What are Hip Labral Tear Symptoms?

A hip labral tear is an injury to the cartilage lining the inner hip socket in the pelvic bone. Because the hip is a ball-and-socket joint, it requires cartilage for absorbing shock and distributing pressure during motion, keeping you stable and fluid. The hip area’s repetitive motions can lead to discomfort or injury; learn the hip labral tear symptoms to look for and find hip pain relief with help from IMPACT Physical Therapy. 

Hip Labral Tear Causes

Your hips are moving everyday, with every step wearing on the hip labral. This crescent-shaped cartilage is designed for flexibility and smooth motion, but over time can begin to break down, tear, or even detach from the hip socket completely. Some of the most common causes for a hip labral tear include: 

• Repeated movement: Cartilage naturally degenerates over time, losing some of its protective qualities due to excessive use. 
• Traumatic injury: Athletes who experience regular hip impact from running or physical contact are more prone to hip labral tear symptoms. 
• Hip impingement: A misshapen or deformed hip can lead to abnormal contact in the hip’s ball and socket. 
• Osteoarthritis: Rapid cartilage deterioration causes painful bone-on-bone hip grinding. 

Hip Labral Tear Symptoms

If you have abnormal discomfort in your hip, it’s possible you’ve experienced a hip labral tear. Depending on the severity of your injury, your hip labral tear symptoms may include: 

• Stiff hip movement
• Pain in the groin or one side of the buttocks 
• Clicking or locking sensations or sounds during hip movement 
• Discomfort during hip rotation

Some labral injuries go undetected without major symptoms, but if you’re dealing with any of these signs it could mean it’s time for hip labral tear treatment. 

Hip Labral Tear Treatment 

Consistent hip pain is a tell-tale sign that something is amiss. Your doctor or physical therapist may recommend a hip labral tear test, which involves testing your hip’s extension, abduction, and rotation from a supine position. Audible hip clicking or pain during the hip labral tear test may lead to different hip labral tear treatments. 

• Physical therapy: If your injury stems from a sport-related or everyday occurrence, you may find healing through physical therapy for hip pain. Your physical therapist will recommend a series of safe, gentle exercises and movement to relieve your pain and get your hip back in proper alignment. 
• Surgery: More extreme injuries or deterioration may result in surgical treatments. Your doctor will best prescribe exact surgical procedures. 

Most patients undergoing hip labral tear treatment see results in around six weeks, with athletes returning to their sports in two to six months. 

Find Hip Labral Tear Relief with IMPACT Physical Therapy

If you are experiencing hip labral tear symptoms, begin your path to healing with IMPACT Physical Therapy. Request an appointment with our expert team to perform a hip labral tear test and start your way to living pain free. 

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