What Does A Hip Labral Tear Feel Like
Having a torn labrum can feel different for each person, depending on the type and the severity of the tear, but it is usually uncomfortable or painful. Pain from a labral tear is most often at the front of the hip, near the groin, but could also extend into your thigh or buttocks.
You might experience pain when rotating your leg, squatting, climbing stairs, or sitting for long periods of time. Many patients with labral tears describe feeling unsteady when putting weight on their hip, or a clicking or catching feeling when standing or participating in physical activities.
Phase 3 Advanced Exercise
- Manual therapy should be performed as needed
- Flexibility and passive ROM interventions should become slightly more aggressive if the limitations persist
- Strengthening exercises: walking lunges, lunges with trunk rotations, resistent sportcord, walking forward/backwards, plyometric bounding in the water.
- Exercises such as core ball stabilization, golf progression, lunges
To progress to the forth phases it is important that there is symmetrical ROM and flexibility of the psoas and piriformis.
Diagnosing Hip Labral Tears
If youre experiencing one of the symptoms above, then you should visit an orthopedic physician. A doctor will conduct a physical examination and may ask you to move your leg or walk around. Your ability to move and what pain you feel will help your doctor determine a diagnosis. In addition, your doctor may also order an x-ray or MRI to help determine if there has been any hip bone or tissue damage.
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How Does A Tear Occur In The Hip Labrum
There are two general types of hip labral tears: degenerative tears and traumatic injuries.
A degenerative tear is a chronic injury that occurs as a result of repetitive use and activity. Degenerative labral tears can be seen in the early stages of hip arthritis.
A traumatic hip labral tear is usually an acute injury as a result of a sports injury, fall, or accident. Hip labral tears can be seen in episodes of hip dislocation or subluxation. They are commonly associated with sudden, twisting maneuvers that cause immediate pain in the hip.
What Is The Best Way To Recover A Hip Labral Tear
A hip labral tear does not recover on its own. If there is a minor tear, the patient can be retrieved by taking rest and following some other tips.
A patient can get nonsurgical treatments like:
Anti-inflammatory medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can lessen inflammation.
Medication injection: Doctors can inoculate medications, like steroids, into the hip joint to lessen symptoms.
Physical therapy: Some particular physical therapy exercises can reduce pain. But it can be done with a doctors prescription.
If it is a severe injury or the pain doesnt go with the nonsurgical treatments the doctor will go for surgery or labral reconstruction in which the doctor reconfigures the injured tissue by using a healthy tissue from anywhere on your body or a donor.
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Symptoms Of Labral Tears
Labral tears of the hip cause pain and this is classically felt deep over the anterolateral aspect of the groin in what is called the C sign so described because of the classical hand position used when showing the position and distribution if the pain .
This pain location corresponds with most tears of the labrum being at the front or top of the hip. Tears of the labrum at the back of the hip are unusual but may cause pain felt deep in the buttock.
Pain is felt with significant physical activity , often with changing direction or certain rotational movements of the leg and often when the hip is repeatedly flexed particularly under load
Tears can cause clicking with various movements of the hip. This kind of clicking is usually painful. Clicking in the hip however can be due to a number of different causes, most of which are innocent.
If a labral tear is of sufficient size it can cause mechanical symptoms catching, jamming, locking or a sensation that something goes in and out of place inside the joint.
When Should I Call The Doctor About A Hip Labral Tear
While hip and joint pain usually isnt life-threatening, it can significantly affect how you live your life. Any hip or groin pain that doesnt go away after a few days should be evaluated by a medical specialist. If you have sudden or severe pain in the hip or groin, call your doctor right away.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 03/08/2018.
References
- American Physical Therapy Association. Physical Therapist’s Guide to Hip Labral Tears. Accessed 5/7/2018.
- Groh MM and Herrera J. A comprehensive review of hip labral tears. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2009 Jun 2: 105117. Published online 2009 Apr 7. doi: 10.1007/s12178-009-9052-9
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Hip Arthroscopy. Accessed 5/7/2018.
- Harris JD. Hip labral repair: options and outcomes. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2016 Dec 9: 361367. Published online 2016 Aug 31. doi: 10.1007/s12178-016-9360-9
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What Is The Outlook For Someone Who Has A Hip Labral Tear
How well a person heals from a hip labral tear depends on the specific injury and how it is treated:
- Conservative therapies: Treatments such as anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy do not fix the tear itself. They can decrease pain and offer a workable option for some minor tears. Some people will need additional treatment later.
