r/HipImpingement

I was just diagnosed with a labrum tear in BOTH hips :/ i was an athlete for 20 years of my life and im still very active - enjoy running, walking, pilates, and light lifting.

ive had moderate pain in my right hip for about a year and a half but the pain has recently increased in the last 3-4 months which is why i decided to get it checked out. it now hurts with light walking, lifting my leg to get into the car, when i accidentally rotate it a certain way, and even a dull pain in my sleep. the pain is pinching and i have the mixed type. also cysts on both sides. early cartilage wear and bone spur.!

do you think these symptoms are bad enough to get surgery? personally, id rather get surgery now when i can heal quicker than i could when im older. being active is also really crucial to my mental and physical health and to be frank, i am continuing to workout despite the pain and would probably continue to do so unless i had the surgery (wouldn’t want to pay all that money and throw it down the drain, so id take recovery seriously).

i would likely hold off on my left hip and take the route of seeing if PT can help since my symptoms are mild and only flares a little after a workout (similar to how my left one felt a year and a half ago).

idk, as a previous athlete i just don’t envision a world in which PT heals my right hip to the point of not having discomfort. and i feel like cortisone shots are just like putting a bandaid over a bullet wound. i also can’t take nsaids due to gi sensitivity!

thoughts pls!!! im kinda torn (no pun intended)

I (31F) just had a right labrum repair + femoroplasty yesterday. Just wanted to share a few thoughts while they're fresh on my mind in case they're helpful.

Nerve block: I highly recommend getting a block if you can! It likely won't fully take care of the pain but it definitely helps keep things under control. I got a PENG block and a lateral femoral cutaneous nerve block. My anesthesiologist used exparel, which is a local anesthetic that lasts for 3-ish days so I am still getting a lot of pain control right now. It's not perfect, I do still have some pain but it has been manageable with tylenol and celebrex. I have oxycodone for breakthrough pain but I've only needed to take it twice.

Helpful postop supplies: recliner (electric, ideally), crutch bag, warm socks, loose/high waisted pants or joggers, icyhot (I used it for shoulder pain because of how I was positioned during the surgery), neck pillow (for sleeping in the recliner), wedge pillow (for sleeping in bed), grabber, toilet riser with handles, shower chair, miralax, and a big bag of ice (for filling up the ice machine if you have one).

Regrets: I wish I had done more to strengthen my core/upper body/left leg. I also wish I had practiced walking with crutches before I actually needed them.

Surprises: When I first woke up, my right heel and ankle were a lot sorer than my hip, I assume because of how my foot was secured during the surgery. And my right thigh and butt cheek are huge right now because of extravasation of the irrigation used to visualize the surgical site.

I am 37/F. I've had on and off pain on my left hamstring, SI joint, lower back the last 20 years, but it's been mostly OK now. Once I treated my gut the past year, my muscle recovery got faster and my overall pain disappared.

Having said that, I do ballet as a hobby, and my recent left hip MRI results don't look good. Spine and Pelvis MRI were OK.

- Femur: deficiency in the offset of femoral head neck junction with alpha angle of 62 degrees. Femoral version analysis, corrected for the degree of femoral rotation, reveals 5 degrees of demoralized anteversion.

- Hip joint: full thickness tear of the anteosuperior labrum. Deep cartilage fissure of the anterosuperior and superolateral acetabulum

- Acetabulum: No dysplasia

- Osseous structures: Lobulated high T2 signal lesion within the proximal femoral diaphysis measuring 9mm x 10mm in diamer with no associated endosteal scalloping most consistent with a benign enchondroma. No bone marrow edma to suggest stress injury.

I haven't done my right hip yet, but plan to get done to see how much damage I've done.

