Four benefits of physical therapy for a hip labral tear

Pain in your hip after standing or sitting for a long time. A catching sensation when you move your hip. Unexplained hip stiffness. All these symptoms are common to a condition known as a hip labral tear. 

The hip labrum is a ring of cartilage that coats the outer rim of the hip socket. Repetitive motions of the hip can often lead to a hip labral tear. A hip impact while playing sports is another common cause of this hip injury. Hip labral tears are also much more common than most people might think. In fact, research shows that up to 55% of the people experiencing hip or groin pain have this injury. 

Physical therapy is often the first treatment choice for a hip labral tear; physical therapists can offer many benefits to people dealing with this hip condition. 

Physical therapy for hip labral tears can offer these four benefits

1. Improving hip function — One common result of a hip labral tear is a decrease in hip function. Physical therapists can use manual therapy methods to address this issue. This type of therapy includes many techniques. They’re linked by the fact that therapists perform them with their hands. One study found that manual therapy for a hip labral tear led to a 44-point improvement in hip function scores. 

2. Reducing pain — Another benefit of physical therapy is it can help reduce hip and groin pain. Again, manual therapy can be helpful for achieving this benefit. A study of manual therapy for hip labral tears reports that it helped improve pain scores by 40 points after 12 therapy sessions.

3. Increasing hip muscle strength — Hip muscle weakness is a common precursor for a hip labral tear. Physical therapists can help address this problem. Often, they’ll do so using therapeutic exercises. One study of therapeutic exercises for hip labral tears shows that they helped:

• Boost hip flexor strength by up to 39%
• Increase hip abductor strength by up to 56%
• Raise hip extensor strength by at least 68%

4. Helping you avoid hip surgery — Surgery can be used to repair hip labral tears, but it’s typically not used unless the patient’s symptoms don’t respond to physical therapy. Fortunately, most hip labral tears don’t require surgery. Medical research shows that only 1,606 hip labral repair surgeries took place between 2011 and 2015. 

Find effective physical therapy for your hip labral tear at Back in Motion

At Back in Motion, our physical therapy specialists are experienced at treating many hip conditions, including hip labral tears. We can start by performing a comprehensive evaluation to confirm you’re dealing with this injury. Then, our team can create an individualized therapy plan for you that’s designed to offer all the benefits above. 

Contact us today for more information about our physical therapy services for hip labral tears or to schedule an initial appointment.