For most groin pulls, the RICE treatment is sufficient groin pull treatment. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Groin pulls will often heal on their own, assuming the sufferer allows the muscle plenty of time to rest adequately. Light stretching can be done when the pain from the injury subsides, though one should be careful not to re-injure the groin by overstretching. A regular stretching routine both before and after regular exercise can help prevent future groin injuries, and regular strength training exercises can make the groin stronger and more resistant to injuries.
Immediate groin pull treatment should involve icing to keep swelling down. Swelling will lead to more intense pain and stiffness, so icing the injury will help alleviate pain in the short term. Short periods of icing, then removing the ice for several minutes, will prevent the muscles from essentially freezing in place, limiting mobility. The next step in groin pull treatment involves sufficient rest. This means not doing anything that can re-injure or restrain the groin, but it also means sitting or lying down with limited movement for several days or even weeks. The more the body rests, the quicker the recovery will be.
Compression is also an important step in groin pull treatment. Compression shorts put pressure on the muscles of the legs and hips, preventing excess movement during physical activity. This can help the groin injury to heal by preventing excess movement during walking or other leg movements. During the first few weeks of rehabilitation, compression shorts will help the sufferer feel slightly more comfortable during light stretching and exercise. It is important to only stretch lightly at first during groin pull treatment. Only light exercise should be attempted in the first couple of weeks of rehabilitation. Too much exercise can re-injure the muscle, or worsen the pull into a tear.
In some more severe cases, groin pull treatment may not be enough to help the muscle recover. Sometimes a pull can turn into a tear, in which the small muscle fibers in the groin actually separate. The RICE treatment may work on a groin tear, but in some rarer cases, surgery may be necessary. The surgery involves an incision that allows access to the affected muscles; a doctor will then reattach the muscles so they might heal from there. Usually a complete recovery is possible, though in some cases mobility may be limited after surgery.
