Hi

This is Dr Sathya and I am very glad to help you with your question.

There are many possibilities to explain this type of pain however I do not see any need to go to an urgent care facility now.

There are neurological & non-neurological possibilities to explain this type of pain.

The neurological possibilities include certain types of nerve injuries - for example ilioinguinal neuralgia can do this. It is a nerve that travels through the groin area (inguinal canal).

A pinched spinal nerve too can cause pain in the groin area. Generally you will have some back pain when this happens, however rarely the back pain component may be absent or minimal.

Non neurologically this could be the beginning of an inguinal hernia (occurs in the groin area). If you see any bulging in the groin area, especially during coughing or straining then this is indeed the possibility, however in the early stages any bulge or swelling may not be seen.

Other possibilities include this could be some ligament or tendon injuries (tendonitis etc), or bursitis occurring in the hip/groin area.

Rarely a pelvic pathology too may refer to the groin area.

As you see there are many possibilities and you need a clinical examination to arrive at the final definitive diagnosis. While I do not see any need to dash to the urgent care or ER right now however sometime today or say in the next one or two days this needs to be shown to a dr.

A clinical examination as mentioned above will help and after that if required your clinic drs will arrange for certain investigations too.

In the meantime you can try hot or cold compressor.

Tylenol or aleve can also help to relieve the pain.

Avoid any strenuous physical activities like lifting heavy weight, bending, jogging etc until the exact diagnosis is made