Hip Labral Tear: Is It Surgery Worthy? 

I’m 12 weeks post op for FAI and labral tear. Did PT for two years, am a competitive swimmer, I worked my butt off to try to get it to stabilize and it just wouldn’t work. 12 weeks post op and finally pain free and getting the stabilizing muscles to fire and work again. Was the last resort but im glad I did it.

I am just about to arrive at my three week post-op FAI of my left hip. I had a malformation of my femoral head that according to MRI findings was congenital. I went from running like a deer leaping with joy to almost falling while simply walking. The pain was deep and unbearable most of the time and my daily life took a drastic decline, from cleaning to grocery shopping I was challenged. I started off with PT but was in so much pain I could not finish. I liked you video. One thing in your list that you may want to add is the question of where the labral tear is on the labrum. Mine was superior/anterior and I was told that a labral tear in that region is definitely felt more than a posterior tear. I was also told and it made sense that, the region of superior/anterior is painful because it's the part that we use most for walking and running, so therefore felt more. After surgery I was told I had one continuous tear that left my larum "flopping" from 10 o'clock to 1 o'clock. I believed it, as I lived in agony for over 1 year before finally getting this surgery. They originally thought I only had a small tear and then a second opinion with another MRI, done on a Tesla 3.0, revealed what was thought to be two seperate labral tears. However, once in surgery, the surg cam revealed the large flopping labral tear. So two things to add to your video that make sense and should not be ignored is the fact that if you have a congenital malformation, that must be considered as well as where the tear is located. If one does not consider these facts into the "should or should I not" get surgery, they could really hurt themselves worse by not getting surgery and continuing to work on musculoskeletal side of the issue to no avail. I didn't have a prior injury, this was due to a misshapen femoral head and over time caused my labrum to anteriorly tear! No injury from a workout gone wrong. Also, your video absolutely does not apply to someone who had a workout injury, that already has strong muscles like glutes, quads, and core. Granted, some folks can always stand to firm those aforementioned areas, however your video is geared towards someone who truly is lacking strength in those areas. Someone who works out regularly has already done that work and their labral tear is likely caused from something else. Blessings to all on that labral tear journey. I hope you find the right surgeon and lmk if you want my surgeons contact information as I will gladly refer you. He and his team are like a band of healing angels from heaven!

I have watched this video after being given the option of surgery. I’ve been in rehab for 2 months. I am 26- a trainer. And very uncertain about getting back to movement. Your video is the first one which gave me hope. I am determined to strengthen my muscles - wait and watch. And support my body to heal.

Thank you so much for this video! I am located in Colorado Springs, and just got diagnosed with a hip labrum tear after finally getting an MRI. I powerlift, so its extremely frustrating already taking 5 months off of lifting, to now find out that it may be even more of a long road to recovery. This gave me hope, thank you

She is very thorough in her explanation. I was diagnosed with a hip impingement. The pain was bad for a good two years till i finally saw the right PT. My pain went away as long as i did my PT regularly. 4 years later i had a baby and now have torn labrum on both sides. Starting PT again.

I am a racing driver and I have FAI with labral tears , just find it difficult to get into to low seating position and my butt hursts so badly by evening. I hope I recover with PT as surgery isn’t an option for me now

If you have a tear the only way is to fix it through surgery. The labrum does NOT heal on its own.

I have been dealing with a heap of diagnosises for 2 years, 8 months. Finally had MRI with dye, showing a Labrum tear. I tried PT at least 3 different times before the last MRI. The days are miserable, even my hamstring is contracted. I have another appt. with a surgeon recommended by my regular surgeon because he says very few surgeons know how to do this repair! Why is this so hard to figure out and why is surgery done by so few?

