Is this a groin strain or a tendon problem?

A strain usually occurs suddenly during sprinting, kicking, or a change of direction and often improves within weeks. Tendinopathy develops more gradually and tends to persist or recur with activity. A clinical assessment helps determine whether the pain is coming from the tendon, muscle, hip joint, or another structure.

Why does my groin pain keep coming back?

Recurring groin pain is usually a capacity issue. The tendon may temporarily settle with rest, but if strength, control, or load tolerance haven’t improved, symptoms often return when activity increases. Treatment focuses on building resilience rather than simply reducing symptoms.

Does shockwave therapy work for adductor tendinopathy?

Shockwave therapy is widely used for persistent tendon conditions. Its primary role is to reduce pain sensitivity and allow strengthening to progress more effectively. It is most useful in chronic or slow-to-improve cases rather than recent acute injuries.

How many sessions will I need?

Most patients complete a short course of weekly treatments alongside a structured exercise programme. The number of sessions depends on symptom duration, severity, and how quickly load tolerance improves.

Is the treatment painful?

Treatment can feel intense over sensitive areas, particularly near the pubic attachment, but it should remain tolerable. Intensity is adjusted to your response, and discomfort typically reduces as symptoms settle over the course of treatment.

Should I stop training completely?

Complete rest is rarely recommended for tendon problems. In most cases, activity is modified rather than stopped. You’ll receive clear guidance on what to continue, what to reduce, and how to progress safely.

When might imaging be needed?

Imaging may be appropriate if symptoms are severe, if there is suspicion of a muscle tear, bone stress injury, or hip joint involvement, or if progress is slower than expected. Many cases of adductor tendinopathy can be diagnosed clinically.

Do I need a referral?

No referral is required. You can book directly, and we will organise any imaging, specialist input, or ACC claim if needed.

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Adductor Tendinopathy Treatment Auckland

MOVEMENT MECHANICS OSTEOPATHY NORTH SHORE

Persistent groin pain rarely settles with rest alone.

At Movement Mechanics Osteopathy Auckland, we treat adductor tendinopathy using a structured, evidence-informed approach that combines detailed assessment, progressive loading strategies, Osteopathy and advanced treatments, including Shockwave Therapy and High-Power Laser Therapy. Whether your symptoms began with running, field sports, gym training, or a gradual increase in load, our goal is to reduce pain, restore strength, and return you to full movement with confidence.

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What is Adductor Tendinopathy?

Adductor tendinopathy is a load-related tendon condition affecting the muscles of the inner thigh, most commonly where the adductor longus attaches to the pubic bone. It typically develops gradually when training demands exceed the tendon’s current capacity. Rather than a tear, the tendon becomes sensitive, stiff, and reactive to certain movements.

People often report:

Localised groin pain near the pubic bone
Discomfort with sprinting, cutting, or kicking
Pain during lunges, side-to-side movement, or resisted adduction
Symptoms that settle with rest but return when activity resumes

This condition is particularly common among football, rugby, hockey, running, and gym-based athletes, but it also affects active individuals with increased training volume or intensity.

Adductor Tendinopathy Treatment Auckland

How Shockwave Therapy Helps

Shockwave therapy delivers targeted acoustic energy into the affected tendon and its attachment site. This produces mechanical and neurological effects that can help reduce pain sensitivity and improve the tendon’s tolerance to load. In adductor tendinopathy, symptoms often originate from the enthesis (the tendon–bone interface) at the pubic region. Focused shockwave allows precise treatment of this deeper structure, while radial shockwave can address surrounding soft tissue involvement.

By settling pain and reducing irritability, shockwave therapy helps create the conditions needed for effective strengthening and progressive return to activity. Shockwave is not a replacement for rehabilitation. It is most effective when used to support a structured loading programme aimed at restoring long-term tendon capacity.

Where Shockwave Therapy & High-power Laser Therapy Fits in Groin Pain Management

High-power laser is a great treatment choice for acute strains, whereas Shockwave therapy is typically considered when groin pain has persisted beyond the early phase, when symptoms repeatedly flare with training, or when progress has plateaued despite appropriate exercise.

The treatment is particularly useful for:

Chronic adductor tendinopathy
Pain localised to the pubic attachment
Ongoing symptoms affecting running, sport, or gym training
Recurrent groin strains linked to underlying tendon sensitivity

If your history or examination suggests an alternative diagnosis such as an acute muscle tear, sports hernia, hip joint pathology, or pubic bone stress injury, we will guide you toward appropriate imaging or specialist referral. This ensures your treatment pathway is accurate, efficient, and aligned with the true source of symptoms.

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Return to Sport and Training

Adductor tendinopathy often becomes persistent when activity is either completely stopped or progressed too quickly.

At Movement Mechanics, the focus is on controlled progression rather than rest. Your plan will outline:

What activity can you safely continue
How to manage acceptable pain levels
A staged strengthening programme for the adductors and pelvic system
Clear criteria for returning to running, change-of-direction, and sport

Shockwave therapy can help accelerate early progress by reducing symptom reactivity as strength and load tolerance are rebuilt.

About Movement Mechanics

Movement Mechanics Osteopathy & Shockwave Therapy provides modern musculoskeletal care that combines clinical expertise with advanced medical technology. Our approach is evidence-based, function-focused, and designed to restore long-term movement capacity, not just short-term pain relief.

Our Browns Bay clinic supports patients across the North Shore, including Albany, Torbay, Long Bay, Mairangi Bay, Milford and Takapuna. We are ACC registered and Southern Cross affiliated.

Movement Mechanics. Movement Matters.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some of the questions we get about Groin pain

Still have questions? Email hello@movementmechanics.nz