A pulled groin muscle is a partial strain of the muscles that run along the inside of the thighs called the "adductors." There are certain things that can lead to a pulled groin such as overuse, stretching the muscles too far or putting too much stress on the adductors when they are not prepared for it. Once you have a pulled groin muscle, there are several remedies that can be used to treat it.
Rest
As soon as you pull a groin muscle, you are going to feel pain, stiffness and weakness in your adductor muscles. You might even hear or feel a "pop." One of the first lines of treatments with a groin pull is to rest your leg and do not do any pain-inducing activities. Even if you feel pain when you are walking, shorten your steps.
Ice
Cold therapy can be used for several days after you first pull your groin. Wrap some ice cubes up in a towel and apply it to your groin for 15 to 20 minutes, four times a day. You can also use a cold pack or a bag of frozen vegetables. Just make sure not to directly apply ice to your groin.
Elevate
When you are sitting around in the first 24 hours after you injure your groin, elevate your leg higher than your heart. This can help keep swelling down.
Compress
The acronym "RICE" stands for rest, ice, elevation and compression. The first three are already illustrated. The only remaining part is compression. To keep the swelling as minimal as possible, wrap an elastic bandage around your groin and wear it throughout the day. Just make sure not to tighten it down too much.
Pain Relievers
Your doctor may recommend that you take some form of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to help ease the pain. These can be found over-the-counter, and two of the most common ones are ibuprofen and naproxen.
Prevention
When you are ready to go back to playing sports are participating in exercise, make sure to warm up really well before you start by doing some light jogging and dynamic stretching like walking lunges, high knee lifts and front leg swings. This can make your adductor muscles less prone to pulling.
There is also a routine you can do strengthen your groin muscles called "Indian hops." To do these, jog for a few steps forward, then jog to the right. When you place your right foot down, hop to the left. Land on your left foot, hop in place, and then explode back to the right. Land, hop in place and then explode back to the left. Do this for 45 seconds, then take a 15 rest. Alternate back and forth five to six times.
When you finish activities, do some stretches to keep your adductors limber. A groin stretch can be done from a seated position on the floor. To do this, place the soles of your feet together with your heels in towards your body. Place your hands on your knees and slowly apply downward pressure. Hold for 10 seconds, release and repeat 10 times total.
