Hip Labral Tear Physical Therapy Exercises: 11 Exercises to Improve Your Hip Pain [in 2024]

Contrary to popular belief, torn labrums of the hip are actually very common, but can be asymptomatic in most individuals. Sports that require a lot of hip strength with paralleled flexibility are certainly more likely to have issues with their labrum, but that does not mean everyone is not susceptible to them, because life is life and we cannot predict the things that can happen. This being said there are multiple hip labral tear physical therapy exercises that can be very good to improve flexibility, joint mobility, and strength of the muscles that support and move the hip joint so that you can continue to live the active life you love without having to quit the activities your love. Read below to find out what I’m talking about..

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s go through a little anatomy review, and some frequently asked questions regarding hip labrum tears rehabilitation.

What is the hip labrum and what does the labrum do?

The acetabular labrum is a piece of cartilage the lines the socket of the hip (pictured right). This tissue is used to help increase the contact surface area of the socket to the head of the femur and in doing so help create more stability.

How does the hip labrum get damaged?

Weakness or a lack of flexibility in the muscles around the hip (hip flexors, hip extensors, hip abductors, etc, you get the point…) can make you much more susceptible to tearing your labrum, particularly if your completing an activity that creates excessive force through the hip joint or the lower extremity in general. Sometimes it can be a combination of variable that creates this type of soft tissue injury (hip labral tears).

What are hip labral tear symptoms?

Some of the most common symptoms of a hip labral tear are going to be clicking and popping in the hip which is often times painful. Other symptoms include: Hip pain which could present as pain in the front of the hip, pain in the back of the hip, pain in the groin region, pain during shock absorption activities (running, jumping, etc)., Limited hip range of motion, these injuries can be the result of a single injury or more of a “wear and tear” condition over a longer period of time. Additionally hip labral tears can often times limit normal motion of the hip because of the damage done to the ring of cartilage to the hip socket joint.

What to do if you have a hip labral tear?

The most obvious answer here is to avoid hip motions (particularly repetitive motions) that create intense pain. It is a mantra of ours that we never want to avoid movement unless those specific movements or specific positions cause a lot of pain, because at some point that repetitive stress can create more inflammation that tissue adaptation the lower extremity. Depending on where the tear is in the hip socket joint you may want to avoid excessive hip extension as this could potentially halt the recovery process. That being said having a physical examination, getting a good medical history, and going through a course of physical therapy can be extremely helpful in the conservative management of your hip labral tear.

I’m sure you’re wondering can physical therapy help a torn hip labrum?

The good news is yes it can, physical therapist work to improve flexibility and/or strength as well as make activity modifications (i.e. keeping your feet hip-width apart during squat position or modifying squat depth during training) so that you can keep the hip socket in the most favorable positions throughout activities which will give the labrum the best chance to heal on its own. Physical therapists can also choose patient specific hip labral tear treatments which include but are not limited to manual therapy, specific exercise selection, and functional training interventions to reduce excessive forces and repetitive stress through the hip joint. An approach like this will reduce your risk of future hip injuries or injuries to the thigh bone in general .

How long does it take to heal a torn labrum of the hip without surgery?

It will take approximately 8-12 weeks for your labrum to heal on its own (in a perfect world). Keep in mind this would be excluding any setbacks that may occur during the course of rehab. Early stages of the rehabilitation protocol will consist of a period of rest, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, a personal exercise program based around gentle flexibility exercises for this specific condition to improve overall mobility of the hip joint without creating any more inflammation and pain.

Now on the the fun stuff; hip labrum tear physical therapy exercises. We will begin by talking about mobility/flexibility exercises and then we will move on to strengthening exercises. The primary goal of this article is to provide you with safe, effective, and conservative ways to manage your hip labrum tear without the need for magnetic resonance imaging or surgical interventions.

One main thing to keep in mind here is that EVERYONE is different and these particular exercises may not be what is best for your situation. To get true medical advice that is personal to you call one of our hip pain specialists today by clicking this link to help get you back on track ASAP.

1. Childs pose rock backs

These can be a great way to begin reintroducing hip flexion motion to the hip without creating a ton of pain in the front of the hip. Begin by being on your hands and knees and gently pushing your butt back towards your heels. If you start to have some pain or pinching in the hip than don’t push any farther.

