Pain Condition
Hernia and Groin Pain
By Dr. Anthony J. Gordon, Doctor of Acupuncture | Last reviewed September 2026
You have a hernia, or you have been told you might have a sports hernia. There is groin pain with coughing, lifting, sprinting or kicking. Hernias need medical evaluation and sometimes surgery. But much of the ongoing groin pain around them, especially in athletes, comes from overworked muscles and irritated nerves that can be treated.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (516) 597-5400. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.
Overview
Understanding Hernia and Sports Hernia Pain
An inguinal hernia is a weakness in the abdominal wall that lets tissue push through, often causing a bulge in the groin. It needs evaluation by a physician or surgeon, and many are repaired surgically. A hernia that becomes stuck and painful is an emergency.
A sports hernia, also called athletic pubalgia, is different. There is usually no bulge. Instead, there is strain or injury where the abdominal muscles and adductors attach near the pubic bone, common in soccer, hockey and other sports with cutting and kicking. Both conditions are surrounded by muscle guarding in the abdomen, adductors and hip flexors, and by irritation of the groin nerves.
Your surgeon decides on repair. Dr. Gordon treats the muscle and nerve contributors to groin pain before surgery, when surgery is not needed, or after repair, and supports athletes returning to sport.
Hernia and Groin Pain at a Glance
Types
Inguinal hernia with a bulge, or sports hernia without a bulge
Common symptoms
Groin pain with coughing, lifting, sprinting or kicking
Emergency signs
A bulge that becomes hard, very painful or will not go back in
Who it affects
Men more often, athletes in cutting and kicking sports, heavy lifters
What Dr. Gordon addresses
Abdominal, adductor and hip flexor guarding, groin nerve irritation
The Gap in Care
What Tests Check, and What They Can Miss
Hernia care focuses on the defect and whether to repair it. The muscle guarding and nerve irritation around the groin are often left untreated.
What routine testing is looking for
- Presence and size of a hernia
- Need for surgical repair
- Tendon tears near the pubic bone
- Other causes of groin pain
What often keeps symptoms going
- Adductor and abdominal muscle guarding
- Hip flexor tension
- Irritated groin nerves
- Hip impingement that overloads the groin
- Training load in cutting and kicking sports
These are assessed with hands-on and movement testing.
Signs & Symptoms
Does This Sound Like You?
Symptoms vary from person to person. These are the patterns Dr. Gordon sees most often.
Groin pain with coughing
Pain with coughing, sneezing or straining.
Pain with lifting
Pain lifting heavy objects.
Pain with sprinting or kicking
Groin pain with explosive sport movements.
A bulge
A bulge in the groin with an inguinal hernia.
Pain near the pubic bone
Pain where the abdominals and adductors attach.
Aching after activity
Groin ache after sport or work.
Root Causes
The Four Drivers Dr. Gordon Looks For
Most people have more than one of these in play. Finding which one leads makes treatment more efficient.
Hernia or tissue strain
The defect or strain itself, evaluated by your surgeon.
Muscle guarding
Abdominals, adductors and hip flexors tighten around the injured area.
Groin nerve irritation
The ilioinguinal and genitofemoral nerves can become irritated.
Hip mechanics
Hip stiffness or impingement increases strain on the groin.
Your First Visit
How Dr. Gordon Evaluates Hernia and Groin Pain
The initial evaluation runs 60 to 75 minutes. You leave with a clear picture of what is driving your symptoms, a written plan, a realistic timeline, and in most cases your first treatment.
Records and history review
Dr. Gordon reviews your surgeon's findings, imaging and sports or work history.
Groin and abdominal assessment
Assessment of the abdominal wall, adductors and hip flexors.
Nerve screen
Tests for groin nerve irritation.
Hip and movement testing
Hip mobility, impingement and sport-specific movement.
Plan and coordination
A clear plan, plus communication with your physician, orthopedist or physical therapist when that helps your care.
When to see a physician first
- A bulge that becomes hard, very painful or will not go back in
- Groin pain with nausea, vomiting or fever
- Redness or discoloration over a bulge
- Inability to pass gas or stool
- Sudden, severe testicular pain
- Rapidly worsening groin pain
If you have any of these, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
Bring to your first visit
Records
Recent lab results, imaging reports and specialist notes. These can also be faxed ahead.
Treatment history
A short list of what you have tried and what did or did not help.
Clothing
Something comfortable and loose fitting.
