Groin
Rehabilitation
Protocol

 

Groin pain is a common injury among athletes, particularly those involved in sports that require sudden movements, such as soccer, hockey, and running.

Proper rehabilitation is essential for a full recovery, as improper care can lead to prolonged pain or even re-injury. By following a structured rehabilitation protocol, athletes can efficiently heal, regain strength, and return to their sport safely.

Groin

< Evidence-Based Practice >

  • Groin pain is a common issue among athletes, with complex rehabilitation needs due to the multiple anatomical structures involved (Ramazzina et al., 2019).
  • Recent research suggests that an integrated approach combining active and passive treatments is most effective for managing groin pain (Ramazzina et al., 2019; Collebrusco & Marcelli, 2022).
  • Rehabilitation focusing on intersegmental control has shown promising results, improving functional outcomes and biomechanics (King et al., 2018; Gore et al., 2019).
  • Core stability exercises and trunk muscle strengthening have also demonstrated success in treating groin pain (Dello Iacono et al., 2016).
  • Intersegmental control exercises, including squatting and jumping with overhead movements, may lead to earlier return-to-play compared to isolated hip muscle strengthening (Saito et al., 2023).
Groin

< Exercises & Trainings >

        • Stretching
            • Supine Groin Stretch (Butterfly)
            • Adductor Rocker
        • Strengthening
            • Ball Squeeze
            • Sumo Squat
            • Adductor Leg Raises
            • Copenhagen Plank
            • Cossack Squat
        • Core/Trunk/Coordination
            • Monster Walk
            • Kettlebell Deadlift
            • Repetitive Side Jump
            • Plank with KB Shift

< Reference >

  • Ramazzina, Ileana, Benedetta Bernazzoli, Virginia Braghieri, and Cosimo Costantino. “Groin Pain in Athletes and Non-Interventional Rehabilitative Treatment: A Systematic Review.” The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 59, no. 6 (June 2019). https://doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.18.08879-5.
  • Collebrusco, Luca, and Giacomo Marcelli. “The role of active training programme and passive physiotherapy treatment in athletes with groin pain: literature review.” Journal of Advanced Health Care, February 1, 2022, 43–46. https://doi.org/10.36017/jahc2202-01.
  • King, Enda, Andrew Franklyn-Miller, Chris Richter, Eamon O’Reilly, Mark Doolan, Kieran Moran, Siobhan Strike, and Éanna Falvey. “Clinical and Biomechanical Outcomes of Rehabilitation Targeting Intersegmental Control in Athletic Groin Pain: Prospective Cohort of 205 Patients.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 52, no. 16 (August 2018): 1054–62. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-097089.
  • Gore, S.J., A. Franklyn-Miller, C. Richter, E. King, E.C. Falvey, and K. Moran. “The Effects of Rehabilitation on the Biomechanics of Patients with Athletic Groin Pain.” Journal of Biomechanics 99 (January 2020): 109474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.109474.
  • Dello Iacono, Antonio, Nicola Maffulli, Lior Laver, and Johnny Padulo. “Successful Treatment of Groin Pain Syndrome in a Pole-Vault Athlete with Core Stability Exercise.” The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 57, no. 12 (October 2017). https://doi.org/10.23736/s0022-4707.16.06735-9.
  • Saito, H., D. Sugimoto, T. Soga, N. Hakariya, K. Kamada, N. Nakaichi, and N. Hirose. “Effective Therapeutic Exercises for Early Return to Play in Male Athletes with Chronic Groin Pain: Systematic Review.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 26 (October 2023): S115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2023.08.147.