Groin strain treatment in Manchester
Find out exactly which part of your groin is hurt, settle the pain and rebuild the strength to kick, sprint and change direction again.
Groin strain physio in Manchester city centre
Reviewed by Nick Chatziviltsos, PgDip, HCPC-registered physiotherapist (PH114351), November 2026
At a glance
Who gets it: Footballers, rugby and hockey players, runners, and anyone doing fast side-to-side or kicking movements.
Main symptom: Sharp or aching pain on the inside of the thigh near the groin, worse squeezing your legs together, kicking or sprinting.
Typical recovery: Mild strains: 2 to 3 weeks. Bad tears: 2 to 3 months. Long-standing groin pain can take longer.
Sessions: Most people need 3 to 6 over 4 to 10 weeks.
Avoid: Stretching hard or playing through sharp pain. Going back to full matches before you can sprint and kick pain-free.
Get checked: A lump in the groin, pain with a fever, swelling in the testicles, or pain that came on with no injury: see your GP.
A groin strain is an injury to the muscles on the inside of your thigh, called the adductors. It usually happens with a sudden kick, stretch or change of direction. You feel a sharp pain high on the inner thigh and it hurts to bring your legs together.
Most groin strains heal well with the right rehab. NHS advice is that minor strains settle in a couple of weeks, and even severe ones usually recover within 6 months with physiotherapy. The problem is that groin injuries come back often, especially if you return to sport before your strength is back.
Groin pain also has several possible sources. The adductors, hip flexors, the inguinal area, the pubic bone and the hip joint can all hurt in the same spot. Our job is to find which one is yours, treat it properly and make sure it doesn't come back next season.
🛠️ How we treat groin strain
Every groin plan at Athos Physio follows the same three steps. What changes is what we find at each one.
Step 1. Find the root cause
Groin pain is easy to mislabel. In your first 60-minute session we work out three things:
What's injured: the adductor muscle or tendon, the hip flexor, the inguinal area, the pubic bone or the hip joint itself
How badly: a mild strain, a partial tear, or a long-standing overload problem that has crept up over months
Why it happened: weak adductors compared with your other hip muscles, a sudden jump in matches or sprinting, a previous groin injury, or stiff hips
We show you on a 3D anatomy model where the adductors attach to the pubic bone. That makes it easier to see why squeezing, kicking and cutting hurt, and why strength is the fix.
Step 2. Treat what's driving it
Settle the pain. Soft tissue work, IASTM and joint mobilisation for a stiff hip or lower back, if those are adding load.
Change the load, don't stop moving. We pause kicking, sprinting and sharp turns for a short time, and keep you walking, cycling and training the rest of your body.
Start loading early. Gentle squeezes and isometric holds usually start within days. Pain-free loading helps the muscle heal in the right direction.
Step 3. Build it to last
This is where most groin rehab falls short, and where we spend the most time.
Adductor strength, from ball squeezes to side-lying lifts to the full Copenhagen plank.
Whole hip and trunk strength, so your abductors, hip flexors and core share the load.
Rehab on the gym floor. Being inside F45 NQ means we can use sleds, cables, plyo boxes and open floor space for lateral lunges, skater jumps and sprint drills.
Return to sport, with a graded plan for running, sprinting, changing direction and kicking, ending in full-pace work.
We finish when you can kick, sprint and cut at full speed, and your squeeze strength matches the other side. Not just when walking stops hurting.
Not sure if it's your adductors, your hip or something else? Your first 60-minute session finds out and starts treatment the same day. Book your assessment →
🔍 What is a groin strain?
Your adductors are a group of five muscles running from your pubic bone down the inside of your thigh. They pull your legs together and steady your pelvis when you run, kick and change direction. The one most often injured is the adductor longus, close to where it attaches to the pubic bone.
A strain means some of the muscle or tendon fibres have been overstretched or torn. It can happen in one moment, such as a stretched-out tackle. It can also build up over weeks of repeated kicking and turning.
In 2015, an international group of experts agreed a set of clear names for groin pain in athletes, known as the Doha agreement. It splits groin pain into adductor-related, iliopsoas-related (hip flexor), inguinal-related, pubic-related and hip-related pain. We use the same system, so your diagnosis means the same thing to any doctor or surgeon you see.
Grades of groin strain
Grade 1 (mild): a small number of fibres overstretched; tight and sore, but you can usually walk normally and finish the session; rough time to full sport: 1 to 3 weeks.
