Groin injuries account for 2 to 5 percent of all sports injuries, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Chronic groin pain can be extremely difficult to treat because the anatomy of the groin region is very complex. The groin area contains many different muscles and joints, and many cases of groin pain are caused by two or more separate disorders. Successful treatment of chronic groin pain requires identifying the cause of the pain.
Rest
For all types groin injuries, doctors recommend not engaging in strenuous activity until the pain is completely gone. Strained muscles or tendons may cause pain for 6 to 8 weeks, reports the Sports Injury Bulletin. Exercising before the pain is gone increases the risk of re-injuring the groin, leading to chronic groin pain. Other causes of groin pain, including hernias of the abdominal wall and disorders of the hip joints, may require 6 months to a year of rest to completely heal, reports the American Academy of Family Physicians. Chronic groin pain that does not disappear after 2 months of rest may be a sign of a more complicated disorder than strained muscles or tendons.
Physical Therapy or Active Training
For muscle or tendon strains in the groin area, manual massage of the affected area may ease the pain, the Sports Injury Bulletin reports. A controlled trial of physical therapy versus active training exercise for the treatment of groin pain found that active training exercises, which are targeted exercises that specifically strengthen the muscles in the groin, helped athletes return to their sport fast than traditional physical therapy, which included massage, stretching and electrical nerve stimulation, explains the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Pain Medications
Doctors sometimes prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, abbreviated as NSAIDs, for groin pain. However, studies indicate that NSAIDs and steroid injections are not effective in treating muscle strains causing groin pain, reports the American Academy of Family Physicians. For disorders of the hip bones and joints causing chronic groin pain, injections of corticosteroids have been shown to be effective for some patients.
Surgery
If the muscles or tendons connecting the hips to the legs are torn, surgery may be the only way to effectively treat the injury. Another common cause of chronic groin pain is referred to as "sports hernias." These injuries result from a tear in the sheet of muscles that forms wall of the abdominal cavity. Sports hernias may be almost indistinguishable from strained muscles, except the pain is often felt deeper in the groin and lasts longer, Athletic Coast Conference Sports Sciences explains. Surgery is required to repair the hole in the abdominal cavity, followed by rehabilitation.
