Groin pain can have a host of causes, usually related to musculoskeletal injury, hernia or nerve injury. Hernias are actually an uncommon cause of groin pain, unless there is some incarceration, recent muscle tearing or compression of a nerve. The most common cause is a simple groin strain, and is treated with rest, heat and non-steriodal anti-inflammatory medication.

If the pain does not improve, we will order a diagnostic MRI and many times have the patient see a sports medicine specialist. If the patient has an athletic injury producing groin pain that does not respond to therapy and there are no abnormalities on MRI, they may fall into the category of sports hernia.

Chronic pain can also occur after open or laparoscopic mesh hernia repair. This is thought to be due to incorporation of a nerve in scar tissue, mesh or a suture. Severe pain lasting more than six months is reported to occur in 2 - 5% of patients. Management includes physical therapy, injections of steroids and local anesthetic and sometimes nerve sclerosis. We will many times use a pain specialist to help manage these patients. Mesh removal with neurectomy is effective in the majority of patients but is a last resort.