A pulled groin muscle is a common sports injury. This implies an injury to the inner thigh muscles. Muscle pulls or strains are caused when such muscles stretch beyond their limit. Severe strain or pulls can cause tears in the muscle fibers. Incase of a sports injury, groin muscle pulls are usually graded in to three types of muscle pulls depending on the intensity of the injury. The grades denote the symptoms groin muscle pull associated with the ranging from mild discomfort to pain in moving the legs. Mild to moderate groin muscle pulls can be treated with the help of home remedies. It is advisable to consult a doctor incase of severe pain, swelling, muscle spasm or instances of immobility.
Rest is an important treatment tool in mild to moderate cases of a pulled groin muscle. Treat the muscle to some rest and avoid any movement that could lead to pain. Apply heat packs to loosen the muscles. Ice packs are also a recommended treatment. It is important to note that ice packs must be applied only after employing the heat compress. Ice packs help reduce the chance of inflammation and also increase the blood flow to the sore areas.
Wrap the injured thigh in a bandage to reduce strain. Massage the painful areas with warm oil and follow it with a hot bath. This will surely help loosen the muscles and induce good sleep. A professional massage can also be helpful to aid muscle recovery and reduce the risk of inflammation. Intake of fresh flaxseeds is known to reduce pain in a short span of time. Hot Epsom salt bath is also a recommended treatment to treat muscle strains given that Epsom salts (Magnesium Sulfate) has anti inflammatory and anti arthritic properties that can be absorbed through the pores of the skin. A hot bath promotes better blood circulation and reduces risk of inflammation.
There are various exercises such as butterfly stretch and hurdle stretch that will help prevent such incidence sin the future. Stretching and strengthening exercises can be beneficial in the long run in preventing groin muscle pull or strain. Rest alone can help treat muscle pulls over a period of time depending on the intensity. A surgery or visit to the doctor is recommended if the pain is persistent and it limits movement in any way. A period between four to six weeks is the average time span required to heal a strained groin muscle.