Chronic inguinal pain refers to persistent pain in the groin region lasting longer than 3 months. It is a complex condition with overlapping musculoskeletal, neuropathic, urological, and postoperative causes, and it commonly affects athletes and patients after abdominal or inguinal hernia surgery.
Management is stepwise and depends on identifying the underlying cause, ruling out red flags (infection, tumour, etc.), while addressing pain and functional impairment.
Management relies on pain medications, including analgesics, anti-neuropathic agents, and topical treatments, along with physiotherapy and pain interventions in refractory cases when pain persists beyond 3 months.
I offer following interventions tailored to individual need and requirement that can be complimentary to other treatment modalities, aiming towards reducing pain and improvement in quality of life-
- Ilioinguinal or iliohypogastric nerve blocks
- Genitofemoral nerve block
- Trigger point injections
- Radiofrequency ablation of affected nerves
- Neuromodulation (spinal cord or dorsal root ganglion stimulation) for refractory pain
You can request your GP to arrange a named consultant referral to the Barts neuromodulation service to access these advanced treatment options if they are not available in your area.