Groin bulging or symptoms with coughing and straining
• Relevant abdominal, urinary, reproductive, or systemic symptoms

The physical examination may assess:

• Hip range of motion
• Hip strength
• Adductor and hip-flexor function
• Pain with resisted muscle testing
• Single-leg loading
• Walking mechanics
• Squatting and other functional movements when appropriate
• Lumbar movement when clinically relevant
• Neurological function when indicated

The purpose is not simply to prove that the hip hurts.

It is to determine which structure is most likely responsible and whether the patient is appropriate for conservative musculoskeletal care.

Hip-Joint Problems and Muscle Problems Often Require Different Strategies

A patient with an adductor injury after sprinting may need progressive muscle and tendon rehabilitation.

A patient with clinically meaningful hip osteoarthritis may need a broader program focused on:

• Strength
• Mobility
• Walking tolerance
• Overall function

A patient with suspected femoral neck stress injury may need the hip protected from impact while diagnostic imaging is obtained.

A patient with a symptomatic hernia needs a medical or surgical pathway rather than hip rehabilitation.

The symptom may be located in the same general region.

The treatment should not be.

Treatment Should Be Based on Irritability and Capacity

For appropriately selected musculoskeletal hip and groin conditions, conservative treatment may include:

• Activity and load modification
• Therapeutic exercise
• Progressive strengthening
• Hip mobility work when indicated
• Manual treatment
• Soft tissue therapy
• Class IV laser therapy when clinically appropriate
• Gradual return to walking, exercise, or sport

The starting level depends on what the patient can currently tolerate.

Someone with mild groin discomfort after a three-mile walk may begin at a very different level from someone who hurts after walking across a parking lot.

Rehabilitation should meet the patient where they are and progressively move them toward where they need to be.

Walking Tolerance Gives Us a Useful Functional Baseline

If walking produces symptoms, we want to quantify that relationship.

Instead of documenting only:

“Walking hurts.”

we may ask:

• How many minutes?
• How far?
• Does the pain begin immediately or gradually?
• Does it worsen as walking continues?
• How quickly does it settle afterward?
• Is level ground easier than hills?
• Does stride length matter?

Those details can help establish a baseline.

If a patient progresses from ten minutes of comfortable walking to forty-five minutes, that tells us something meaningful about recovery.

Strengthening the Hip Should Reflect the Patient’s Real Demands

Depending on the diagnosis, rehabilitation may progressively address:

• Hip extensors
• Hip abductors
• Hip adductors
• Hip flexors
• Trunk and lower-extremity strength

Exercises may eventually include:

• Squatting
• Step-ups
• Split-stance exercises
• Single-leg tasks
• Loaded hip exercises
• Walking progression

An athlete may ultimately need:

• Running
• Acceleration
• Cutting
• Kicking
• Direction changes

The endpoint should match the patient’s life.

A patient does not recover merely because they can perform a low-level exercise on the treatment table.

Adductor Rehabilitation Should Restore Load Capacity

When an adductor muscle or tendon is involved, early management may require temporarily reducing activities that strongly reproduce symptoms.

As irritability decreases, rehabilitation can progressively load the adductors.

That may eventually include:

• Controlled adduction exercise
• Increasing resistance
• Longer-lever loading
• Functional lower-extremity exercise
• Sport-specific loading

For an athlete, returning to jogging is not necessarily the final step.

The adductors may need to tolerate the much greater demands of:

• Sprinting
• Cutting
• Kicking
• Rapid changes of direction

Progression should reflect those demands.

Stretching a Painful Groin Is Not Automatically the Right Treatment

A patient with groin pain frequently assumes:

“My hip is tight. I need to stretch it.”

Sometimes mobility is genuinely limited and should be addressed.

But aggressive stretching is not universally appropriate.

A recently injured muscle may be irritated by forceful stretching.

Certain hip-joint conditions may also become painful when repeatedly pushed into provocative end-range positions.

And a suspected bone stress injury should not be treated by repeatedly forcing the hip through painful movements.

The diagnosis comes before the stretch.

Hip Mobility Matters When It Is Actually Limited

When clinically meaningful hip stiffness is present, mobility work may be appropriate.

The objective is not necessarily to create maximum possible hip motion.

It is to restore the amount of movement the patient needs for normal function.

For example, improved hip mobility may make it easier to:

• Put on shoes
• Get into a car
• Walk comfortably
• Squat
• Perform recreational activities

A patient who already has adequate motion does not necessarily benefit from increasingly aggressive stretching simply because the groin hurts.

Chiropractic and Manual Treatment

Chiropractic or manual treatment may be incorporated when examination identifies relevant musculoskeletal restrictions involving the:

• Hip
• Pelvis
• Lumbar spine
• Other mechanically related regions

The area treated should reflect the examination.

Treatment should not be explained as repeatedly putting the hip or pelvis “back into place.”

