Chronic pain or long standing pain in the groin region becomes a constant nag for patients. Neither is it so acute that one plans a timely visit to a urologist not is it so benign as to allow normal continuation of daily activities. Typically a groin pain that has been bothersome for the last 6 weeks or more can be categorised as chronic groin pain. Here are some common reasons of chronic groin pain.
Causes of chronic groin pain
- Muscular pull or Injury: Injury to muscles due to straining is a common cause of chronic groin pain especially when no measures are taken to correct it
- Epididymitis: Infection in the epididymis is one of the most common reasons of chronic groin and scrotal pain that we see.
- Varicocele: Enlarged veins of the testis cause chronic pain especially when standing for long hours.
- Nerve Impingement: Involvement of nerves such as the Ilio-inguinal or pudendal nerves due to compression at the back or between the muscles can lead to chronic groin pain.
- Hernia
- Scrotal Swellings like Hydrocele, Spermatocele, and other testicular lesions including testicular cancer can cause chronic pain due to constant hanging.
- Inguinal Lymph Nodes: Lymph nodes in the Inguinal region can lead to dull pain when they are inflamed due to associated infections
How Chronic Groin Pain is investigated
Examination is the key to make the right diagnosis for chronic groin pain and most of the times our experts will be able to pin down a cause for your pain. Occasionally an ultrasound of the groin and scrotum may be needed to confirm the diagnosis especially when a kidney stone is suspected as the cause.
What is the treatment for Chronic Groin Pain
Treatment depends on the cause of the pain and scrotal condition such as hydrocele, spermatocele, cancer and varicocele may need surgical intervention if they are big enough and bothering you. Management of epididymitis and other infections is with a course of antibiotics. You can read about the treatment of these conditions under their specific pages as well. Pain due to orthopaedic conditions such as muscular pull, nerve impingement, tendinitis etc. requires a combination of muscle relaxant medicines, ice packs, anti-inflammatory agents and rest. Once better physiotherapy and exercise can be used to make it completely okay.
As we see, most conditions causing chronic groin pain are treatable and all you need to do is visit one of our experts at urocentre. Treatments take a little while for treating your pain completely but once the cause has been found, you hope for complete cure.
