Concierge physiotherapy · UK
Physiotherapy for groin strains - back to sport, without the relapse.
Adductor strains are the commonest groin injury in football, rugby and hockey - and the most commonly under-rehabilitated. A sports physiotherapist, a Doha-classified diagnosis, a Copenhagen-based strengthening programme, and return-to-play decided by tests you pass, not weeks you wait.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A sports physiotherapist, not a generalist
A named MSK physiotherapist who rehabilitates groin injuries in athletes every week - squeeze tests, Copenhagen programmes and return-to-play calls are their daily work.
- 02
The right diagnosis before the rehab
Adductor, iliopsoas, inguinal or pubic-related pain - the Doha classification - plus hip joint and hernia screened out first. The programme only works if the label is right.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation - and whether you actually need imaging or a surgical opinion - is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What private groin-strain physiotherapy costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner MSK and sports clinics. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options, with cover checked.
In short
A block of 6 sessions in our network: £250–£500, first assessment within days.
| Service | Indicative range | Typical duration | Timescale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial MSK / sports physiotherapy assessment | £60–£120 | 45–60 min | Same visit |
| Follow-up rehabilitation session | £45–£85 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Block of 6 sessions | £250–£500 | 6 visits | 3–8 weeks |
| Diagnostic ultrasound referral | £150–£300 | 20–30 min | Report in 2–3 days |
| MRI referral (suspected grade 3 or poor progress) | £350–£700 | 20–40 min | Report in 2–5 days |
| Assessment only, with written report | £60–£120 | 45–60 min | Report in 2–3 days |
Prices vary by city, by the clinic, and by the grade of injury - a grade 1 strain may need two or three sessions where a grade 2 needs a full block plus late-stage pitch work. Imaging referrals sit outside the physiotherapy fee. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
The right label, the right load, and a return-to-play call you can trust.
Groin strains are where sports injury care quietly under-delivers - rest prescribed instead of loading, the diagnosis never classified, and athletes cleared by the calendar rather than by testing. We fix all three before you book.
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Rest is not a treatment
A rested adductor is a weaker adductor. Early, pain-tolerable isometric loading settles pain faster and shortens the road back.
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Name the entity first
Adductor, iliopsoas, inguinal or pubic-related - the Doha classification - with hip joint and hernia excluded. The wrong label wastes the whole programme.
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Cleared by tests, not by dates
Pain-free squeeze test, strength symmetry, full-speed drills. Athletes who skip the criteria are the ones who strain it again in week one.
The journey
From enquiry to return-to-play - what happens, in order.
One team from first message through assessment, progressive loading, testing and discharge.
Phase 1 · Before your first session
Enquiry, triage and booking
Phase 2 · On the day
Assessment, grading and first treatment
Phase 3 · After
Strengthening, testing, discharge
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. How the injury happened (a sprint, a tackle, a change of direction), where it hurts, whether you felt a pop, and what sport you need to get back to.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: the right sports physiotherapist near you, an indicative price and timescale for your likely grade - and an urgent medical referral instead if the story suggests a complete rupture or a red flag.
- 03
Before
Booking and early advice
A first assessment is usually available within days. Meanwhile: relative rest, gentle pain-free movement, ice in the first 48 hours - and no stretching into pain.
- 04
On the day
Assessment and grading
History, palpation, the adductor squeeze test, strength testing and a hip screen to rule out FAI, labral pathology and hernia. Your pain is classified per the Doha agreement and graded 1–3.
- 05
On the day
First treatment and programme set-up
Treatment starts the same day - early isometric adductor work at a pain-tolerable level, load management advice, and a written programme calibrated to your grade and sport.
- 06
After
Progressive strengthening and running
Isometrics progress to heavy adductor strengthening - the Copenhagen adduction programme is the backbone - then straight-line running and change-of-direction drills, reviewed session by session.
- 07
After
Return-to-play testing and discharge
You are cleared against criteria, not the calendar: pain-free squeeze test, adductor strength symmetry and full-speed sport-specific drills. Discharge comes with a maintenance and prevention plan.
Typical end-to-end: first appointment within days of enquiry. Return to sport: 1–2 weeks grade 1, 3–6 weeks grade 2, 8–12+ weeks grade 3.
When it helps
When sports physiotherapy is the right step.
The situations we see most, plus the one red flag that means urgent medical review rather than a routine physiotherapy appointment.
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A sharp inner-thigh pull during sport
The classic adductor strain - a sudden pull sprinting, kicking or changing direction in football, rugby or hockey.