And manual treatment is not appropriate as a substitute for diagnostic evaluation when there is concern for:

• Fracture
• Bone stress injury
• Significant acute structural injury
• Hernia
• Infection
• Other non-musculoskeletal pathology

The diagnosis determines whether manual treatment belongs in the plan at all.

Manual Care Can Support Function Without Replacing Rehabilitation

For selected patients, manual treatment may help:

• Improve relevant movement
• Reduce mechanical sensitivity
• Make exercise more comfortable

That can be useful.

But if the patient has lost substantial hip strength or walking capacity, manual treatment alone does not restore those qualities.

A useful conservative plan may therefore combine symptom management with progressively increasing activity.

The objective is to create a hip that functions better—not simply one that feels temporarily looser after treatment.

Soft Tissue Therapy

Soft tissue treatment may be incorporated when clinically relevant muscular or tendon-related tenderness is present.

Depending on the diagnosis, this may involve selected tissues around the:

• Hip
• Thigh
• Adductor region

Treatment intensity should reflect tissue irritability.

A recently injured muscle or highly irritable tendon does not automatically benefit from aggressive pressure simply because the area is tender.

Soft tissue treatment should have a defined purpose within the larger rehabilitation plan.

Class IV Laser Therapy

Class IV laser therapy may be incorporated as an adjunct for selected musculoskeletal hip and groin conditions when clinically appropriate.

It may be used alongside:

• Exercise
• Load management
• Manual treatment
• Activity progression

Laser therapy does not:

• Repair a hip fracture
• Eliminate a hernia
• Reverse advanced hip osteoarthritis
• Replace evaluation of a suspected bone stress injury
• Treat abdominal, reproductive, or other non-musculoskeletal causes of groin pain

A modality should never delay the diagnostic work that the patient’s presentation requires.

Hip Osteoarthritis Does Not Automatically Mean the Patient Should Stop Being Active

Patients with hip osteoarthritis are sometimes afraid that walking is wearing away the joint.

That can lead to progressively less activity.

Less activity can then contribute to losses in:

• Strength
• Endurance
• Mobility
• General physical capacity

For many patients with hip osteoarthritis, appropriately dosed exercise and physical activity remain important components of management.

The amount and type of activity may need modification during symptomatic periods.

But the goal is generally to preserve or improve function rather than simply avoid using the hip.

Advanced Arthritis May Require a Different Conversation

Conservative care can help many patients manage symptoms and maintain function.

But there are limits.

A patient with advanced hip osteoarthritis who has:

• Severe persistent pain
• Major loss of motion
• Substantially reduced walking tolerance
• Significant limitation of daily activities

may eventually need orthopedic evaluation to discuss options including total hip replacement.

Referral is not a failure of conservative treatment.

It is appropriate clinical management when the patient’s condition has reached a point where another treatment option deserves consideration.

The Dr. Doyle Perspective

“When somebody tells me their groin hurts when they walk, I pay attention because that location can mean several different things. If they’re sixty-five and they’ve gradually lost hip rotation and now can’t put their shoe on comfortably, I’m thinking differently than if they’re twenty-five and felt a sharp pull while sprinting. And if they fell last week and can barely bear weight, that’s different again. I want to know whether we’re dealing with the joint, a muscle or tendon, the bone, or something that isn’t musculoskeletal at all. Once we know that, then we can decide what should be treated and what shouldn’t.”

— Dr. Geoffrey Doyle, DC

Our Clinical Experience

A common patient with hip-joint-related symptoms points directly into the groin and describes a gradual loss of function.

They may say:

“I can still walk, but I can’t walk as far as I used to.”

They may also struggle with:

• Shoes and socks
• Getting into the car
• Crossing the leg
• Getting up after prolonged sitting

That pattern may increase consideration of hip osteoarthritis or another intra-articular condition.

A younger patient may point to a similar area but describe an entirely different history:

“I planted my foot, changed direction, and felt it immediately.”

Now the examination may focus much more heavily on the adductor region and other athletic hip injuries.

Another patient may report groin pain after dramatically increasing running mileage.

If weight-bearing pain is progressing and a bone stress injury is plausible, continuing to load the hip without clarifying the diagnosis may be inappropriate.

The word groin identifies the region.

The history identifies the pathway.

Measuring Recovery by What the Patient Can Actually Do

Meaningful improvement may include being able to:

• Walk farther
• Climb stairs
• Put on shoes and socks
• Get into and out of a car
• Stand comfortably
• Exercise
• Return to running
• Return to sport
• Perform normal work duties

We may also reassess:

• Hip range of motion
• Strength
• Single-leg control
• Walking tolerance
• Pain response to loading

The objective is not simply to make the groin less tender during an office examination.

It is to restore the activities that brought the patient in for care.

When X-Rays May Be Useful

Hip X-rays may be appropriate when there is concern for:

• Osteoarthritis
• Fracture
• Significant structural abnormalities
• Other bony pathology

They can provide useful information about joint-space changes and bone morphology.

But imaging should be correlated with the clinical presentation.

A patient should not automatically be told that every symptom results from an abnormality visible on an X-ray.

