Blog 9: The Overuse Injuries Playbook
Part 9: Groin and Adductor Strains: Why Your Inner Thigh Hurts and How to Fix It
Welcome back to The Overuse Injury Playbook. I'm Dr. Keirstyn, a chiropractor and endurance coach. In this series, we are breaking down the most common injuries that sideline athletes. In Part 1, we covered plantar fasciitis, in Part 2, we tackled Achilles tendinopathy, in Part 3, we broke down shin splints, in Part 4, we looked at runner's knee, in Part 5, we covered IT band syndrome, in Part 6, we looked at meniscus injuries, and in Part 7, we covered stress fractures, and in Part 8, we looked at high hamstring tendinopathy. Today, we are diving into a frustrating issue that saps your stride power and makes lateral movement painful: groin and adductor strains.
You are in the middle of a hard interval session or a long run when you feel a sudden twinge on the inside of your thigh. Or maybe it is a slow, progressive ache that gets stiffer as your run goes on, making it feel like you cannot fully open up your stride. You try to stretch it out, but the inner thigh remains tight, tender to the touch, and weak when you try to push off.
Many endurance athletes dismiss groin pain as a simple muscle pull that will go away on its own. Ignoring it usually leads to chronic pelvic instability and compensatory injuries down the line.
What a Groin and Adductor Strain Actually Is
Your adductors are a group of five muscles located on the inside of your thigh. Their primary job is to pull your legs together, but they also play a massive role in stabilizing your pelvis and hip joint during the gait cycle.
A strain occurs when these muscle fibers are stretched beyond their limits or forced to contract too violently, leading to microtears. In runners and triathletes, this is rarely from a sudden, dramatic twist. It is usually an overuse injury caused by repetitive stress when the pelvis is unstable.
Why Your Inner Thigh Is Overworking
When your primary stabilizers are not doing their job, your adductors have to work overtime to keep your pelvis steady.
Glute Weakness: Your glutes and adductors work as a team to stabilize your hip. If your glutes are weak, your adductors have to work twice as hard to keep your leg tracking straight, leading to overload.
Pelvic Instability: If your pelvis tilts or drops with every step, the adductors are placed under constant, uneven tension.
Weak Core: A weak core prevents your pelvis from staying level, forcing the inner thigh muscles to act as primary stabilizers instead of movement helpers.
How to Actually Fix Groin and Adductor Strains
To heal an adductor strain, we must reduce the acute irritation and then build a resilient pelvic foundation.
Manage the Load: Avoid activities that cause sharp pain or a lingering ache. If running hurts, swap your sessions for swimming or easy cycling on a flat road to maintain your aerobic fitness.
Build Adductor Strength: The Modified Copenhagen exercise is the gold standard for adductor rehabilitation. It targets the inner thigh and pelvic stabilizers directly, building the specific strength needed to handle running forces.
Activate Your Glutes: Use the Glute Bridge to strengthen your hip extensors. Strong glutes take the stabilizing pressure off your inner thighs.
Improve Single Leg Stability: Incorporate the Single Leg Deadlift to teach your foot, knee, and hip to work together, ensuring your pelvis stays level during single leg stance.
Manual Therapy: In the clinic, I use soft tissue therapy and joint mobilizations to restore proper movement to your hips and lower back, ensuring your pelvis is moving symmetrically.
Final Word
A groin strain is a sign that your pelvic stability needs attention. By building strength in your adductors and glutes, you can protect your hips and get back to full power.
Up next in Part 10, we will look at hip flexor strains, the tight front-hip pain that cuts your stride short.
Struggling with inner thigh pain or groin tightness that limits your power? Book an assessment with me, Dr. Keirstyn, at Endurance Therapeutics. Let's find the root cause and build a plan to get you back to training pain free.
📍 Endurance Therapeutics | Oakville, Ontario
📞 905-288-7161