Navigating Groin Pain and Adductor Tendinitis During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a remarkable journey filled with excitement and anticipation. However, it also brings various physical changes and challenges that can cause discomfort and pain, particularly in the pelvic area, hips, and lower abdomen.
One common issue many pregnant women face is navigating groin pain during pregnancy, often accompanied by adductor tendinitis, groin injury, or even pelvic girdle pain. These issues may involve the adductor muscle group, which plays a crucial role in stabilising the pelvis and supporting movement.
In this blog, we'll explore the causes, pregnancy symptoms, and effective treatment options for these conditions, including how Elite HP's specialised approach can provide relief and support for a healthy pregnancy.
Understanding Groin Pain and Adductor Pain During Pregnancy
Groin pain and adductor pain are often discussed together because they can both affect the pelvic area, especially during early pregnancy. In some cases, discomfort may stem from inflammation around the pubic symphysis, a joint that can loosen and shift due to pregnancy hormones.
However, they stem from different causes and require different approaches to pain management and treatment. Let’s break down the differences:
Groin Pain
Groin pain during pregnancy is typically felt in the area where the lower abdomen meets the thighs, often extending to the inner thigh muscles or lower pelvis. This type of pelvic discomfort can be caused by several factors, including tissue damage or dysfunction in surrounding structures:
Muscle Strain: Overstretching or tearing of muscle tissue or abdominal muscle tendons in the groin area.
Ligament Injuries: Such as round ligament pain, which is common as the uterus expands. In some cases, overstretched ligaments may also affect the adductor brevis or nearby connective tissues.
Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD): A condition where the pelvic girdle joint becomes unstable due to hormonal changes. This instability can impact the adductor tubercle and surrounding joints, leading to discomfort in the affected leg.
Hernias: Inguinal hernias cause sharp pain in the groin. Depending on severity, these may contribute to groin injury or irritation of nearby muscle tissue.
Vaginal Infections: Such as yeast infections, which can lead to pelvic discomfort and mimic symptoms associated with other conditions requiring differential diagnosis.
Groin Pain Symptoms:
A sharp or dull ache in the groin region, often linked with pelvic girdle pain. In severe cases, this may be associated with inflammation or irritation of the tendonitis-prone areas around the pelvis.
Pain that radiates to the hip, thigh, or lower abdomen, sometimes presenting as hip pain or abdominal pain. The discomfort may also involve the adductor muscle group, especially when the short adductors are under strain.
Increased discomfort with movement, especially when standing, walking, or lifting, is a common complaint among pregnant women dealing with pelvic discomfort and stiffness in the injured area.
Adductor Pain
Adductor pain, on the other hand, is specifically related to the muscles on the inner thigh, known as the adductor muscle group.
These muscles play a key role in moving the legs together, supporting the pelvic floor, and stabilising the pelvic girdle. During pregnancy, the altered biomechanics can lead to strain and inflammation in these muscles, resulting in adductor tendinopathy or adductor tendinitis, depending on severity.
Adductor Muscle Strain: Overuse or injury to the adductor muscles, especially the adductor brevis, can occur due to poor pelvic tilt or hip control during pregnancy.
Adductor Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendons connecting the adductor muscles to the pelvis, particularly near the adductor tubercle, usually from repetitive strain or increased load.
Poor Hip Control: Changes in weight distribution and core stability during pregnancy can cause overcompensation by the adductors, potentially leading to microtrauma or even tendon rupture in severe scenarios.
Adductor Pain Symptoms:
Sharp, stabbing pain in the inner thigh muscles or groin area, sometimes radiating to the pelvic girdle. This can be a sign of tendonitis or irritation around the pubic bone.
Tenderness and swelling along the inner thigh are often linked with chronic pain in the adductors, sometimes resulting from microtears or minor tissue damage.
Difficulty with activities involving inward leg movements or balancing on one leg — a common sign of pelvic floor muscle imbalance, especially when the affected leg compensates for instability.
Pain that worsens with movement, especially walking, getting up from a chair, or changing direction, may gradually lead to osteitis pubis or achilles tendon strain if gait mechanics are altered over time.
How Elite HP Treats Groin Pain and Adductor Tendinitis
At Elite HP, we understand the unique challenges that pregnancy symptoms and pain can present. Our experienced practitioners employ targeted and effective treatment strategies to alleviate discomfort and support your wellbeing throughout your pregnancy journey.
Comprehensive Assessment
We begin with a thorough assessment to understand the specific causes and severity of your pain. This includes evaluating your posture, pelvic tilt, movement patterns, and identifying any muscle imbalances or weaknesses contributing to your discomfort, particularly in the pelvic floor, pelvic girdle, and surrounding muscle tissue. A differential diagnosis may be performed to rule out less common causes, like tendon rupture or early signs of osteitis pubis.
Active Release Techniques (ART)
ART is a hands-on physiotherapy technique that targets soft tissues to relieve tension and improve mobility, a valuable method for patients experiencing joint pain, pelvic discomfort, or hip pain during pregnancy.