Hello, Lori, Thank you for the great video. I would like to have your opinion on my story: I have discoid meniscus on both of my knees and both have a tear (one of them has 2 surgeries). I had to go to a ski course for my university while my knee was still recovering from the surgery. So, in order to save my knee, I had to put more pressure to my other leg. On the last day of the ski course I experienced pain in my hip joint. This pain hasn’t gone away for 9-10 months. Two months ago I did a MRI, which showed that I have labral hip tear on both of my hips (of a higher degree on the leg that I had put more pressure on during the ski course) I got 1 corticosteroid shot (a month ago), followed by a corticosteroid shot + hyaluronic acid(1 week ago). However, my pain still hasn’t decreased. The big problem is that my pain is dull, deep and constant (sometimes 24 hours a day because I can't sleep more than 4-5 hours a night due to the pain). The main thing that is worrying me is that I have constant pain even when I'm lying or sitting (i.e. when I’m relaxed). The pain gets exacerbated(sharp), when I flex my glutes hard(e.g. while i do hip extensions, especially from closed chain). There isn’t a suitable PT in my town that I can go to. (for long term work: 8-12 weeks), so I’m not sure how can I proceed with this. I’d really appreciate your advice on what can I do to improve my condition.

It took my pain mgt team forever to even diagnose my injury as a labrum tear because initially I went in and they misdiagnosed me with si pain. After getting a few injections in those joints I didn’t need which just made my hips more the obvious problem they did mri and confirmed I have pretty significant tears in both hips, though currently only my right hip seems to stop me in my tracks pain wise. I have done pt twice now, before and after steroid injections, and more recently the last steroid injection I got into my right labrum didn’t work this time so they opted for prp and that’s been a hellish journey. I’m about 10 days out from that having been done and it really feels like physically I struggle walking more now than before. At least before it would just become so physically painful I couldn’t continue walking ,now I feel like the muscles are angry, tight and fatigued . My next option is the final which of course is surgery

Great info, terrible audio 😣

Tried pt for 6 months didn't get better. Had surgery to repair labrum and filed the bone down. It's been a year and a few months and I'm still dealing with pain and popping. I would love to get some better help than what I have gotten.

sound quality is very poor, looks like good info

Doctors should explain everything aabout the problem. like you are doing

I had pain from first day from lower back to the sole. All the muscles around were pulled and stiff. Also because it is in my stronger side. Realsing those and stretching has made the pain better and doing muscle exercises makes it flare up but it hasn't gone away within five years and I developed spinal stenosis and discs degeneretives

i’ve had a tear for 6 months and have been doing pt for about 2 and a half months

PT made my labral tear issues so much worse and i developed arthritis from Continuing to use my hips and do extreme exercises on a torn labrum (bc I was told “my muscles were just weak”) and then everything else in there trying to overcompensate for that. I’m in much more pain than I was before! I have to have surgery and now there’s even more damage from letting it go on for 6 months torn while I continued PT, yoga, daily life having my joint wear down more and more each day

Thankyou. I myself am a collegiate runner. Thanks for the insight

Please make video on exercises for labral tear

Thank you. This was very helpful information.

Thank you for this video. I have an appointment which should be scheduled in April/May. I thought that it'd be better that I book an appointment with a specialist and talk further regarding any exercises. This video made me realise that surgery may not be necessary, but at the same time I have been doing sumo squats for god knows how long and I still get groin pain after my football training session. Sometimes this uncertainty kills me to be honest.

Yes it was worth it for me and it changed my life around. Physical therapy is crucial to this surgery. I do Physical therapy 3 days a week. The first month or 2 follow strict doctors orders. Get the ice machine. Any questions message me. Great video! I also had an impingement going on.

You have just convinced me to pursue physio. Thank you!

Lori, you are great! Can you recommend anyone in the Los Angeles, Westside, Santa Monica area? I very much appreciated your expertise. Mark

I have a torn labrum,but also subchondryl thickening,my ortho says he is concerned with bone loss,why is he?

Hi Great videos! I had a MRI of hip with these results: Moderate chondrosis at the left hip with areas of intermediate to high grade partial thickness cartilage loss superolaterally. Degenerative tearing of the superolateral labrum. Is this the problem of my four year lateral hip pain?

Is it common to have hip issue after lumbar fusion now healed and cycling 100 plus miles per week over past year then hip pain MRA say posterior linear tear could the fusion and scar tissue have brought that on

Whats is the two minutes set you gave to avoid surgery? English is not my first language and i couldn’t understand that part completely. Thank you!