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Groin pain that flares with kicking or sprinting
Load-related adductor pain that settles with rest and returns with sport - the pattern that responds best to a structured strengthening programme.
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Deep groin ache after long training blocks
Pubic-related pain (osteitis pubis) from cumulative overload - needs load management and graded strengthening, not just rest.
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Pain at the front of the hip on lifting the knee
Iliopsoas-related groin pain - a different muscle, a different programme. The Doha classification separates it from adductor pain at assessment.
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A groin strain that keeps coming back
Recurrent strains usually mean the last one was never fully rehabilitated. Strength testing finds the deficit; the programme closes it.
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Sportsman’s groin (inguinal-related pain)
Pain around the inguinal canal without a true hernia - physiotherapy first, with a surgical opinion only if a structured programme fails.
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Prevention for a high-risk squad or season
Adductor strength maintenance - a weekly Copenhagen dose - roughly halves groin injury risk in field-sport athletes.
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Red flag: a pop, bruising, or systemic symptoms
Sudden severe pain with a pop and bruising up the inner thigh suggests complete rupture; groin pain with fever, night pain or unexplained weight loss needs urgent review - not routine physio.
Treatment options
The grade decides the timescale - the criteria decide the return.
What each stage involves - from classification and early isometrics through the Copenhagen programme to running progressions, return-to-play testing and the rare surgical referral.
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Assessment and Doha classification
Palpation, squeeze test, strength testing and a hip screen sort groin pain into adductor, iliopsoas, inguinal or pubic-related - with hip joint and hernia ruled out.
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Early isometrics and relative rest
From the first days: pain-tolerable isometric adductor squeezes keep the muscle loaded and settle pain faster than complete rest. Total rest is the enemy of a fast return.
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Copenhagen adduction programme
The best-evidenced adductor strengthening exercise - a progressive side-plank adduction protocol that rebuilds strength and roughly halves reinjury risk when maintained.
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Progressive gym-based strengthening
Adductor machines, sliders, cable work and hip-dominant lifts, progressed by pain response and strength symmetry rather than by dates on a calendar.
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Running and change-of-direction progressions
Straight-line running returns first, then acceleration, deceleration and cutting drills - the movements that caused the injury are the last to be reloaded.
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Return-to-play testing
Clearance against criteria: pain-free squeeze test, adductor strength back to symmetry, and full-speed sport-specific drills without reaction the next day.
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Imaging when it changes the plan
Ultrasound or MRI only for suspected grade 3 injuries, bony avulsions or poor progress - most grade 1–2 strains need no imaging at all.
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Surgical referral for the rare few
Complete proximal ruptures, avulsions in high-level athletes and genuine inguinal disruption occasionally need a surgical opinion - we arrange it without delay.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of sports physiotherapists, we picked them.
Chartered MSK and sports physiotherapists across London and the major UK cities. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
Selection criteria
How we choose every physiotherapist in our network.
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Chartered, HCPC-registered physiotherapists with postgraduate MSK or sports qualifications and a weekly caseload of groin injuries
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Assessment that applies the Doha agreement classifications, with hip joint and hernia differentials screened at the first visit
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Gym-based rehabilitation facilities and pitch-side or field access for late-stage running and change-of-direction work
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Fast referral routes to sports physicians, MSK radiology and groin surgeons when imaging or an opinion is needed
Safety and recovery
What to expect along the way - honestly.
Exercise-based rehabilitation is very safe. The things worth planning are the honest timescale for your grade, the working soreness that comes with loading, and the discipline of passing the criteria before you play.
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A clinic and a gym, not a theatre
This is exercise-based, hands-on treatment in a clinic room and rehab gym. No anaesthetic, no injections as first-line, no imaging for most grade 1–2 strains.
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Expect working soreness, not sharp pain
Rehabilitation loads a healing muscle on purpose. Mild soreness during and up to 24 hours after sessions is acceptable; sharp pain or next-day flare means the load is trimmed, not abandoned.
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Timescales by grade - honestly
Grade 1 (microtear): 1–2 weeks. Grade 2 (partial tear): 3–6 weeks. Grade 3 or complete avulsion: 8–12+ weeks, occasionally with a surgical opinion. Rushing any of them is the main cause of recurrence.
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Do not stretch into pain early on
Aggressive adductor stretching in the first weeks delays healing. Early loading is isometric and pain-tolerable; range returns as the tissue tolerates it.
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Complete rest is not the safe option
Fully resting a groin strain deconditions the very muscle that failed. Relative rest - keeping everything that does not hurt - returns athletes faster and stronger.