Grade 2 (moderate): a partial tear of the muscle or tendon; sharp pain at the time, a limp, pain squeezing your legs together, sometimes bruising; rough time to full sport: 3 to 8 weeks.
Grade 3 (severe): a large or complete tear, sometimes off the bone; sudden severe pain, sometimes a pop, bruising down the thigh, very weak squeeze; rough time to full sport: 2 to 3 months or more, and sometimes a specialist opinion.
Long-standing adductor-related groin pain: overload of the tendon where it meets the bone, building over weeks; ache after sport, stiff the next morning, sore warming up then easing; rough time to full sport: often 2 to 4 months of structured rehab.
The grade gives us a starting point. Your progress through rehab tells us more about your return date than the grade alone.
⚠️ Groin strain symptoms
With a groin strain you might notice:
Pain high on the inside of your thigh, close to the groin crease
Pain when you squeeze your knees together, or bring your leg across your body
Pain kicking, especially long passes or shots with the inside of your foot
Pain sprinting, cutting or getting in and out of a car
Tenderness when you press on the inner thigh near the pubic bone
Bruising on the inner thigh a day or two later, in moderate or severe strains
Stiffness in the morning or after sitting, in long-standing cases
Is it a groin strain, a hernia or something else?
Pain in the crease at the front of the hip, worse lifting your knee points more towards the hip flexor. See our hip flexor strain page.
Pain just above the groin crease, worse coughing or sneezing, can be inguinal-related groin pain. A lump that comes and goes may be a hernia and needs a GP check.
Deep pain in the hip, with clicking, catching or pain sitting with your knees up, may be coming from the hip joint itself.
Pain right over the bone in the middle of the pelvis suggests pubic-related groin pain, which is often slower to settle.
Pain on the outside of the hip lying on that side is more likely trochanteric bursitis.
Different sources can sit side by side, especially in footballers. We test each one at your first session rather than guessing from where it hurts.
🔍 What causes a groin strain?
A groin strain happens when the adductors are asked to do more than they're ready for. That usually means a fast stretch while the muscle is working hard, like stretching out for a ball, or a sudden change of direction.
Common triggers we see in Manchester
5-a-side and Sunday league football on 3G pitches after a day at a desk, with little warm-up.
Pre-season, when sprinting, shooting and matches all ramp up in the same few weeks.
Rugby, hockey and racket sports, with lots of side-steps, lunges and tackles.
Gym classes with lateral work, such as skater jumps, lateral lunges and sliding exercises, done fast before you've built up to them.
Running training blocks, especially adding hills, track sessions or trail running quickly in the build-up to a spring marathon.
A previous groin injury, which is one of the strongest risk factors for another one.
Groin strain myths
"I just need to stretch it." Hard stretching early on can aggravate a fresh tear. Strength is what protects the groin.
"Rest until it stops hurting, then play." Pain often settles before strength returns. That gap is when groin injuries come back.
"Groin pain means a sports hernia." The Doha experts advised against that term because it's unclear. Most athletes with groin pain don't need surgery.
"A scan will tell us everything." Scan changes are common in athletes with no pain. The diagnosis is based mainly on your history and examination.
🧪 How we assess groin strain
Your first session lasts 60 minutes, so there's time to assess properly and start treatment the same day.
Your story (10 to 15 minutes). How it happened, your sport and training load, previous groin or hip injuries, and what makes it better or worse.
Safety screen. We check for signs of a hernia, infection or anything that needs a doctor.
Palpation. We press along the adductors, hip flexor, inguinal area and pubic bone. This finds exactly where the pain comes from, as the Doha agreement sets out.
Squeeze tests. The adductor squeeze test with your knees bent and straight, plus resisted adduction. These tell us whether the adductors are involved and how strong they are.
Hip tests. Hip range of motion plus the FABER and FADIR tests, to rule the hip joint in or out. We also test resisted hip flexion and the hip flexor stretch for the iliopsoas.
Movement and strength. Single-leg squat, lateral lunge, hop control, and strength of the adductors compared with the abductors.
Your diagnosis and plan. In plain English: which structure is hurt, how badly, what to change this week, when you can expect to play, and how many sessions we expect.
You'll leave with treatment started and the first two or three exercises of your custom rehab plan. If we think you need a scan or a specialist opinion, we'll tell you and write to your GP.
