5 Best Stretches and Exercises for Hip Labral Tears

These simple stretching and strengthening exercises are typically prescribed to reduce pain and improve recovery after a hip labral tear. 

Exercises to heal a damaged hip labrum target muscles in the lower back, buttock, pelvis, hip, and thigh. 

The primary goals of exercises to relieve hip labrum pain are to: 

• Alleviate pain by reducing stress on your hip joint and the torn labrum 
• Create a conducive environment for labrum healing
• Stretch and elongate the hip, pelvic, buttock, and thigh muscles to relieve tightness and increase joint range of motion

In the long term, the exercises aim to build strength and endurance in the labrum, hip joints, and muscles, and minimize the risk of re-injury to the labrum.

1. Standing hip flexor stretch

The hip flexors are a group of 5 muscles located around the hip joint, which help bend the hip and raise or lower the legs. Tight or short hip flexors increase stress on the hip joint, making it stiff, and irritating the labrum during hip and leg movements. 

The hip flexor stretch is useful for conditions that cause pain deep in the hip joint, such as hip labral tear, hip impingement, and hip osteoarthritis. Pain is reduced through elongation of the hip flexor muscles, which reduces stresses on the hip’s labrum and joint surfaces when the hips or legs move.

See Understanding Hip Flexor Pain

To perform the hip flexor stretch:

• Start position: Stand in front of a sturdy surface, such as a table or chair, and place both your hands on it for support.
• Move each leg individually:
  • Move your left leg slightly forward and bend your left knee.
  • Move your right leg behind you and keep both feet flat on the floor.
• Shift your weight: Keeping your back straight, shift your weight forward until you feel a gentle stretch through the front of your right hip. 
• Hold the stretch: Hold this position for about 30 seconds.
• Repeat: Return to the starting position and repeat this stretch 3 times on each side. Perform this stretch once per day. 

To make this stretch easier, lift your back heel off the floor. 

To add the challenge of balancing while in this stretch, perform the steps without support by placing your hands on your hips. 

Kneeling hip flexor stretch

Another way to stretch your hip flexors is in a kneeling position, which may be suitable for those who are unable to balance or feel uncomfortable in a standing position. You can also alternate the standing and kneeling stretches. 

See Easy Exercises for Hip Flexor Pain

To perform the kneeling hip flexor stretch:

• Start position: Start in a kneeling position.
• Position hands and legs: 
  • Bring your right leg up so your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your right foot is flat on the ground.
  • Place both your hands on your right thigh. 
• Shift your weight: Keeping your back straight, shift your weight forward until you feel a stretch through the front of your left hip. 
• Hold the stretch: Hold this position for up to 30 seconds.
• Repeat: Return to the starting position and repeat this stretch 3 times on each side. Perform this stretch once per day.

Use a soft padded surface or place a folded towel under your knees while doing this exercise to reduce pressure on the knee cap.

For a deeper stretch, reach up with your left arm over your head and slightly toward the right.

See more Hip Flexor Stretches

2. Horizontal squat stretch

This stretch reduces pressure on the hip’s labrum by elongating the muscles in the hip, inner thigh (groin), and lower back. It also relieves “tight hips” – a feeling of tightness in the hips after you’ve been sitting or standing for a long time. 

To perform the horizontal squat stretch:

• Start position: Begin on all fours with your hands below your shoulders and your knees below your hips. 
• Move your knees apart: Walk your knees apart as wide as you can comfortably. 
• Lower your body: Bend your elbows and lower your upper body, as you draw your hips back. You should feel a stretch in your hips and inner thighs. 
• Stay relaxed: Keep your arms, upper back, and neck relaxed throughout this stretch.
• Hold the stretch: Hold this position for 30 seconds, slowly working your way up to 60 seconds.
• Repeat: Return to the starting position and repeat this exercise 3 times. Perform this stretch once per day.

For a deeper stretch, straighten out your arms in front of you and bring your upper body and head closer to the floor.

Watch Horizontal Squat Stretch for Hip Pain Relief Video

3. Standing inner thigh stretch

Tight inner thigh muscles, also called groin muscles, disturb the balance between the pelvis, hips, and legs, increasing stress on the labrum during leg movements. The inner thigh stretch elongates your groin muscles, reducing pressure on the labrum and increasing the range of motion and flexibility in your hip joints. 

To perform the standing inner thigh stretch:

• Start position: Stand with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart.
• Shift your weight: Shift your weight over to one leg until you feel a stretch along the inner side of your opposite thigh.
• Hold the stretch: Hold this position for about 30 seconds.
• Repeat: Return to the starting position and repeat this stretch 3 times on each side. Perform this exercise once per day.

To make this stretch easier, hold onto a chair, table, or counter for support and balance. 

You can also perform this stretch in a sitting position. 