Treatment
How Dr. Gordon Treats It
These are the tools Dr. Gordon uses most often for hernia-related groin pain, chosen from your exam findings.
Primary approach
Orthopedic Dry Needling
Dr. Gordon has used dry needling for more than 18 years. Treatment releases adductor, abdominal and hip flexor guarding around the groin, without needling into a hernia.
See all servicesNerve focus
Neuro-Functional Acupuncture
Electro-acupuncture along groin nerve pathways to calm irritation.
See all servicesBetween visits
Return Plan & Team Coordination
Activity and return-to-sport guidance, coordinated with your surgeon and physical therapist.
Referring provider? Contact the clinicWhat to Expect
A Typical Recovery Arc
Visits 1 to 3
Find the main driver
Dr. Gordon confirms which muscles and nerves are behind your symptoms and starts calming the most reactive areas. Many people notice early changes between visits.
Visits 4 to 8
Lower the baseline
Day-to-day symptoms ease, flares become shorter and less frequent, and normal routines start to feel more manageable.
Visits 9 to 12 and beyond
Build resilience
Visits are spaced out as improvement holds. You leave with a maintenance and early-flare plan.
Most patients are seen weekly or every other week during active care. Individual results vary with how long symptoms have been present and how reactive they are. Progress is reassessed at every visit.
Not sure how to describe it? Put your pain or discomfort into words before your visit
"I went there because my wife made me to. I'm glad she did it was a very positive experience. Dr Anthony and his nursing staff are top-notch extremely friendly very thorough and actually care about your comfort."
Steve B, Google Review
Hernia and Groin Pain Questions
Answers About Hernia and Groin Pain
Still unsure whether this is the right fit? Reach out before you book and Dr. Gordon will talk through your history with you.
No. Hernias are managed by your physician or surgeon. Dr. Gordon treats the muscle and nerve pain around the groin.
A strain or injury near the pubic bone where abdominal and adductor muscles attach, usually without a bulge.
Yes, when your surgeon agrees. Dr. Gordon avoids treating directly over a hernia.
Yes. See the page on post-hernia repair nerve pain.
Many athletes need six to ten sessions.
A hard, very painful bulge that will not go back in, especially with nausea or vomiting.
Before You Book
General Questions
The clinic is an out-of-network practice. The initial evaluation is $300 and follow-up visits are $250. After each visit you receive a detailed superbill to submit to your PPO plan for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are accepted, and the clinic can run a complimentary benefits check before your first appointment. The check is a courtesy, so please confirm your coverage with your plan. See Insurance & Fees for details.
The first evaluation is 60 to 75 minutes and usually includes treatment. Follow-up visits run 45 to 60 minutes.
Yes. Call (516) 597-5400 or send a message through the contact page. This is especially helpful if your case is complex and you want to understand the approach before committing to a full evaluation.
1508 Union Turnpike, Suite 133, North New Hyde Park, NY 11040, with free parking on site. The clinic is an easy drive from Manhasset, Great Neck, Garden City, Lake Success, Floral Park and Mineola. Early morning, evening and weekend hours are available.
Most people feel a quick muscle twitch or a deep ache that lasts a few seconds. That twitch is a normal sign the trigger point is releasing. Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours afterward, similar to a hard workout, is common. Depth, angle and stimulation are adjusted to your comfort.
Both use the same fine, sterile, single-use needles. Dry needling targets specific trigger points and tight bands in muscle based on your exam. Neuro-functional acupuncture targets nerve pathways, often with gentle electrical stimulation, to calm nerve sensitivity. For hernia-related groin pain, Dr. Gordon commonly uses both.
When performed by a trained, licensed provider with detailed knowledge of anatomy, it has a strong safety record. Tell Dr. Gordon if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are pregnant or have a weakened immune system so he can plan accordingly.
About Dr. Anthony J. Gordon
Dr. Anthony J. Gordon is a Doctor of Acupuncture licensed in New York and board certified. He holds ASE certification in intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling, along with advanced certifications in Functional Dry Needling and Neuro-Functional Acupuncture. With more than 18 years of clinical experience and over 3,000 complex cases treated, he focuses on pelvic, spinal and orthopedic conditions that have not responded to standard care, and works closely with each patient's physicians and physical therapists.
Read Dr. Gordon's full bioBook an Evaluation for Hernia and Groin Pain
Book a full evaluation with Dr. Gordon and treat the muscle and nerve side of hernia-related pain.
Early morning, evening and weekend appointments available. Free on-site parking.
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