Hip Labral Tear Exercises That Can Help Speed Up Your Recovery

Finding out you have a hip labral tear may be scary at first, but the diagnosis isn't as grim as it might sound, as this musculoskeletal issue is fairly common, especially among more active individuals. Plus, in many cases, it's treatable without surgery.

More good news: Taking an active role in your recovery from a hip labral tear isn't as hard as you might think. While this type of condition may be painful, and somewhat debilitating, adding a few hip labrum stretches and exercises into your daily routine can help you get back in action.

It's important to start with a clear understanding of labral tears and hip labral tear symptoms. Then, you'll want to perform exercises that strengthen the muscles on the outside and back of your hip can help to lessen the pain associated with a labral tear.

Here's what you need to know about the exercises and stretches than can help you recover from a hip labral tear.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, your hip joint is composed of a ball (the femoral head) and a socket (the acetabulum), allowing it to move in many different directions. The socket is lined by a ring of tissue (cartilage), also known as the labrum, which serves several different purposes:

• Deepens the socket and creates a seal or suction that keeps the ball portion of the hip joint secure in the socket, adding to the joint's stability
• Assists in helping the femoral head to smoothly move on the acetabulum without pain or restriction
• Absorbs the forces to which the hip joint is exposed when you walk, run or move about

In some people, the labrum can begin to tear — a portion of the cartilage pulls away from the bony socket of the hip. This can occur for a number of reasons, including trauma to the leg, degeneration over time or as a result of a structural abnormality within the joint itself.

Early on in your recovery, it's best to start with gentle, pain-free exercises. Initially, these movements should focus on strengthening the muscles in the back and outside of the hip. Activating these areas helps minimize the strain on labrum on the front portion of the joint.

Glute bridges, clamshells, fire hydrants, resisted side steps and donkey kicks are some of the best hip labrum tear exercises to start with. Aim for 3 sets of 15 reps, per a November 2017 study in the ‌International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy‌.

Should you stretch a hip labral tear? According to a February 2019 review in the ‌International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy‌, correcting muscular flexibility imbalances with hip labrum stretches is an important part of reducing the pain associated with this condition.

Regular stretching and strengthening is important; however, there are several torn hip labrum exercises to avoid, specifically those that incorporate twisting or strain the hip flexors.

A small November 2018 study in the ‌American Journal of Sports Medicine‌ found that avoiding activities that involved excessive hip flexion (bringing the knees up toward the chest) and internal rotation (twisting the hip inward toward the other leg) was helpful in avoiding common symptoms like labral tear hip pain at night.

This can include exercises like a knee-to-chest stretch, deep squats or lunges. It can also mean that activities like sitting or crossing your legs are irritating.

In some cases, a hip labral tear causes no symptoms at all. However, this isn't always the case. One of the most common complaints in people with this condition is soreness or pain, particularly a deep ache in the front of the hip or groin.

This typically occurs deep within the joint and is difficult to touch or palpate on the skin's surface. Frequently, the pain comes on gradually and is accompanied by stiffness or clicking in the hip joint. In some instances, a labral issue can cause your hip to lock, pop or catch as you move in various directions, according to the Mayo Clinic.

This can make things like walking, running, crouching and going up and down stairs difficult. It can also limit your range of motion, causing stiffness within the hip joint itself.

Tears in the hip labrum can occur for a number of reasons. Sometimes, bony irregularities in the femoral head or acetabulum can cause higher amounts of contact and strain on the labrum. This is called femoral acetabular impingement, or FAI, and can lead to the labrum ultimately tearing.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, repetitive or high-impact activities can also be the cause. If you regularly experience this type of force, whether at work or while playing sports or exercising, you might be more susceptible to tears due to the increased stress on the labrum.

Finally, some labral tears can be attributed to simple degeneration or wear and tear. Osteoarthritis of the hip, which causes the cartilage to break down, can make the labrum more susceptible to fraying and tearing. This is worse in people with obesity, as the extra weight increases the stress on the joints in the legs.

While your symptoms can help your doctor diagnose a labral tear, imaging is the only way to be sure. The most accurate way to determine whether you have this issue is to get a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), a version of an MRI that uses dye to visualize your blood vessels.

X-rays can also be helpful in diagnosing FAI or osteoarthritis, which can cause the tearing to happen in the first place. CT scans are usually not effective at visualizing a hip labral tear and aren't frequently used.

For labral tears that do not require surgery, two to four months of physical therapy may be needed before you can fully return to your previous activity levels.

This time frame is significantly extended if arthroscopic hip labral repair surgery is required. While every surgeon has their own protocol, it's not unusual for the entire rehabilitation process to take five to six months.

Following surgery, the hip labral tear treatment is typically divided into four phases, according to a May 2016 review in ‌Sports Health‌.

• ‌Phase 1‌ lasts about three weeks and focuses primarily on diminishing your pain, protecting the area that was operated on and preventing your muscles from getting weaker.
• ‌Phase 2‌ is spent slowly restoring your strength and range of motion, while also correcting any lingering abnormalities in your walking pattern.
• ‌Phase 3‌, which can last four more weeks, continues to emphasize strength, while also working on your balance and overall endurance.
• ‌Phase 4‌ reintroduces running and other impact activities after about 12 weeks.

While arthroscopic hip labral repair surgery may be required in some cases, not everyone with a torn labrum needs it.

In a 2018 review in the ‌Journal of Sport Rehabilitation‌, patients who were diagnosed with hip joint disorders, like a labral tear, improved with conservative treatment, such as activity modification, strengthening labral tear hip exercises and the use of pain medication.

Although a labral tear will not physically heal itself, improving your flexibility and strength while avoiding aggravating movements may allow you to resume your normal activities without surgery.

If you have questions about the pain in your hip or if it's failing to improve with exercise, be sure to speak to your doctor. They'll be able to properly diagnose your condition and help you feel your best again.