What to Know if Lifting Weights Causes Testicular Pain
Health ConditionsMen's Health

Is Lifting Weights Causing Pain in Your Testicles? Here’s What You Need to Know

Is Lifting Weights Causing Pain in Your Testicles? Here’s What You Need to Know
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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If you're a fan of gains, then you know that the pain you feel today may be the strength you feel tomorrow — unless that pain is in your testicles.

Testicular pain can occur after working out or lifting a heavy object, and it can also be a sign of a more serious issue. Learn what can cause testicular pain and what to do for relief.

What Can Cause Testicular Pain

Testicles are a sensitive part of the body, and you may feel a bit of pain in them even from a minor injury. At times, exerting muscles through weight lifting may make that injury worse or hint at a more serious issue. Testicular pain can also radiate to different parts of your body.

Testicular pain can be due to these sources:

  • Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage)
  • Epididymitis (swelling of the epididymis)
  • Hydrocele (swelling of the scrotum caused by fluid buildup)
  • Inguinal hernia
  • Kidney stones
  • Mumps
  • Orchitis (inflamed testicles)
  • Prostatitis (inflamed prostate)
  • Scrotal masses
  • Sexually transmitted infections

  • Spermatocele (fluid buildup in the testicles)
  • Testicular tumor
  • Testicle injury or a blow to the testicles
  • Testicular torsion (twisted testicle)
  • Urinary tract infection
  • Varicocele (enlarged veins in the scrotum)
  • Idiopathic testicular pain, or pain lasting at least three months with an unknown cause

Some of these issues are more common than others.

For example, epididymitis (a swelling in the tube that stores sperm) is considered rare, but it can happen after you lift something heavy and experience pain or swelling, which comes from urine flowing backward.

Many of these issues can be serious medical conditions. Contact your doctor if your pain persists or if you have additional symptoms.

Conversely, conditions such as testicular torsion (in which blood flow is cut off from a testicle) and testicular cancer are not typically associated with pain after physical activity such as lifting weights.

Hernias and Weight Lifting

Although testicular pain has several potential causes, pain after weight lifting is often related to an inguinal hernia, an abnormal bulge in the groin.

Inguinal hernias are more common in men than women, and you can be born with them or have them occur because of weakening of the abdominal muscles over time.

Lindsay Hessler, MD, a board-certified surgeon at the Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, says that hernia symptoms may include pain and a lump in the groin.

“Hernia symptoms are often worse with heavy lifting, straining, or prolonged standing," Dr. Hessler says.

If you cannot move your hernia bulge back into your abdomen, it may be a serious condition called a strangulated inguinal hernia. When this occurs, the hernia may block part of your intestine. A strangulated inguinal hernia is a serious medical condition. Contact your doctor immediately if your symptoms include the following:

  • Fever
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Persistent pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

A less common cause of groin pain, a sports hernia can occur in athletes or people who lift weights frequently, Hessler says.

“This is a rare problem that requires special imaging to diagnose and a specialty surgeon with expertise to treat," she says.

Because a sports hernia often comes from physical activity, treatment usually involves pausing activities such as lifting weights, as well as using ice and pain relievers.

 Contact your doctor if you suspect a sports hernia is the cause of your pain.

How to Treat Testicular Pain from Weight Lifting

You can often treat mild testicular pain at home, says Baltimore-based Damon Davis, MD, a board-certified urologist with the Urology Specialists of Maryland at Mercy Medical Center.

"A period of rest is recommended, in addition to tighter underwear, intermittent icing, and anti-inflammatories, as long as there are no allergies or other contraindications to their use," Dr. Davis says.

No matter what, Hessler says, you should not ignore testicular pain. It is not normal, despite the aches and pains that come with lifting weights. Although it may go away on its own, it may require a visit to the doctor.

"A good place to start is with your primary-care physician, who can diagnose a number of health problems," Hessler says. "If you are experiencing severe pain or symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, or a painful, swollen lump in the groin, you might need emergency medical care."

Diagnosis typically includes a physical exam, as well as questions about the level of your physical activity, such as weight lifting. Additional tests may be required based on your symptoms and situation.

The Takeaway

  • Lifting heavy objects can result in pain in the testicles that can be mild or severe.
  • Testicular pain could be a symptom of a deeper issue, from an inguinal hernia to a urinary tract infection.
  • Although the pain could go away on its own with rest and home care, you should not ignore it.
  • If your symptoms also include lumps or swelling, contact a healthcare professional to determine the cause.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Testicule Pain. Mayo Clinic. December 7, 2023.
  2. Testicular Pain. Cleveland Clinic. July 24, 2023.
  3. Epididymitis and Orchitis. Urology Care Foundation. April 2024.
  4. Testicular Torsion. Cleveland Clinic. February 27, 2023.
  5. Signs and Symptoms of Testicular Cancer. American Cancer Society. August 10, 2025.
  6. Inguinal Hernia. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
  7. Sports Hernia. UPMC.
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Christopher Wolter, MD

Medical Reviewer

Christopher Wolter, MD, is an assistant professor in urology at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been in practice since 2008, specializing in the areas of urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, urologic reconstruction, urologic prosthetics, post prostate cancer survivorship, erectile dysfunction, neurourology and neuromodulation, and overall functional considerations of urogenital health.

Dr. Wolter has been heavily involved in urologic education. He spent the last 12 years heavily involved in resident education and leadership for his department, including the last eight years as urology residency program director. He currently serves as the director of urologic education for the preclinical and clinical rotations for the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Phoenix, Arizona, campus.

Wolter completed his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Illinois. He then completed his urology residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, followed by a fellowship in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive urology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Wyatt Myers

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Wyatt Myers is a content designer and freelance writer based in Olathe, Kansas, who focuses on health, fitness, and nutrition. Myers has contributed content to more than a dozen Rodale books, including The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies, Healing With Vitamins, and Cholesterol Cures. He's also written for Prevention, Men's Health, and Muscle & Fitness, among many other magazines.
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