Introduction
Though most of such pain goes away with time and a little care, there are times when the situation could be a little complicated, and you might need to take the help of a doctor before your pain worsens.
If you have been suffering from inner thigh muscle pain for quite some time, this article is for you.
Not only that, but we are also going to talk about overall lower body muscle pain, so you get to know about your body a little better.
By the end of the article, you will know what to do when you incur such muscle pain and when it is serious enough to consult a doctor. Why wait then? Let’s find out!
What Is Inner Thigh Pain?
Your thigh is a vital part of your body and is used for walking, sitting, moving the hip, and almost all the movements of the lower body. The anatomy[2] of the thigh isn’t too complicated.
With only one bone – femur, running inside, the thigh muscles could be divided into 3 major compartments – anterior, medial, and posterior.
These compartments help you in extending the legs, flexing the knee, and rotating the thighs. If not for these muscles, simple acts like sitting, standing, and walking would be impossible.
Inner thigh muscle pain is a common phenomenon in which you face difficulties conducting your day-to-day physical activities.
You might feel a pull in the thigh region while standing up or extending your legs. You might also feel a throbbing pain while climbing stairs, walking, or running.
These signs show that your thigh muscles have obtained some injury and need to be at least relaxed if not medically treated.
What Are The Causes Of Inner Thigh Pain?
There are several causes behind thigh muscle pain. If you have to find out what exactly is causing you discomfort, you need a general idea about the common reasons behind thigh muscle pain. Below are a few, have a look:
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Injury and Trauma – These two are the most common causes of thigh pain. If you have suffered an injury like bruises, strain, ligament tear, or fracture, muscle pain is a constant. However, these are visible injuries, and you can identify the causes in such cases.
The pain in these scenarios could be recurring, and your muscles will go through the trauma for a period depending upon the severity of the injury. If you injure your knee and thigh region together, you might also feel muscle and joint pain with fatigue.
However, some traumas aren’t this apparent. If a certain muscle in your thigh is repeatedly overused, it will start giving you signs in the form of a constant throbbing ache. While you might think you hit your thigh somewhere and the pain will go away eventually, chances are you might need medical attention.
- Osteoarthritis – This cause is mostly found in middle-aged people. Under osteoarthritis, the cartilage at joints degenerates, causing pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the affected area. If this condition persists in the knee or hip region, the pain can travel to your inner thighs.
- Nerve Pinching – Some of your nerves present in the spinal area that travels to the thighs may be pinched by herniated discs and cause inner thigh muscle pain. In this case, you might also feel numbness in the thigh region and face discomfort sitting for long.
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Blood Clot – This condition needs immediate medical help. Blood clots could be identified in the injury-affected region as they cause swelling skin or redness.
If blood clots are not identified quickly, they might travel to the lungs and obstruct blood flow that can turn an injury into a fatal case. If you encounter swelling, skin color change, numbness, or heating in an injured lower body part, you must visit a doctor without delay.
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Hernia – If you often feel inner thigh muscle pain with varying intensity, the odds of a hernia could not be ignored. It is a condition where a body part presses the muscles around it, causing aches and burns.
Usually, a hernia could be identified by a bulge in the affected region, but not everyone develops this symptom. It might happen that you have developed an inguinal hernia (Groin Hernia), causing thigh muscle pain.
Treatments Of Inner Thigh Pain
Not all inner thigh muscle pain needs medical help. It’s so common today that keeping some remedies handy would help you avoid unnecessary hassle and relieve you from discomfort. Here are some of the common natural treatments you can practice:
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Physiotherapy – Physiotherapy is a great option if you think your inner thigh muscle has developed trauma from a previous injury. Physiotherapy will also improve mobility, eliminate pain and improve the balance of your body.
If you think your inner thigh muscle pain is caused by osteoarthritis, physiotherapy could do wonders in alleviating your pain.
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Hot Water Bath – A hot bath is extremely effective in relaxing muscles. Immersing your pain-affected area will reduce lower body muscle pain and also calm your body. If you exercise regularly or indulge in heavy sports every day, a hot bath should be a part of your routine.
Heat Compress/ Ice Pack – You can apply hot compresses on the affected area and put an ice pack to reduce the inflammation in your thigh muscles. Wrapping the affected area with a warm bandage will also help you lessen lower body muscle pain quickly.
- Rest – When you have injured your thigh muscle, it is not a good idea to overexert yourself and indulge in a heavy physical activity that uses that specific muscle. Your best option would be to rest until the time your muscle is ready to get back in action.