Thanks for the video, more of a positive one then most! Which gives me hope, I have a minor right hip labral tear, being an Ironman athlete have found this to be quite frustrating. I am working on hip stability here in Australia, from your experience do athletes runners and cyclists get back to doing what they did before? Kind regards

Thanks Lori for your video. I was told I “most likely” have a labrum tear (insurance won’t pay for an mri until 6 weeks of PT) been doing PT 2 days a week for 3 weeks now. I’m a big guy, but I can move and love long distance running. Hoping to get back into it. The web can be a dark and Awful place to research, but your video gave me hope that I can run again. Thanks for this video. Also, do you think losing weight my help? (210 lbs, 6’3)

can you provide some exercises

Thank you!

Hi Lori, did You have hip bursits? how is your hip or labrum now?

Does wearing a hip brace help with stability ?

"/REAL PT " ...what is PT ?

So do I get it or a new hip? I've had three injections. This last one hurts so bad and didn't really help as much. So I'm going to crossroads as to which direction do I go. Yes I have arthritis in the hip too. I was hoping one of the doctors whether it be hip or the labrum would point me in the direction of physical therapy to at least strengthen that leg before I decide on either surgery but neither one of them seem to think it's very important. I know that leg is a little bigger and I know my ankle tends to swell when I'm hurting in the leg and pelvic junction that's where my pitch and pain is. Basically I'm kind of out of options for doctors where I live. Also two years ago my plantar fasciitis flared up, instead of going to my original doctor I decided to go one closer. Big mistake! And because it took 6 months before she gave me my shot, yes I should have just gone ahead to my original doctor The pain was so bad in my foot and then that my opposite leg is where my hip problem is really flared up and I put that off not knowing what it was exactly so I couldn't walk. I walked 5 days a week with my best friend 3 mi everyday and I got to the point I couldn't do it anymore so needless to say wait on the last 2 years at least 25 lb. I've lost 5 and I'm stuck because of I have to watch what I can do when this leg hurts I have to stop or else I'm wanting three heating pads and a whole bottle of Ibuprofen.

Hello I have labor tear on both hip can u help me l do PT 35 sections

I developed a hip groin pain 18months ago and was told I had early signs of hip arthritis and perhaps a torn labrum. I hobbled around for more than 10months cos I was stuck overseas due to Covid and couldn’t get proper medical treatment. At the same time I was also dealing w a fractured wrist , surgery that went badly wrong. Upon my return immediately after I removed the too large for my wrist plate I had a cortisone injection for my labrum tear . It did not help. I then had a course of PIT injections and PRP about two months ago . My pain levels over this year has improved from 8 to 4. I do physio, hydro and myorfascial release. My groin is still sensitive and inflamed. What kind of PT do you recommend?

What do you think about surgery for FAI?

Hi Lori, so...maybe or maybe not? My joint is stable, PT didn't help, after MRI the doc says bad tear and bone spur on the cam that will continue to wear out the joint. The dull pain is manageable but I'm not the same athletic-wise or as active playing with the kids. Poor range of motion, sharp pain if I move the leg outward, and dull pain while I sleep on my side. The stories where others are 1.5 to 2 years post-op but still in pain scare me. Would you say my situation is a maybe?

Hi Lori, Thank you for this informative video-talk. One question, at 5:50, it is unclear whether you are saying that runner's need to learn to run from their glutes, or if you are saying the problem is that most runners run from their glutes. Would like to get clarity on that. Thank you

Hi. I’m a keen cyclist and have recently been diagnosed with a labral tear on my left hip. I’m not keen on surgery and am happy to go down the PT route but am wondering if my cycling is doing more damage than good? It’s about the only exercise I can do due to ankle and knee injuries. After watching your video I’m convinced a lot of my pain is not necessary coming from the injured hip. I have buttock and back pain all in the same side which can be more painful than the actual hip pain. Would be interested on your thoughts. Many thanks Liam

I was diagnosed with complex labral tears in both hips about two years ago. Pain levels were really high at the time, like 8 or 9. Two years of PT has helped a lot, 60-90 min daily, 4-5 days per week. Right side has mostly cleared up. But left side is real stubborn, and pain has been at about a 5 for a year now. Cant sit down for more than a few minutes without pain. Not sure if i should pursue surgery or if i need a different PT approach. Looking for any help i can get. Thanks!