I am scheduled for a hydrolauric acid shot for lubrication while I wait for appointments with various hip preservationist at HSS (Coleman, Nawabi, Nwachukwu, maybe Kelly)

My sports med non-surgical doctor tells me that 1. if I stop ballet now, I might not need a surgery, 2. but if I want to stay active, I will need a surgery at certain point and a hip anthroscopy (bone shaving, tear repair) will delay or prevent arthritis from bone to bone friction.

I am reading that some people here say not to get the surgery unless you are in severe pain since surgery might make it worse. And some saying that cam deformity can make the situation worse so need to be corrected.

I am not hypermobile, but I am flexible than average.

Any thoughts on hip anthroscopy?

So I had a PAO back in Jan 2026 (about 4 months ago) and then in May 2026 (9 days ago) I had the screws removed and a labrum repair (pincer deformity). My period came about 7-10 days earlier than normal and it was completely unexpected, like no pms or anything. I was wondering if anyone else had an irregular period following a hip scope / hip surgery? Did it arrive on time, earlier / later than expected? Any other weird changes? And did it get back on track the following cycle?

I have bilateral FAI, coxa profunda and a right torn labrum. After a few months of PT, I feel a ton better and almost back to baseline. Mostly having weird compensating pain. So now going on a fun track of learning how to fix that.

I am not going to get surgery because I cannot afford not to work. Why put myself through more pain than I am in now I feel.

But on pain management what options are iut there I can speak to an orthopedic doctor about?

They already offered toradol injextion which only can provide 1-12 hours of relief doctor said.

Cortisone injection, possibly some relief but I am already having a good amount.

At home I use salonpas patches and lidocaine patches and most days I have almost no pain. I can still work my highly active job.

looking for hope.

had surgery October 2025 for labral tear and impingement.

initial recovery felt relatively good but once off crutches and ramping things up been in daily pain. had massive flare in glute which has recently died down but got the daily groin pain which I had pre op.

walking, gym work, just general hoovering the house or anything like increases the groin pain, bending seems to effect the pain the most.

I don’t really have pain when resting, like in bed I’m fine, just day to day constant pain, right in the crease of the groin that puts horrible pain that’s always there, not agony but it just deflates you.

I’m 29 years old was so fit before and this is knocking on the door of 3 years of pain now, I’m depressed and it effects literally everything in my life, any enjoyment is sucked out of me cause I’m in pain.

looking for positive stories that things improve from here.

my physio hasnt been good as it’s nhs (Scotland) but my range of motion is fine, can put my leg in positions and doesn’t recreate the pain just always have the groin pain from doing daily activitie. can’t really walk more than 3km without everything getting more sore.

I hope it’s maybe just hip flexor but its all so complex you have no idea, hence the risk of this surgery.

no one around me understands what its like to be in this position. thanks for reading.

NEVER stop strengthening your hips, glutes, and legs. The last thing you need is for your hips, glutes and legs to become weak. Even if you never get back to 100%, the alternative is much worse.

Pick 2 or 3 days out of the week that are designated for your hips. Even if it’s just 10 minute sessions, keep those muscles activated. Even if you can’t really do much, do what you can and build from there.

As someone who’s had hip pain for 5 years, I can tell you that when I go months without working out my hips and glutes, I feel the difference. My tolerance for walking goes down and I just get even more depressed. For us people with hip pain, it is important to be intentional about our hip pain - which means don’t neglect them and let them atrophy.

Hope this helps someone. Having a strong foundation (hips, glutes, and legs) should be your biggest priority. Remind your brain and body that certain things are safe to do, and that only comes with time and building tolerance. Good luck !

P.S - Glutes are some of the most important muscles when it comes to hip pain and they ALWAYS get ignored. So make sure that you are building bullet proof glutes !!!!!!

Hi everyone,
I am 19, normally do Sports like 5-6 week and play soccer. I had my hip surgery on April 2nd (Cam impingement and labral tear). The labrum was reattached with two anchors.

For the first 4 to 5 weeks, I was on crutches and then transitioned to walking completely without them (around May 7th). I diligently did my daily exercises and was on a very good track.

