Hip Labral Tear Exercises

The labrum of the hip is a cartilage ring that surrounds the hip socket. A tear can develop in the labrum as a result of an acute injury or from repeated overload, often in conjunction with particular shapes of the hip that cause it to be at greater risk of injury. You can read more about the Hip Labral Tear Anatomy and Symptoms, and Treatment options in our related articles.

The best rehabilitation exercises will depend on your particular injury and level of strength and fitness, so we advise seeing a physical therapist for a thorough assessment. From this assessment, a personal rehabilitation program can be prescribed, from which you are likely to get better and faster results. In this article, we will show you some of the commonly useful exercises for recovering from a hip labral tear.

Hip Labral Tear Stretches

Mobility and flexibility of the hip are important and tight muscles can often make symptoms worse. Here are some stretches that can be helpful for improving hip mobility. These stretches should be pain free, so if you experience any pain consult your physical therapist.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Kneel on the floor with one leg, if your painful hip is your right hip then kneel on your right knee. Step the other leg through. Tilt your pelvis backwards to flatten your back, and keep your upper body tall. Maintain the position which shifting your body forward to extend your hip.

Hold for 45 seconds and repeat every 2-3 hours.

Gluteal Stretch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and off the floor. If your painful hip is on your right side, then cross your right ankle, over your left thigh and pull your left thigh towards your chest. You should feel a stretch a the back of your hip, in your gluteal muscles.

Hold for 45 seconds and repeat every 2-3 hours.

Hip Labral Tear Strengthening Exercises

Strengthening exercise can help to reduce pain in the hip by improving the support around the joint and the efficiency of movement. You should do these exercises 3 times per week with a day of rest in between. These exercises should be pain free, so if you experience any pain consult your physical therapist.

Bridge

The bridge exercise is a great exercise for strengthening the gluteal and hamstring muscles.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Tilt your pelvis backwards to flatten your back against the floor, then raise up, curling up with one vertebra lifting off the floor at a time. Slowly lower back down. By adding a band around your thighs you can apply pressure outwards to also work the lateral gluteal muscles.

Perform 15 repeats, for 3 sets with a 2 minute rest between.

Single-Leg Balance

Single-leg balance is a great exercise for strengthening the lateral gluteal muscles.

Stand on one leg and gain your balance. Ensure you hold your pelvis level without letting it drop down to the side where the leg is lifted. You can progress with the time that you can hold and once you can do 60 seconds you can stand on a Bosu or wobble cushion.

Perform 15 second holds progressing to 60sec, for 3 sets with a 10-20sec rest between.

Wall Sit

This wall sit exercise is a great exercise for strengthening the quadriceps and gluteal muscles.

Stand with your feet about 30-40cm away from the wall. Lean your back against the wall and bend your knees to lower down. You want your knees to be above of your ankles but not overhanging them. Keep your back flat against the wall and your weight on your heels. This helps you get your gluteal muscles working as well as your quads. The more bend in your knees the harder it will be to hold. You may be advised to limit how far you flex your hips in the early stages.

Perform this as a 60sec hold, for 3 sets with a 2 minute rest between.

Side Leg Lift – Post 6 weeks

This hip abduction exercise is a great exercise for strengthening the lateral gluteal muscles.

Lie on your side with your lower knee bent and top leg straight. Have your top leg ankle at hip heigh and a resistance band around your ankles. Keep your pelvis rolled forwards, so your buttocks is on top, and slowly lift your tip leg against the resistance of the band. Slowly lower your leg back to hip height.

Perform 15 repeats, for 3 sets with a 2 minute rest between.

Dead Bug – post 6 weeks

This core exercise is a great exercise for strengthening the hip flexor muscles as well as the abdominals.

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Tilt your pelvis backwards to flatten your back against the floor. Raise your arms and feet up with knees bend and arms straight. Reach one foot away by straightening your knee. You can make this easier by keeping one foot on the floor, or harder by reaching the opposite arm away with your leg.

Perform 8 repeats on each side, for 3 sets with a 2 minute rest between.

Physiotherapy with James McCormack

This is not medical advice. We recommend a consultation with a medical professional such as James McCormack. He offers Online Physiotherapy Appointments.