Adductor Longus and Adductor Magnus Release: We apply precise pressure and movement to these key muscles to reduce inflammation, break down scar tissue, and restore normal function.
Glutes, TFL, and Hip Flexor Treatment: By addressing surrounding muscles, we ensure comprehensive relief and improved hip stability, which is essential for reducing strain on the adductors and pelvic area, including the adductor tubercle and thigh bone attachments.
Dry Needling Therapy
Dry needling involves inserting fine needles into trigger points within the muscle tissue to alleviate chronic pain and promote healing. It’s particularly helpful for relieving deep-seated tension and inflammation around the pubic symphysis and groin region.
Targeted Adductor Tendon Needling: This technique specifically addresses inflammation and tension at the adductor tendon in the groin, especially near the short adductors, providing significant pain relief and facilitating faster recovery. It’s also beneficial for symptoms caused by groin injury or a minor rupture along the tendon insertion.
Note: We recommend scheduling this treatment with a female practitioner for comfort and sensitivity, as it involves working closely with the pelvic area.
Personalised Exercise Programs
We develop customised exercise routines focused on strengthening the core, abdominal muscles, and adductor muscle group activation, while improving hip control and increasing flexibility. These exercises not only help reduce pain but also prevent future strain by supporting the injured area and improving alignment of the thigh bone and pubic bone, all critical during pregnancy’s biomechanical changes.
Education and Ergonomic Advice
Our practitioners provide guidance on proper movement techniques, postural adjustments, and the use of supportive devices, such as pelvic support belts or braces, to alleviate pressure and provide additional stability, especially important for minimising stiffness and protecting against repetitive stress on the adductor brevis and related pelvic structures.
Ongoing Support and Monitoring
We believe in providing continuous care and support throughout your treatment journey. Regular follow-ups allow us to monitor progress and adjust treatment plans as needed to ensure optimal outcomes. This ongoing approach allows for early detection of issues, including signs of adductor tendinopathy or potential tissue damage, which can be managed proactively.
Managing Groin Pain and Adductor Tendinitis at Home
In addition to professional treatments, several self-care strategies can help manage and alleviate pain at home, an essential part of any comprehensive pain management plan.
Rest and activity modification are crucial; avoiding movements that worsen symptoms and incorporating periods of rest can make a significant difference. Applying heat or cold therapy, such as a warm compress or ice pack on the affected leg, pelvic area, or hip, can reduce inflammation, support healing, and soothe tendonitis or localised tissue damage.
Gentle stretching, as recommended by your physiotherapy provider or through guided physical therapy, can help maintain flexibility, reduce pelvic discomfort, and relieve inner thigh muscle tension that contributes to groin or adductor pain.
Supportive wear, such as maternity belts, can help distribute weight more evenly and reduce strain on the pubic symphysis, pelvic girdle, and hips, contributing to better alignment and reduced lower back pain.
When to Seek Medical Attention
While groin pain and adductor tendinitis are common during pregnancy, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider if:
Pain is Severe or Worsening: Intense or severe pain that doesn’t improve with rest or home care may signal a more serious condition and warrants professional evaluation — especially if accompanied by nerve entrapment, sharp groin pain, or signs of tendon rupture.
Mobility is Significantly Affected: Difficulty performing daily activities or walking normally should be addressed promptly, as it may indicate a more complex issue requiring a differential diagnosis to rule out complications such as osteitis pubis, adductor tendinopathy, or pelvic instability.
Accompanied by Other Symptoms: Such as fever, bleeding, or unusual discharge, which could signal a medical emergency like an ectopic pregnancy.
Persistent or Recurrent Issues: Ongoing discomfort despite treatment may require further investigation using a symptom checker, imaging, or referral to a specialist. For many patients, early intervention and a personalised treatment plan can help restore mobility, reduce pain, and support a healthier pregnancy experience.
Early intervention can prevent complications and ensure both your health and your baby’s well-being are protected, supporting a healthy pregnancy.
Find Relief At Elite Health & Performance
If you're navigating groin pain during pregnancy or dealing with adductor tendinitis and live in Brisbane, Elite Health & Performance is here to help.
Our team of experienced professionals offers tailored treatments, including physiotherapy, dry needling, and personalised exercise programs, designed to reduce pelvic pain, ease hip pain, and support your pregnancy health.
These approaches are especially effective in addressing strain or imbalances within the adductor muscle group, surrounding muscle tissue, and short adductors, which can often become overworked as your body adapts to pregnancy.
Whether you're in early pregnancy or further along, our integrated approach addresses your symptoms holistically, from pelvic floor support to managing abdominal pain and improving thigh bone alignment and pelvic tilt mechanics.
Don’t let discomfort or lower back pain disrupt your journey. Contact us today to schedule an appointment and take the first step toward effective treatment, pain relief, and a healthy pregnancy.
