Hi; Recurrent pain at the inguinal area oftenly indicates inguinal hernia which is described by herniated intestine parts into inguinal canal. It can be treated non-invasively in early stages, however, if pain gets worse and a swelling starts to occur, surgical treatment is the preferred choice. Your friend must be evaluated by a general surgeon for identification and differential diagnosis (diverticulitis, nerve entrapment etc.). In this time, he must not lift heavy weights, and if a cruciating pain suddenly occurs and persists for more than 15 minutes; he must quickly admits to nearest emergency department due to risk of strangulation (ischemia of herniated intestine part). Hope your friend recover soon Hasan Mutlu, MD