Groin Archives - PhysioWorks!

What Causes Hip and Groin Pain?

hip and groin pain causes assessed with standing hip flexion and rotation

Hip movement checks help guide the next step.

Hip and groin pain causes can include hip joint irritation, groin strain, tendon overload, or pain from the lower back or pelvis. Many people notice pain with walking, running, sitting, stairs, squats, kicking or changing direction.

A hip pain physiotherapy assessment can help sort out the likely source. This is helpful when hip pain overlaps with groin pain.

Quick Answer: What Causes Hip and Groin Pain?

The most common hip and groin pain causes include hip arthritis, femoroacetabular impingement, hip labral tear, groin strain, adductor tendon pain, hip flexor pain, gluteal tendon pain and lower back referral.

Pain site, stiffness, clicking, weakness, limping and activity triggers often give useful clues. A careful check is usually needed because hip, groin and back symptoms can overlap.

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Common Hip and Groin Pain Causes

Most causes sit in six groups: hip joint problems, muscle and tendon overload, outer hip pain, referred pain, bone stress, and inflammatory health conditions.

Deep groin pain often points to the hip joint. Inner-thigh pain may involve the adductor muscles or tendons. Outer hip pain often relates to the gluteal tendons or nearby bursa. Back pain can also travel to the hip or groin.

Hip joint clues: deep groin pain, stiffness, clicking, catching, pain with sitting, squats or twisting.
Muscle or tendon clues: pain with sprinting, kicking, lunges, stairs, running or change of direction.
Back-related clues: burning pain, pins and needles, numbness, or symptoms that change with back movement.
Bone stress clues: deep pain that worsens with running, jumping or long walks.

Hip Joint-Related Causes

Hip joint pain often feels deep at the front of the hip or groin. It may worsen with sitting, stairs, hills, squats, twisting or getting in and out of a car.

Hip osteoarthritis can cause stiffness, aching and loss of hip range.
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) can irritate the hip during deep bending or rotation.
Hip labral tear may cause catching, sharp pain or a blocked hip feeling.
Avascular necrosis is less common but important. It affects blood flow to the femoral head.

These problems can feel similar early on. Assessment checks hip movement, strength, walking pattern and how symptoms respond to load.

Muscle and Tendon-Related Causes

Soft tissue overload is common in active people, runners, field-sport players and gym users. Symptoms may build slowly or start after a sprint, kick, lunge or sharp change of direction.

Groin strain often causes sharp inner-thigh pain during sudden load.
Adductor-related groin pain may hurt with squeezing, cutting or kicking.
Hip flexor pain may hurt when lifting the knee, sprinting or rising from sitting.
Gluteal tendinopathy often causes outer hip pain with walking, stairs or side-lying.
Muscle strain may follow sudden or repeated overload.

Muscle and tendon pain often improves with staged loading. The plan should match the tissue, pain level and activity goal.

hip and groin pain causes checked with adductor squeeze test

Adductor testing can help identify groin sources.

Pain Location Clues

Deep groin: the hip joint, labrum, FAI or hip arthritis may be involved.
Inner thigh: adductor muscle or tendon load is common.
Front of hip: hip flexor pain or joint referral may contribute.
Outer hip: gluteal tendons or the trochanteric bursa may be sensitive.
Back, buttock or leg symptoms: lower back referral or nerve irritation may be involved.

Lateral Hip Pain Causes

Pain on the outside of the hip often relates to tendon or bursal irritation. Many people feel pain over the side of the hip with side-lying, stairs, hills or standing on one leg.

The key issue is often load sensitivity around the outer hip. Care may focus on reducing compression, changing activity, improving hip strength and rebuilding walking or running tolerance.

Can Back Pain Cause Hip or Groin Pain?

Yes. Lower back pain, sciatica and a pinched nerve can refer symptoms to the front, side or back of the hip.

Back-related symptoms may include burning pain, pins and needles, numbness, or pain below the knee. Hip joint pain usually changes more with hip rotation, squats, stairs or sitting.

Bone, Health and Inflammatory Causes

Less common causes still matter. Osteoporosis can increase fracture risk. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint pain, swelling or morning stiffness. Stress fractures can cause deep pain that worsens with impact.

Seek medical advice quickly if pain is severe, traumatic, worsening, linked with fever, or stops you from weight-bearing.

How Does Physiotherapy Help Clarify the Cause?

A physiotherapist checks the pattern rather than guessing from pain location alone. Your assessment may include hip range, strength tests, balance, walking, squat or step checks, spine screening and sport-specific loading.

This helps decide whether symptoms are more likely to involve the hip joint, adductors, hip flexors, gluteal tendons, lower back or another source. It also helps shape a plan for pain relief, load changes, exercise progressions and return to sport.

Imaging may help in some cases. Your physiotherapist may suggest GP review or imaging if your history, symptoms or test findings raise concern.

Should You Keep Exercising?

You may keep moving if symptoms are mild, settle quickly and do not worsen after activity. Reduce sharp, limping or high-speed movements until the cause is clearer.

Keep comfortable walking if symptoms do not build.
Avoid painful sprinting, kicking, cutting or jumping.
Reduce deep squats if they trigger hip or groin pain.
Restart strength work gradually.
Book an assessment if pain keeps returning.

When Should You Seek Help?

Book an assessment if hip or groin pain lasts more than a few days, limits walking, causes limping, stops sport, affects sleep, or returns when you increase training.

Seek urgent medical care if you cannot bear weight, have severe night pain, fever, unexplained weight loss, major trauma, sudden testicular pain, abdominal pain, or severe pain with feeling unwell.

hip and groin pain causes managed with lateral step reach rehab

Guided control supports safe activity progression.

What To Do Next

If hip or groin pain limits walking, work, training or sport, book a physiotherapy assessment. Early guidance can help identify the likely source, reduce repeated flare-ups and support a safer return to activity.

For athletes and active adults, assessment can also guide load changes, strength progressions and a safer return to running, kicking, cutting or gym training.

Related Information

Hip and Groin Pain FAQs

What causes hip and groin pain?

Hip and groin pain can come from the hip joint, nearby muscles or tendons, bone stress, or referred pain from the lower back or pelvis. Common triggers include walking, running, sitting, stairs, squats and twisting.

Can hip pain cause groin pain?

Yes. Hip joint problems can refer pain into the groin. This can happen with hip arthritis, FAI and hip labral irritation. Pain may worsen with sitting, squats, twisting, stairs or getting in and out of a car.

What does adductor-related groin pain feel like?

Adductor-related groin pain often feels like inner-thigh or groin pain. It may worsen with sprinting, kicking, cutting or squeezing the legs together. It may start suddenly or build slowly with repeated sport load.

When should I see a physiotherapist for hip or groin pain?

Consider an assessment if pain lasts more than a few days, limits daily activity, affects walking, causes limping, stops sport, or keeps returning after rest. Assessment can help guide safe loading.

Can exercise help hip and groin pain?

Exercise may help when it matches the cause and stage of pain. A physiotherapist may guide hip, groin, trunk and leg strength, then progress walking, running, stairs or sport tasks.