🛠️ Groin strain treatment at Athos Physio
Every plan moves through four phases. How fast you move depends on how your groin responds, not on the calendar. Timings below are for a typical moderate strain.
Settle (days 0 to 7). Ease pain and protect the healing muscle. Relative rest from kicking and sprinting, ice in the first 48 hours, soft tissue work, walking and cycling, pain-free squeeze holds.
Restore (weeks 1 to 3). Get back full, comfortable movement and early strength. Ball squeezes, side-lying adductor lifts, glute bridges, gentle hip mobility, easy jogging when walking is pain-free.
Strengthen (weeks 3 to 6). Build adductor and hip strength to match the other side. Short-lever then long-lever Copenhagen planks, lateral lunges, cable adduction, sled work, straight-line running building to faster strides.
Return to sport (week 6 onwards). Sprint, cut and kick at full pace without pain. Change-of-direction drills, skater jumps, passing and shooting progressions, controlled training, then full matches.
Hands-on treatment helps most in the first two phases. It eases pain and makes it easier to move, but it works alongside exercise, not instead of it.
Your home programme
Your home programme is usually 3 to 5 exercises, taking about 15 minutes a day, in a custom rehab and strengthening plan made for you. Early on, it might be ball squeezes, side-lying lifts and bridges. Later, it builds to Copenhagen planks and running drills. We adjust it at every session.
How many sessions?
Most people need 3 to 6 sessions over 4 to 10 weeks. A grade 3 tear, or groin pain that has lasted for months, often needs more sessions over a longer period. We'll give you an estimate at your first appointment.
What actually works for groin strain?
The research points clearly towards exercise, and especially adductor strengthening, as the core of groin treatment and prevention.
The Doha agreement (2015) brought 24 experts from 14 countries together. They agreed that groin pain should be diagnosed mainly by history and examination, because scan changes are common in athletes with no pain.
A study of 81 male athletes with acute adductor injuries (Serner and colleagues, 2020) used criteria-based rehab. Athletes with mild to moderate injuries returned to full team training after a median of 18 days. Those with the most severe tears took a median of 78 days.
The same study found that athletes who were fully pain-free on testing before returning had fewer reinjuries (5% versus 21%).
A trial in 35 Norwegian football teams (Harøy and colleagues, 2019) found that a simple Copenhagen adduction programme cut the odds of groin problems by 41%. That's 339 players doing it against 313 who didn't.
Recommended: early, pain-free loading of the adductors; progressive adductor and hip strengthening, including the Copenhagen exercise; a graded return to running, sprinting, cutting and kicking; staying on the adductor programme once a week after you're back, to prevent another injury.
Less useful: long periods of complete rest; aggressive stretching of a fresh strain; returning when pain has gone but strength and sprinting haven't been tested; relying on a scan alone to make the diagnosis.
⏱️ How long does a groin strain take to heal?
Grade 1, mild strain: feeling much better: 3 to 7 days; back to full training or matches: 1 to 3 weeks.
Grade 2, partial tear: feeling much better: 1 to 3 weeks; back to full training or matches: 3 to 8 weeks.
Grade 3, severe tear: feeling much better: 3 to 6 weeks; back to full training or matches: 2 to 3 months or more.
Long-standing adductor-related groin pain: feeling much better: 4 to 8 weeks; back to full training or matches: 2 to 4 months.
"Back to full training" means your normal matches and sessions at full pace, not just walking and jogging without pain. NHS advice is to avoid strenuous activity such as running for up to 8 weeks after a strain, depending on how bad it is. We use testing, not just time, to decide.
✅ Groin strain at work, in the gym and on the pitch
If you play football or other field sports
Don't kick or sprint through sharp pain in the first week. A few days of protection saves weeks later.
Keep fit with cycling, upper body work and straight-line exercises that don't hurt.
Rebuild in this order: jogging, faster running, sprinting, cutting, short passes, long passes, shooting.
Keep doing your Copenhagen work once or twice a week all season, not just during rehab.
If you train in the gym
Most upper body and many lower body exercises can carry on. Avoid wide-stance squats, sumo deadlifts and lateral lunges until they're pain-free.
Bring lateral and jumping work back gradually, adding roughly 10% a week if your groin stays settled.
If you run
Flat, steady running usually comes back before hills, track work or trails.
Avoid sudden jumps in weekly distance or speed sessions.
If you sit or drive a lot
Get up and walk every 30 to 45 minutes.