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Recurrence is the real risk to manage
Groin strains recur when strength deficits are left behind. Squeeze-test and strength-symmetry criteria at discharge, plus a maintenance Copenhagen dose, are how the cycle is broken.
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When imaging earns its place
A suspected complete rupture, a bony avulsion in a young athlete, or pain not tracking with the expected timescale - those justify ultrasound or MRI. Routine scanning of mild strains changes nothing.
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Other diagnoses hide in the groin
FAI and labral tears, inguinal hernia, stress fractures and referred lumbar pain can all masquerade as a strain. The first assessment screens for each - and re-screens if progress stalls.
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Red flags during rehabilitation
New fever, night pain, unexplained weight loss, numbness, or sudden severe pain with bruising spreading down the thigh need same-day medical review, not the next routine session.
Reading your treatment plan
Your assessment report in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whatever the grade - a niggle or a significant tear - the report your physiotherapist sends you keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Rehab language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the squeeze-test scores and the programme phases before your next session, just ask.
- 01 Header
Diagnosis, classification and grade
What the assessment found - which entity per the Doha agreement (adductor, iliopsoas, inguinal or pubic-related), the grade of strain, and the differentials excluded.
- 02 Technique
Tests performed and baseline measures
Squeeze-test scores, strength testing results, hip screen findings and any imaging arranged - the baseline your progress is measured against.
- 03 Findings
Programme, phases and milestones
The rehabilitation plan phase by phase - isometrics, Copenhagen progression, running and change-of-direction - with the criteria that unlock each stage.
- 04 Impression
Timescale, return-to-play criteria, prevention
Read this first: the expected timescale for your grade, the exact tests you must pass before returning to sport, and the maintenance plan that stops it happening again.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Physiotherapy is commonly covered with a GP or specialist referral, though most policies cap the number of sessions per year. We confirm cover and any session limits before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about groin-strain physiotherapy.
Quick answers on grading, the Copenhagen programme, timescales, prevention, cost and the NHS route.
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What is a groin strain, exactly?
Most commonly a tear in the adductor muscles of the inner thigh - the muscles that pull the leg inwards - injured during sprinting, kicking or a sharp change of direction in sports like football, rugby and hockey. Strains are graded 1 (a microtear), 2 (a partial tear) or 3 (a complete rupture). Groin pain can also come from the iliopsoas, the inguinal region (sportsman’s groin) or the pubic bone, which is why classification at assessment matters.
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How is it assessed - will I need a scan?
Usually not. Diagnosis is clinical: history, palpation, the adductor squeeze test, strength testing and a hip screen to rule out joint problems (FAI, labral tears) and hernia. Ultrasound or MRI is reserved for suspected grade 3 injuries, avulsions, or strains that are not progressing as expected.
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What does the rehabilitation actually involve?
Early on: relative rest and pain-tolerable isometric adductor work - not complete rest, and not stretching into pain. Then progressive strengthening built around the Copenhagen adduction programme, followed by running and change-of-direction progressions. You are cleared for sport against criteria - pain-free squeeze test, strength symmetry, full-speed drills - not against a date.
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How long until I can play again?
Grade 1 strains typically take 1–2 weeks, grade 2 around 3–6 weeks, and grade 3 or complete avulsions 8–12 weeks or more, occasionally with a surgical referral. The honest answer is that your squeeze test and strength scores decide the date - returning early is the single biggest predictor of doing it again.
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Are there any risks with the treatment itself?
Exercise-based rehabilitation is very safe. Expect working muscle soreness during and up to a day after sessions; sharp pain or a next-day flare simply means the load is adjusted. The real risk to manage is recurrence from under-loading - stopping the programme as soon as pain settles, before strength is back to symmetry.
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Can groin strains be prevented?
Largely, yes. Maintaining adductor strength - a weekly dose of the Copenhagen adduction exercise - roughly halves groin injury risk in field-sport athletes, and sensible load management through pre-season and congested fixture periods does the rest. Your discharge plan includes both.
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How much does private physiotherapy for a groin strain cost in the UK?
An initial MSK or sports physiotherapy assessment is typically £60–£120 and follow-ups £45–£85, with a block of six sessions around £250–£500. If imaging is needed, a diagnostic ultrasound referral runs £150–£300 and MRI £350–£700. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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Can I get this on the NHS instead?
Yes - NHS MSK physiotherapy is available via self-referral in many areas and works well for straightforward strains. In practice, waiting times of several weeks and shorter appointment slots sit badly with an athlete mid-season, which is why sportspeople often choose a private sports physiotherapist and start rehabilitation within days.
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