Early X-Rays Can Miss Certain Bone Injuries

This becomes especially important when a femoral neck stress injury is suspected.

Early radiographs may not always demonstrate the injury.

If clinical suspicion remains meaningful despite normal or inconclusive X-rays, advanced imaging—often MRI—may be appropriate.

Continuing impact activity simply because an early X-ray was negative can be inappropriate when the history still strongly suggests bone stress injury.

When MRI May Be Appropriate

MRI may be useful when there is concern for:

• Femoral neck stress injury
• Occult fracture
• Significant soft-tissue injury
• Certain intra-articular hip conditions
• Other pathology not adequately characterized by X-ray

MRI is not necessary for every patient with groin pain.

It is most useful when the result is likely to answer a specific clinical question and change management.

When Orthopedic or Sports-Medicine Referral May Be Appropriate

Referral may be appropriate for:

• Suspected femoral neck stress injury
• Significant traumatic injury
• Advanced hip osteoarthritis
• Major tendon or muscle injury
• Persistent mechanical locking
• Significant structural hip pathology
• Progressive functional loss despite appropriate conservative treatment

The appropriate specialist depends on the suspected diagnosis.

Hernia Symptoms Require a Different Referral Pathway

A patient with a groin bulge or symptoms strongly associated with:

• Coughing
• Straining
• Heavy lifting
• Increased abdominal pressure

may need medical evaluation for a hernia.

A symptomatic hernia should not be treated as a tight hip muscle.

A suddenly painful or non-reducible bulge accompanied by significant abdominal symptoms, nausea, or vomiting can require urgent surgical assessment.

Testicular, Abdominal, and Pelvic Symptoms Should Not Be Forced Into a Musculoskeletal Diagnosis

When groin pain is accompanied by symptoms involving the:

• Testicles
• Abdomen
• Urinary system
• Reproductive system
• Pelvis

the diagnostic pathway may need to move outside musculoskeletal care.

Severe sudden testicular pain is particularly important because testicular torsion is a time-sensitive emergency.

The fact that walking also hurts does not make the problem orthopedic.

A Hot, Painful Hip With Systemic Illness Requires Prompt Evaluation

Routine hip osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, or muscle strain should not make a patient systemically ill.

A patient with severe hip or groin pain accompanied by:

• Fever
• Chills
• Significant illness
• A hot or markedly painful joint

requires prompt medical evaluation for infection or another serious condition.

This is not a presentation to manage with routine manual treatment while waiting for symptoms to settle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my groin hurt when I walk?

Groin pain during walking can come from the hip joint, muscles or tendons, bone, nerves, a hernia, or other pelvic and medical conditions. The location, symptom pattern, examination, and history help identify the source.

Is groin pain a sign of hip arthritis?

It can be. Hip osteoarthritis commonly causes deep groin pain, stiffness, reduced hip motion, and difficulty with weight-bearing activities. Groin pain alone, however, does not diagnose arthritis.

Can a groin strain hurt when walking?

Yes. An adductor muscle or tendon injury can become painful during walking, particularly when the injury is more irritable or the stride places greater demand on the involved tissues.

How do I know if my groin pain is coming from my hip?

Deep groin pain associated with reduced hip motion, painful weight-bearing, stiffness, and difficulty with activities such as putting on shoes may increase suspicion of hip-joint involvement. A physical examination can help distinguish it from other causes.

Can a hip labral tear cause groin pain?

Labral pathology can be associated with groin pain, clicking, catching, and pain in certain hip positions. However, labral abnormalities can also exist without being the primary cause of symptoms, so imaging findings require clinical correlation.

Can my low back cause groin pain?

Certain lumbar or neurological conditions can refer symptoms toward the groin or front of the thigh. Numbness, tingling, weakness, reflex changes, or symptoms influenced by spinal movement may make a neurological source more relevant.

Should I stretch if my groin hurts?

Not automatically. Stretching may be appropriate for some mobility problems but may aggravate an acute muscle injury, sensitive tendon, certain hip-joint conditions, or other injuries. The cause should be identified first.

Can chiropractic care help groin pain?

For appropriately selected musculoskeletal hip, muscle, tendon, or mechanically related conditions, conservative care may include exercise, load management, manual treatment, and progressive rehabilitation. Hernias, fractures, significant bone stress injuries, infections, and other medical causes require different management.

When should I get an X-ray for groin pain?

Imaging may be appropriate after significant trauma, when hip osteoarthritis or other bony pathology is suspected, or when persistent symptoms and examination findings raise a structural concern.

Can a stress fracture cause groin pain?

Yes. Femoral neck stress injuries can produce deep hip or groin pain, initially during impact activity and potentially later during walking or at rest. Suspicion of a bone stress injury warrants appropriate evaluation and often advanced imaging.

When is groin pain an emergency?

Severe pain after major trauma, inability to bear weight, severe sudden testicular pain, a suddenly painful or non-reducible groin bulge with abdominal symptoms, or severe hip pain with fever or systemic illness can require urgent or emergency medical evaluation.