Swing your legs out together when getting out of the car, rather than leading with one leg.
Self-help
In the first 48 hours, ice for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. NHS advice is to wrap it in a damp towel.
Keep walking as comfort allows. Gentle movement helps more than total rest.
After 48 hours, start gentle pain-free squeezes with a ball or pillow between your knees.
Work into mild discomfort only, not sharp pain. If pain lasts more than 15 minutes after exercise, ease back.
A pharmacist can advise on painkillers.
Related conditions
Hip flexor strain: pain in the front of the hip crease, worse lifting your knee or sprinting
Hamstring injury: sudden pain in the back of the thigh, often while sprinting
Trochanteric bursitis: pain on the outside of the hip, worse lying on that side
Knee and hip osteoarthritis: stiff, aching hip or knee that's worse after rest
❓ Groin strain FAQs
🚨 Physio, GP or A&E?
Most groin strains are safe to manage with a physio. A few symptoms need a doctor first. This list follows NHS advice on sprains and strains.
Book a physio (no GP referral needed): inner thigh or groin pain after sport that changes with movement; groin pain that keeps coming back, or has lasted more than 6 weeks (book a physio; we'll check the hip and other sources too).
See your GP: a lump in the groin, especially one that appears when you cough or strain.
Call your GP urgently or 111: groin pain with no injury, plus a fever, burning when you wee or swelling in the testicles (see your GP or call 111); pain that's getting worse, large or growing bruising, or you can't walk more than a few steps (call 111 or go to an urgent treatment centre).
Call 999 or go to A&E: you heard a crack, the leg looks misshapen, or it's numb, tingling, cold or blue (call 999 or go to A&E now); sudden severe testicle pain (go to A&E now).
If you're ever unsure, ring us on 07475 433300 and we'll tell you honestly whether you should see us or someone else first.
Not sure whether you need a physio, a scan or a GP? Book a free 15-minute call and we'll tell you honestly. Book a free call →
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Yes. Exercise-based rehab, especially adductor strengthening, is the main treatment for groin strains, and most people recover fully without surgery.
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Mild strains usually settle in 1 to 3 weeks. Moderate tears take 3 to 8 weeks, and severe tears can take 2 to 3 months or more.
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Not hard, and not in the first few days. Gentle movement is fine, but strength work protects the groin far better than stretching.
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Not until you can sprint, change direction and kick at full power without pain. Going back too early is the main reason groin injuries come back.
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A strain usually follows a kick, stretch or turn and hurts on the inner thigh. A hernia often causes a lump that comes and goes. See your GP if you notice a lump.
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A side plank with your top leg on a bench, which trains the adductors hard. Studies show it reduces groin problems in footballers. We start you on easier versions first.
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Not usually. Most groin strains are diagnosed from your history and examination. A scan can help if a severe tear is suspected or if pain isn't improving.
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Ice can help with pain in the first 48 hours. After that, use whatever feels better. Neither replaces the exercise programme.
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Most people need 3 to 6 over 4 to 10 weeks. We'll give you an estimate at your first appointment.
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No. You can book directly with us. If you're claiming on health insurance, check with your insurer first.
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Your first 60-minute assessment and treatment is £95. Follow-up sessions are £55 for 30 minutes, £95 for 60 minutes or £135 for 90 minutes. See our price list for all fees.
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Yes. Book a free 15-minute consultation and we'll tell you honestly whether physio is the right next step.
📍 Book groin strain physio in Manchester city centre
Athos Physio is inside F45 NQ, 77 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2BU, a two-minute walk from Piccadilly station and Piccadilly Gardens. We're open 7am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, so you can come in before or after work.
Your first appointment is a 60-minute assessment and treatment (£95). Follow-ups are £55 for 30 minutes, £95 for 60 minutes or £135 for 90 minutes. We work with Bupa, WPA, Vitality and Aviva, and you can see all our fees on the price list.
Can't get into town? We also offer home physio visits and online physiotherapy. Not sure physio is right for you? Book a free 15-minute call and we'll talk it through.
Call or WhatsApp 07475 433300, or book online.
Other services: Physiotherapy and active rehab · Sports massage · Pregnancy and postnatal physio · Home visits · Online physio
Written by Nick Chatziviltsos, physiotherapist and founder of Athos Physio, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, HCPC registered. Last reviewed: November 2026.
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We are based in Manchester city centre a couple of minutes walk from Piccadilly train station and Piccadilly Gardens Square