2. Dynamic Pigeon Pose

This is another great way to improve mobility of the hip, particularly into hip external rotation and flexion. This stretch can be increased in intensity by how far you push your upper body forward. This is most easily performed seated on the floor but there are alternate methods you can use if need be.

3. Seated hip ER/IR Stretch

I love this variation because it begins to utilize active motion of the hip as compared to the previous two exercises which are mainly passive in nature. As previously stated we do not want to push through significant pain. This may be uncomfortable but should not be unbearable.

4. Single leg bridge + box

This is our first of 8 strengthening exercises and one of the most gentle, but useful glute and hip strengtheners. Begin by laying on your back with your effected leg on a 6 or 8in box. (if you don’t have a box don’t worry about it). Push that heel on the box down and try lifting your butt off the floor. Ensure that you are squeezing your glutes as hard as possible (your belly button should not be way in the air)

5. Fire hydrants

This is another one of my favorite early stage hip strengthening exercises. Begin on hands and knees with a band around your knees. Raise your effected leg out to the side against the band. the position mimics a dog peeing on a fire hydrant (hints the name ;))

6. Side plank clam shells

This is a super effective and efficient hip strengthening exercises that utilizes both hips and the core simultaneously. Note: you will complete this exercise on both sides, so what side you start on is not of importance. Begin on your side with your body in nearly a straight line. Lift your bottom hip up off the floor, keep your feet together, lift your top knee away from your bottom knee.

7. Wall sit with Clam Shell

This is the first in the series of hip strengthening exercises that will be in a fully weightbearing positions, so be cautious of the intensity of this one. Place a band around your knees. Begin in a wall sit position (remember that torturous exercise in PE class as a kid?) if not, its literally just a squat with your back against a wall. Feet shoulder be hip-width apart. Begin by rotating each hip inwards towards the middle and then pulling it out to the side. Make sure to keep your foot firmly planted on the ground, it should not be rolling to the outside when you rotate. You do not need the resistance band in your hands as the video above shows, but you can add it in if you have a partner.

8. Side Stepping

This is another intense hip strengthener if it is complete correctly. You will need a little room to move around for this one. Begin in a standing position with a band above your knees. spread your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees, and lean you chest slightly forward. Take small steps to the side keeping your knees fulling pressed against the band. Keep your core tight to avoid too much upper body movement. Complete this in laps and do as many as it takes to feel fatigue in the back/side of your hips and quad muscles.

9. Monster walks

I use this exercises with the above exercise in a superset like fashion. Again, we begin with the band around the knees. Start facing forward in the same bent knee/hip position as the previous exercise. Bring the right foot in towards the left and the diagonally forward back to the right. Plant the foot firmly. Ensure that both knees maintain constant pressure on the thera-band.

10. Squats with banded resistance.

The squat is an amazing way to start reintroducing functional strength patterns back into your training routine. The reason we make it banded at the knees is to elicit more hip muscle activation during the squat to help with stabilization of the hip joint. I would start with a front squat or goblet squat variation to begin with before moving towards a back squat. The video demonstrates an air squat, but you can also complete this as a box squat if a deep squat is causing you pain in your hip joint or groin.

11. Lunge with Rotations

Last but not least, one of my all time favorite hip joint mobility and strengthening exercises is the lunge with a rotation. This exercise is fantastic as improving hip range of motion and hip strength simultaneously. This can be done with weight if tolerated well. Start position will be a standing position holding the weight in front of you. Begin by stepping with your right leg into a lunge position. Sit as low into the lunge as you feel comfortable, once there, rotation your upper body towards the side you stepped with (right). come to a standing position and the repeat with the opposite side.

It should be noted that this nonsurgical treatment protocol is not an all inclusive list. There are a TON of different interventions for labrum tears of the hip as well the common hip impingement (femoroacetabular impingement). Like I prefaced in the beginning of this article, it is high encouraged that if you have been dealing with hip issues that are limiting your sports or daily activities you should seek out a provider (physical therapist or orthopedic surgeon) and get your issue properly diagnosed before.

Are You Struggling with Hip or Groin Pain?

If you find yourself with a lot of pain in your hip, it’s essential to get yourself scheduled with a professional to diagnose the issue. Schedule a Discovery Visit with one of our hip pain specialists today to get started on journey to being pain free.