- Surgery: In many cases, hip arthroscopy can relieve pain from a labral tear and return hip function. Many people recover fully from surgery within 4 to 6 months, and can often return to previous athletic pursuits and physical activity.
- Osteoarthritis: Chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis must be managed by a doctor to prevent more severe symptoms.
How Are Hip Labral Tears Treated
Treatment for hip labral tears falls into two broad categories: nonsurgical and surgical.
Nonsurgical treatment. In most cases, the initial treatment for labral tears is nonsurgical. These treatments, which are usually used in combination with one another, may include:
- Activity modification. If you stop doing the things that make your hip hurt, symptoms may improve. Without additional treatment, however, the pain may return when you resume these activities.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs . Drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen help reduce inflammation and pain.
- Physical therapy. Following an individually tailored exercise and stretching program helps strengthen muscles in the core, pelvis, and around the hip. Physical therapy, which may last three months or longer, improves hip stability, gait, and range of motion with the aim of helping you return to your previous activities without pain or other symptoms.
- Steroid injections. Corticosteroid injections in the hip are used to reduce inflammation and pain.
- Biologic injections. Injections of platelet rich plasma or PRP may be considered. These are cells from the patients own blood that can be injected into the hip, with the goal of helping to incite a healing response.
In general, three surgical techniques are used to treat hip labral tears:
After surgery, patients will need to follow a rehabilitative physical therapy program to rebuild strength, stability, and flexibility of the hip joint.
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How Are Hip Labral Tears Diagnosed
Your doctor may use the following diagnostic methods to determine if your symptoms are caused by a labral tear of the hip:
- Physical exam to assess signs of swelling and inflammation, your range of motion in the hip and movements that cause pain.
- X-ray to detect any abnormalities in the shape or alignment of the hip joint as wells as signs of arthritis.
- MRI scan with or without contrast material to get a better view of the soft tissues surrounding the hip joint, including hip labrum.
If the labral tear diagnosis is still unclear after these tests, your doctor may recommend an ultrasound-guided injection with a painkiller. If it relieves pain, then it is likely that the cause is a labral tear.
Treatment Of Labral Tears
A labral tear does not generally repair by itself. Most times, hip arthroscopic surgery is needed to repair it.
During a labral repair, the labrum and the acetabulum are prepared so that the labrum can sit back nicely where it belongs. Usually, a special burr is used to shave some bone from the acetabulum.
Special sutures are placed around the torn labrum, which is then secured to the acetabulum bone using special devices called suture anchors.
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Hip Labral Tear Causes
Hip labral tears can happen to anyone. Hip labrum can tear suddenly, as a result of an impact, or gradually. Causes typically include:
- Repetitive hip motions and hip overuse
- Traumatic hip injuries
- Regular wear and tear of the hip
- Deformities of the hip joint, such as hip dysplasia and abnormal bone shape that leads to hip impingement, can increase stress on the labrum.
- Degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis. The relationship between osteoarthritis and hip labral tears goes both ways: The erosion of cartilage caused by arthritis can contribute to a labral tear, and a labral tear can make you more likely to develop arthritis years later.
Causes of hip labral tears may vary depending on the location of the tear. Anterior hip labral tears are usually caused by repetitive movements common in sports such as ballet, golf, football or hockey. Posterior hip labral tears are usually caused by traumatic injuries such as falls, accidents or high-impact sports injuries.
How To Treat A Hip Labral Tear
When a person gets injuries to the labrum, that is known as a hip labral tear. The labrum is the soft tissue covering the acetabulum of the hip. One may experience a hip labral tear due to injuries, structural issues, or degenerative problems. Those with a hip labral tear suffer from pain in the hip, or it becomes stiff. Sometimes a hip labral tear can be recovered nonsurgically, and sometimes one has to opt for surgery or labral reconstruction.
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What Does A Hip Labral Tear Feel Like Hip Labral Tear Symptoms Treatment And Recovery
Hip labral tears are a fairly common injury, both on the playing field and as a result of chronic conditions. Torn hip labrums are frequently seen in sports that require sharp cutting movements such as soccer, football, and basketball, especially in athletes with hip dysplasia.
However, a hip labral tear can also develop in a slower, less dramatic fashion. Over time, certain chronic conditions or simple everyday wear and tear from repetitive motions may lead to hip labral tears. It goes without saying that hip pain and discomfort often limit a persons mobility, leading to diminished overall quality of life. Fortunately, there are many hip labral tear treatments for patients to consider, including nonsurgical therapies and minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures. In this post, we will discuss the anatomy of the hip joint, as well as hip labral tear causes, symptoms, effective therapy, and more.
