Pubalgia is a painful condition of the pubis and surrounding muscles or tendons. A painful syndrome of the pubic crossroads, the first symptoms of adductor pubalgia are pain in the adductors. In this article, we'll talk in more detail about the onset of pubalgia. Then we'll explain how the Compex programmes can help you relieve pubalgia in its acute and chronic phases.

How does pubalgia occur?

Pubalgia of the adductor muscles is located medial to the root of the thigh. It appears suddenly, most often after a movement of the thigh away from the contracting muscle. This often happens when the warm-up has not been sufficient.

But it can also be caused by overtraining. This condition occurs in sportspeople who undergo intensive daily training, such as football, tennis, dance, fencing, etc. These sports have the particularity of having specific, repetitive technical movements: closing the leg/trunk angle when shooting in football, tackling, lateral deviation, counter-punching.

Identifying pubalgia

Once the injury has been sustained, pain will occur whenever the muscles are put under tension. Adductor pubalgia is diagnosed on clinical examination and confirmed by ultrasound and MRI. The injury may correspond to three types of injury to the adductor magnus muscle:

  •         at the level of the insertion on the bone: this is an insertional enthesopathy,
  •         at the level of the tendon: this is insertional tendinopathy,
  •      at the tendon-muscle junction: this is a musculotendinous tear.

Treatment of Adductor-Related Groin Pain (Pubalgia) in the Acute Phase

During the first phase, which is an inflammatory phase, the condition is characterized by significant pain that prevents running. This pain may also interfere with some daily activities, such as walking or getting in and out of a car. At this stage, it is essential to rest from sports activities, apply ice, and use only the TENS Pain Relief program.

Due to the dense hair in the pubic region, correctly placing the electrodes can often be difficult. For this reason, we recommend waiting until the end of the acute phase before using your Compex device.
However, if you still wish to use it in TENS mode, you should cover the painful area with electrodes, position yourself comfortably, and start the program—at least one session daily.

✅ Program:

TENS

🕒 Treatment duration and schedule:

Throughout the acute phase and as long as inflammatory symptoms persist.

At least one session per day. Sessions can be repeated several times a day if needed.

📍Electrode placement:

Ensure the entire painful area is covered using as many electrodes as necessary.

Treatment of Adductor-Related Groin Pain (Pubalgia) in the Chronic Phase

During the chronic phase, the pain significantly decreases, but some discomfort may persist during specific movements, most often during the gradual resumption of running.

At this stage, it is recommended to work with a physical therapist to perform appropriate exercises to regain mobility. Follow-up may last for several weeks.

Regarding electrostimulation, we recommend using the Muscle Pain program.

✅ Program:

Muscle Pain

🕒 Treatment duration and schedule:

Throughout the chronic phase until the complete disappearance of symptoms. It is advisable to consult your doctor if no improvement is observed after the first week of use.

At least one session per day. Ideally, two sessions per day with a minimum 10-minute rest between sessions.

📍Electrode placement:

Same as for adductor muscle stimulation.

⚙️ Intensity:

Gradually increase the intensity until you achieve a kind of pulsing or strong muscle vibration (visible muscle twitches).

🧘Position:

Seated

Preventing the Recurrence of Groin Pain (Pubalgia)

There are many methods you can use to help prevent the recurrence of pubalgia. These include:

  • Warm-ups before training and competitions: Just a few minutes of warm-up are enough! Tools like massage guns can also help you warm up effectively.
  • Stretching before and after exercise
  • Gradual progression in training and competition, especially for young athletes. It’s also essential to respect necessary recovery periods.
  • Choice of playing surface: Hard surfaces can contribute to the onset of symptoms. Discuss this with your coach.

Adductor-related groin pain is a very debilitating condition, not just in sports but also in daily life. Prevention is better than cure, so don’t forget proper warm-up and recovery techniques to help avoid this condition.

Proven Effectiveness

Backed by clinical studies proving their effectiveness, Compex stimulators also belong to the category of Class II medical devices. They also meet the needs of the European Medical Standard 93/42 EEC.

Compex - Always with you

We're on the side of athletes, amateurs and ordinary people, from the search for improved performance to post injury recovery, from post fatigue massage to pain treatment. At Compex, we have just one goal: people's well being.

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