Q: I’m a dancer with a groin injury. Why is it so hard to heal?

A: Groin injuries — especially in dancers — can be surprisingly complex and debilitating. Here’s why they often don’t resolve with rest alone.

A groin strain, more accurately called an adductor strain, involves one or more of the muscles responsible for drawing your legs toward the midline of your body. But the adductor group does far more than just adduction — and that’s where things get tricky.

The Adductor Muscles Are Always Working

Unlike some muscle groups that get to rest during parts of the gait cycle, the adductors are always active. They assist in:

• Hip flexion and extension
• Stabilizing the pelvis
• Counterbalancing abduction during movement

This constant demand means they rarely get a true break — especially in activities like dance that involve dynamic weight shifts, turnout, explosive power, and complex directional changes. Every leap, plié, and directional turn continues to engage the adductors, making healing a slower, more complex process.

It’s Rarely Just the Groin

In chronic groin injury cases, I often see what I call the “pelvic triad”:

• Adductors
• Hip flexors
• Abdominals (especially obliques and rectus abdominis)

When one of these muscle groups is strained or inhibited, the others pick up the slack. Over time, this compensation overloads those secondary systems, leading to a cycle of chronic strain and repair. Dancers, hockey players, martial artists, and equestrians are especially prone to this pattern due to the high demands for pelvic stability and dynamic control.

Pelvic Misalignment & Full-Body Ripple Effects

Because the adductors attach to the pelvis (specifically the pubic bone), ongoing strain can create torque or asymmetry through the pelvis. This misalignment can:

• Pull the spine or sacrum off-center
• Alter weight distribution during standing and walking
• Cause compensation up the kinetic chain (into the back, neck, and shoulders)

What starts as a groin issue can easily ripple into a full-body biomechanical problem if not addressed properly.

Hamstring Injuries Often Masquerade as Groin Pain

Here’s something few people consider: not all “groin” pain is caused by the adductors. The hamstrings — especially the semimembranosus and semitendinosus — share a common attachment point with the adductors at the ischial tuberosity (sit bone). In some cases, what feels like a lingering groin injury is actually an undiagnosed high hamstring strain. Or worse — both may be involved.

If your pain isn’t resolving despite dedicated groin-focused treatment, it may be time to reassess.

So… What Should You Do?

• Don’t assume. If you’ve been self-treating with rest, ice, or gym-based adductor machines with little to no improvement, it’s time for a proper assessment.
• Book an orthopaedic evaluation. I use clinical testing and functional movement screening to determine the root cause — whether it’s adductor, hamstring, or a combination of imbalances.
• Treat the full picture. My approach blends myofascial release, movement retraining, and strengthening in standing postures — not seated machines. This mimics how your body actually performs and builds functional strength.
• Pro Tip for Dancers:  Those seated adductor/abductor machines at the gym? Skip them. They’re not reflective of the movement patterns dancers use. Instead, focus on:
• Unilateral strengthening (one leg at a time)
• Standing stabilization exercises
• Controlled eccentric loading to reduce re-injury risk
• Myofascial work to address fascial tension and scar tissue

With a strategic rehab plan, you can return to dancing stronger, smarter, and more resilient than before.

BOTTOM LINE:
Groin injuries in dancers are rarely isolated, and healing takes more than rest. With the right assessment and integrative treatment plan, you’ll get back to full throttle performance — without lingering pain holding you back.

Located in Okotoks and serving the greater Calgary region. Let’s take a closer look at your groin injury with a comprehensive orthopaedic assessment and personalized treatment approach.