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Ask Your Doctor – Your muscle injury could be more serious than you think. Extreme conditions of blood clots and hernia could be scary.
If the inner thigh muscle pain persists for a long time even after exhausting all the home remedies, it’s always better that you get diagnosed by a professional. They will get to the root of your problem and help you get rid of the pain quickly and for a longer time.
What Is Lower Abdominal Muscle Strain?
Lower abdominal muscle pain is often called a “pull in the muscles.” It is generally caused by a rupture or stretch of abdominal muscles, resulting in pain or stiffness while walking, running, or even sitting.
Though some people confuse this condition with a hernia, you must always visit a doctor for proper diagnosis as they can only look inside and let you know the real problem.
Lower abdominal muscle pain is normally a result of excessive or unusual physical activity. It is quite common in gym enthusiasts and sportsmen as they take up intense exercises frequently.
For common people, this type of pain can occur after lifting heavy stuff, overusing muscles, or using the wrong exercise methods. In normal circumstances, it causes lower inner thigh pain and takes a few weeks to go away by itself.
Does Fatigue Cause Muscle And Joint Pain?
If you suffer from muscle and joint pain with fatigue, you may have fibromyalgia, a chronic syndrome that has no accurate cure.
Fibromyalgia persists for a long time and can cause a series of symptoms, including insomnia, body pain, sensitivity to heat and cold, stiff joints and muscles, painful menstrual cycle, and much more. Since the symptoms of this disorder differ from person to person, its treatment also varies.
So, the next time you hear someone complaining about muscle and joint pain with fatigue, and they don’t seem to remember hurting themselves, do not forget to tell them about this condition.
Though living with a long-lasting disorder might sound scary, fibromyalgia tender points is not unmanageable. Acupuncture, massage, physiotherapy, or the use of controlled amounts of antidepressants can help people obtain significant relief.
How To Avoid Lower Body Muscle Pain?
Our lower body is vital for any kind of movement, and when we incur lower body muscle pain, it considerably hampers our daily life.
Since this part of the body is intensively used by us, keeping it safe from every kind of threat is an impossible task. But specifically talking about muscle pain, there are a few ways you can avoid them.
The lower body consists of the lower back, hip, thigh, knee, and foot region. It contains 5 main muscle groups – quadriceps, gluteus, gastrocnemius, hamstrings, and soleus. If you want to avoid stretching, pulling, rupturing, or injuring muscles in these five groups, keep the following things in mind:
- Perform exercises with correct techniques and posture
- Keep yourself regularly checked by a doctor for any underlying health condition
- Take proper diet and rest, they also help in faster recovery from injury
- Take up exercises that help you stretch and make your muscles flexible
- Do not forget to stretch during warm-up right before your sporting or workout routine
- Take a warm bath once in a while as it improves blood circulation
- Wear correct gears while exercising
- Replace your furniture with more comfortable ones as sitting on improper furniture can cause lower back hip pain
Lastly, if you suffer from any kind of lower body muscle pain for a long time, visiting a doctor is the best option. You never know which disease or disorder is trying to creep into your body, and tracing them beforehand would save you from a load of troubles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inner thigh muscle pain can be frustrating and can cause a lot of hardships in daily life.
The best way to get relief from such pain would be resting or getting a hot water bath or massage.
One can also opt for physiotherapy if their muscle pain is the result of trauma. If nothing works and the condition starts to aggravate, visiting a doctor is always a wise choice.
The reasons behind inner thigh pain are many. If you are suffering from such pain, chances are you have injured this region by overusing, stretching, or straining the muscles.
Disorders like osteoarthritis, blood clot, and pinched nerve could also be your case, and you must take professional help if the inner thigh muscle pain doesn’t go after applying home remedies.
Some pregnant women might feel pain in the inner thighs, but it is not necessarily a sign of labor.
If you are pregnant and suffer from severe pain in the inner thigh and groin area, consult your doctor for another condition called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD).
This situation is caused by the loosening of ligaments and unstable pelvic joints.
Massage is an effective way to get rid of lower inner thigh pain. To give a proper thigh massage to relax the strained muscles, sit down with your back straight on comfortable ground.
Open your thighs and lean forward, placing your hands on the thigh. Start by pressing the region moderately and identify the optimum pressure.
Work on the quadriceps and move upwards while massaging in a circular motion. You can also try giving hot compresses and ice pack treatment to the affected region for quicker relief.
Conclusion
Now we have reached the end of the article. We hope you have gotten the answers to all your questions. The lower body is one of the most active regions of our body and we should make sure that it’s not exhausted.