How Do You Fix A Torn Hip Labrum
A torn hip labrum can be 100% fixed only through a surgical procedure. However, not all cases truly require surgery and there are many ways to manage this kind of injury to minimize pain and discomfort. Non-surgical options include working with a physical therapist to improve the way your surrounding muscles support your hips and pelvis.
This may include the use of different corrective stretches and exercises. Applying pressure to help release tight muscles that are affecting your hip can also decrease the compression of the hip joint, supporting an increased range of motion and reduction of pain.
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What Is The Recovery Like After A Labral Repair
Most people can go home the next morning.
Its best to take at least 2 weeks off work to recover properly.
- Office work: 2 weeks
- Manual work: 6 weeks
A full regime of return to sport and work will be tailored to your needs by our physiotherapy team. In general:
- 4 weeks: stationary cycling
- 6 weeks: slow tread-mill until running.
How Your Sleep Position Affects Labral Tear Hip Pain At Night
We all have a favorite sleeping position, but what if the way that you are sleeping is causing you more hip pain at night?
The reason why labral tear hip pain at night is so common is because when we have a labral tear, and our hip is in the same position for an extended period of time, our labrum has time to react from the trauma of the day. We also have more time to focus on how our hip is feeling because we are not distracted by other activities.
And, if you prefer to sleep on your side, you may be agitating your injury even more. If you have hip pain when sleeping on your side, even if it isnât due to a hip labral tear, it is likely because of some kind of hip trauma, trigger points or stressors, or improper alignment while sleeping .
Many of the sleeping positions for hip labral pain will overlap with general sleep positions that help alleviate hip pain. These are adaptable to if you are sleeping alone or if you enjoy falling asleep cuddling your partner.
Just remember that when you are lying on your side, your hip is sitting higher than the rest of your leg, and the pressure applied to your hip by the pull of your knee and leg adds more pressure to an already injured area.
To combat this and raise the rest of your leg to be level with your hip, all you need to do is put a pillow between your legs. It is best to do this lengthwise so the pillow is resting between both your knees and ankles, but you can play with the position that works well for you.
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What Is Unique About Yale Medicine’s Approach To Hip Labral Tears
The providers in the Yale hip preservation program are experts in arthroscopic treatment of labrum tears, says Dr. Jimenez. They are on the cutting edge of treatment utilizing the most advanced techniques in labral preservation and treatment. They are also often use biologic injections such as PRP or stem cells to help augment their labral repairs and offer the best outcomes for their patients.
Physical Exam And Faber Test
During a physical exam, your doctor will look for signs of a hip labral tear or other hip disorder. They may move your leg around to test the range of motion in your hip joint, as well its stability.
Your doctor may also do FABER and FADIR tests. You will lay on your back on an exam table and bend the knee of your affected leg so that it is at a right angle to your other leg. The doctor will then press gently on your bent knee back and forth and ask if this causes pain.
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How To Prevent Hip Labral Tears
Since most hip labral tears are associated with sports participation, you should focus on conditioning the muscles surrounding your hips if your sport puts a lot of strain on them. Do dynamic stretches and warm-up appropriately before putting a lot of weight on your hips or making swift twists and pivots. Avoid putting your full body weight on your hips when your legs are positioned at the extremes of your normal range of motion. Doing yoga to stretch and gently condition your body can also help.
If your hip issues are a result of genetics or structural abnormalities, you should talk to your doctor about your options. A physical therapist can also provide exercises that you can do to strengthen your hip and reduce your risk.
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 hips 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.
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What Is The Long
Your long-term outlook depends on the severity of your labrum tear. For many patients, minimally-invasive hip arthroscopy successfully relieves symptoms and improves hip function. If you have hip dysplasia or another underlying hip condition, your doctor will talk with you about the long-term results of surgery and any additional treatments you may need in the future.
Surgery For Hip Labral Tears
There are several different procedures that could be used to treat labral tears, depending on what is causing them and how severe the damage is.
- Hip replacement
If the damage to your joint is severe, you may need to have a total hip replacement. Your doctor will remove the ball and socket of your joint and replace them with artificial parts.
Depending on what caused your labral tear and how it is treated, you should be able to return to your normal activities within several months. You may need to continue physical therapy and work with your doctor to prevent your symptoms from reoccurring.
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