Many athletes face the problem of a pulled groin muscle periodically. Knowledge about pulled groin recovery time will be extremely useful at such crucial juncture.

No doctor can accurately predict the pulled groin recovery time. It will depend on several distinguishing factors, like the severity of the injury itself, the patient's medical history, the patient's general fitness levels, and of course, the mode of treatment adopted. It is a complex injury that severely limits the movement and the mobility of the afflicted individual, and this occurs as a direct result of the adductor muscles (muscles of the upper inner thigh) getting stretched. Groin pulls are most commonly experienced by athletes and sportsmen. Sudden turns and stretches can cause this injury, and once this pain sets in, it becomes close to impossible to even walk without feeling the pain.

Some people do not realize the importance of complete bed rest that they are recommended, and this ultimately means that the pulled muscle does not recover completely. As a result, the injury reoccurs occasionally, and even becomes worse over time. The total recovery time can be said to be around 2-3 months, if all the precautions and safety measures are followed properly by the patient.

Causes

As already mentioned, a pulled groin is a condition where the inner thigh muscles get damaged. This can indicate bruising of the muscle, excessive stretching of the muscle, or even a full-fledged tear of the muscle itself. These muscles run from the hip bone to the inner thigh, so the pain is felt in a fairly large area. The 5 muscles present in this area are the Adductor Magnus, the Adductor Longus, the Adductor Brevis, the Pectineus and the Gracilis, which help in moving the thigh, and this process is known as adduction.

The causes of a groin pull can be attributed to over use of these muscles, sudden movements and twisting of the muscles, inadequate warm up before physical exercise, external physical trauma, and poor mechanics while heavy lifting. All these causes are factors that commonly harm athletes, and the nature of the cause hence plays a huge role in the recovery time. When a person has a pulled groin, he will feel pain in the area immediately, and he will be unable to walk or run without feeling intense agony. The act of stretching the leg will be exceptionally painful as well. Swelling and inflammation in the area will also be easily visible.

Types and Prognosis

Like all muscle injuries, groin pulls are also divided into certain levels, or grades. The higher the grade, the more intense will be the injury, and thus the longer will be the recovery period as well.

• Grade I implies just a minor strain, and a few days of bed rest will cure the problem.
• Grade II means there is a slight tissue tear, and the patient will take about 4-6 weeks to recover.
• Grade III is the most dangerous, as it signifies a torn groin muscle, and recovery will require around 8-12 weeks.

You must remember that the recovery times mentioned here are dependent on the fact that the patient takes complete bed rest, and follows the proper mode of groin pull treatment perfectly. There are many physical activities that the patient will need to avoid, and there will also be some specific exercises that he will be required to perform. When these instructions are followed along with adequate amount of rest, the pulled muscle will heal itself. There are also some subtle differences between the recovery time for men and women.

Facing relapses of a pulled groin is not an uncommon occurrence, and this is something that one should be guarded against. Getting an additional week or two of rest is better than getting a relapse and being bed ridden for another 2 months. The recovery time will rise further, if the patient suffers a relapse, hence this is something that should be guarded against.

Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.