Sitting inner thigh stretch or butterfly stretch

To perform the butterfly stretch:

• Start position: Sit on the floor with your legs extended out.
• Place your feet together: Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
• Lean forward: Slowly fold forward while keeping your back straight, until you feel a stretch along the inner side of your thighs.
• Hold the stretch: Hold this position for about 30 seconds.  
• Repeat: Return to the starting position, then lean into the stretch again. Repeat this stretch 3 times, and perform it 2 to 3 times daily.

Watch Butterfly Stretch to Relieve Tightness in the Hips Video

4. Single-leg bridge

This exercise builds strength in the gluteus maximus, the large muscle in the buttock, and the core and hamstring muscles – which in turn reduces stress in the hip joint and wear and tear on the labrum. 

To perform the single-leg bridge exercise:

• Start position: Lay on your back with your feet flat on the floor and palms facing down.
• Extend one leg: Straighten out your right leg without bending the knee.
• Lift your hips: Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles, push into the ground with your left heel, and lift your hips off the ground. You should feel a stretch along the front of your hips and thighs and/or an engagement of the muscles in your buttocks.  
• Hold this position. Stay in this position for 2 to 5 seconds.
• Repeat: Return to the starting position and repeat the exercise 10 times. Perform this exercise twice a day.

To make this exercise easier, keep both feet flat on the ground and perform a standard bridge exercise or limit how far off the ground you lift your hips.

For a more challenging exercise, place the foot that’s pressed into the ground on an elevated surface, such as a yoga block.

5. Standing hip abduction 

This exercise strengthens the muscles on the outer side of the hips and buttocks – called the hip abductor muscles. They provide stability while walking or standing on one leg.

Weak abductors increase stress on the labrum during activities such as standing, walking, and running, and stretching these muscles reduces hip labrum pain by promoting strength and stability in the hip joint.

To perform the standing hip abduction exercise:

• Start position: Stand straight and place both hands on your hips.
• Position your leg: Lift one leg up and as far to the side as possible until you feel a stretch along the inner side of your thigh and/or an engagement of the muscles on the outer side of your hip.
• Hold this position: Stay in this position for 2 to 3 seconds. 
• Repeat: Return to the starting position and repeat this exercise 10 times. Perform this exercise twice a day.

To make this exercise easier, take support from a sturdy object, such as a chair, table, or wall. 

To make this exercise more challenging, loop a resistance band around your ankles before starting the exercise.

What is a hip labrum?

Your hip’s labrum is a sturdy cartilage that connects your hip bone to the thigh bone. It acts as a rubber seal around the rim of the shallow hip socket – securing the upper knobby end of the thighbone and facilitating its smooth movements within this socket.

How do I know if I have a torn hip labrum?

If your labrum is overstretched or torn, it causes friction and pain deep in the hip joint when you move your thigh or leg in different directions.

See Hip Pain and Other Symptoms of a Hip Labral Tear

Does stretching repair hip labrum tear?

Yes, specific stretches and exercises may help heal an overstretched or mildly torn labrum by improving the function of muscles and soft tissues around the hip joint – reducing stress and pressure within the joint, and allowing the damaged labrum to regenerate and repair.

Not all types of hip stretching exercises are suitable for labral tears; for example, crossing your leg over your midline (hip adduction) or rotating the hip joint (hip internal rotation) may further aggravate the damaged labrum and should be avoided. 

Exercise therapy may not be beneficial if you have a severely torn hip labrum or a labral tear along with hip impingement, and you may require surgery to manage hip labrum pain in such cases.

Tips for exercises to effectively reduce torn hip labrum pain

Before you work out your hip joint and focus on repairing the torn labrum:

• Begin your workout session with 1 or 2 exercises per day that are easy to perform and suit your flexibility and tolerability levels. Add more exercises or perform higher repetitions as you build strength and endurance.
• Before starting the stretches, use heat therapy by placing a heat pack on your hip, buttock, or front of the upper thigh to increase blood flow to the hips and relieve tightness in the soft tissues.
• After stretching, apply an ice pack to reduce swelling and inflammation and numb exercise-related aches and pains.
• Perform the exercises regularly and consistently to prevent future pain and injury.

As a general rule, exercising should not be overly painful. If you experience pain or concerning symptoms during or after an exercise, stop and consult with your healthcare provider.

As with any exercise program, you are best served by consulting with a doctor and/or physical therapist to make sure you're doing the correct exercises with the right form. They will instruct you on proper techniques and offer modifications to address the root cause of your symptoms, providing both simpler and more challenging exercise options. They can also rule out conditions that mimic hip labral tears, such as hip bursitis. 

If you’re unable to exercise due to severe hip labrum pain, ask your doctor about pain relief options. Treatments such as oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or cortisone injections given directly into the hip joint – called an intra-articular injection, can reduce inflammation and provide enough pain relief for you to get started with physical rehabilitation.

See Recommended Treatments for a Hip Labral Tear

Learn more:

3 Simple Stretches for Hip Pain Relief

How to Treat Hip Flexor Pain