Sorry. But if you're any kind of an athlete you need to get this fixed with surgery. PT won't solve it.

Hi. I have had hip pain for over a year and I’m only 15. I just recently got diagnosed with the labrum tear last month. Last year I did months of therapy to try to help what my doctors thought was “bursitis”. I was able to play pain free for a month ish and thought my pain was gone. One day I was running up the stairs and I felt This extremely painful pinching in the hip and I could feel it in the hip joint and labrum area deep inside. This is when I went to get an MRI. They found the tear and it was non-displaced. So it was questionable whether or not to get surgery. My doctor told me since I’m young and an athlete and I’m still having pain AND the fact that it’s been over a year and I’ve already done therapy that I should get the arthroscopic surgery. I have it scheduled for the 28th of may and I’m still questioning it. I also have one more question. My mri reports say I have no bone deformities or FAI / impingement of any kind. Although my doctor says that I do. So I’m very worried that he is unsure of my diagnosis. THANK YOU

Thank you for this video. I have a slight labral tear on my left hip, I’m still doing weightlifting and squatting below parallel. No issues really at the moment, I’m in PT still. But when lifting weights specially below parallel it freaks me out if I’m ever going to tear really bad where I need surgery. Do you suggest not going below 90? Or Only if it becomes uncomfortable?

What about hip impingement? Because this is to do with the bones? And no exercise will change your bones…?

Nice video! Thx

I’ve had a labrum tear 8mm for 27 years with 3 cysts . My hip feels like it wants to come out of socket at times as well as a catching on inner groin and tearing feeling. Starting with popping but now it’s stuck. I hurt it in PT while rehabbing my spinal fusion. I’m now on 2 months of hip PT and not much improvement. My main concern is putting it off and then developing major arthritis that turns into a hip replacement. Any thoughts?

Do hip labrum tears have similar symptoms to hernia, sharp pain while coughing or sneezing while seated. Also sharp pain picking something heavy like over 60lbs off the ground. I had an ultrasound done and a hernia check and was told there was no hernia I knew something was wrong so I pushed for the MRI where it was discovered I had a hip labral tear I waited eight months while doing Cortizone injections for it to heal but it never did I just completed the surgery yesterday and start physical therapy in three days however I am worried that I might have a hernia as well….

I can't hear him my phone I guess I have to plug in speaker

Lori, is 2-3 months enough time to stabilize the hips? I've seen pole fitness people have incredible hip stability but it took years of work to get there. Is it possible to do PT for longer to build up the hip stabilizing muscles? Also, what do you think about pole fitness for FAI?

Excellent video, but according to Dr. John Gibbons (DO) torn labrum causes chronic tight psoas (to protect the hip joint), which inhibits glutes, my left glutes won’t fire with the PT causing all sorts of imbalances as well as tight piriformis and a bit of si joint issues . Any advise?, I’m doing core activation and strengthening. What’s the best hip stabilization exercise program. Haven’t been able to play soccer in 2 yrs 😢 so frustrating Thanks

Will it make your walking difficult

I am not able to view your video because your volume is way way too low

How many time full hip moment

audio is too quiet

It’s been a year

This is an old video so the odds of a reply are likely low, but I do have a quick question. What if all conservative methods of treatment have failed? I've tried PT, I've tried numbing/corticosteroid injections (however I'm 18, so they were conservative with this), I've tried NSAIDs and rest, I've tried activity modification, but nothing has reduced/eliminated pain from my tear. Then what?

Look into prolotherapy

I can't hear it at all. Horrible audio.

poor volume

Your volume is too low I can't hear you even with my volume turned all the way up.

PT PT PT PT What is it ? why not just articulate it