Important context: I have never had any real pain since the surgery, except during movements that were forbidden anyway, like bending past 90 degrees. I should also mention that I took 1200mg of Ibuprofen daily during the first few weeks, but even after stopping, I never had any pain.

However, there is one thing that surprises me (and my physio):
I am experiencing the exact same pain as I did before the surgery—for example, when bringing my knee to my chest, and during the test where the leg is bent and rotated outwards when my physio checks it. This wasn't caused by any recent overload; it has been like this the entire time.

Additionally, I just suffered a flare-up now in week 6:
May 11th & 12th (last week): I did my normal exercises on my own.
Wednesday (May 13th): I went to my PT and we did balance exercises.
Thursday: I tried to use the stationary bike (with zero resistance). However, I felt pain while pedaling and walking for the first time.

Since then, I've backed off a bit. I stopped doing specific exercises and have tried to reduce my daily steps. When I sit, stand, or lie down, I have absolutely no issues. It only hurts when walking, taking longer steps, or when I roll over in bed.
Because the pain while walking wasn't getting better, I decided to start taking Ibuprofen (1200 mg) again on Sunday. As of today, I'm also back on my crutches to completely take the load off the joint.

Now my questions for you and your experiences:

Is it normal to have exactly the same pain as before the surgery during flexion (knee to chest) and while the leg is bent and rotated outwards the entire time? Has anyone else experienced this?

Regarding the recent setback: Was getting back on crutches and taking Ibuprofen the right decision to calm down this flare-up? Or should I just continue with my exercises (maybe reduced), or is it better to completely take all weight and load off the joint for now? Should i keep stretching the muscels around it?

Thanks in advance for your advice! <3

Hi, just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience.

MRI showed: small subtle labral tear and cam-type hip impingement

Symptoms are mainly: front hip / groin pain, burning in hip flexor area, worse with sitting / closed hip positions, sometimes adductor pain too

I had a cortisone injection 1 week ago. The first 2 days after were awful, I could barely walk. It improved a bit after that, but I still haven’t felt a clear benefit yet.

I’m doing physio and trying to avoid aggravating positions, but the pain keeps coming back daily and feels pretty inconsistent.

Would love to know:

• how long your injection took to work
• whether you had the same burning / groin symptoms
• whether physio was enough or if you needed surgery

Thanks!

This might sound like the dumbest question in the world but does anyone appreciate their hip pain? Did it change your perspective on life? Did it make you more appreciative? Did it change the way you feel things? Is the pain a reminder that you are alive? I know some people might think that this is a ridiculous question. Obviously I would rather not be in pain, but I try to put things into perspective. Dealing with chronic hip pain has been an emotional journey. It has made me feel things more deeply than before. I appreciate the little things. I don’t take a 5 minute walk for granted anymore. Going to the grocery store feels like an escape. Going out for a drive and listening to music makes all of the difference. The little things matter much more to me now and I try to hold on to that. Good luck on your journey and thank you for not making me feel like I’m alone.

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Surgeon

Originally, I asked if 15 weeks would be enough time to recover in time for an upcoming accounting job (I'm looking for zero pain working, not return to sport yet). I pretty much got positive responses but then I had a discussion with my parents that made me doubt my upcoming surgery. They basically mentioned that the recovery timeline I have is too short and to consider what could go wrong if I don't recover as expected or have a complication. They don't want me to potentially have to postpone starting this accounting job after the job already accelerated my start date at my request. Instead, they recommend delaying the surgery for a year or 2 to get settled into my upcoming job and then work with them to schedule time off and remote work while I recover. So I'm a bit undecided:

Option 1: Get surgery now, aim to recover enough in 15 weeks so that sitting and travelling is zero/minimal pain.

Pros: Lot's of time to recover before starting job, lots of free time for PT, have lots of time off from my current part-time job.

Cons: Taking a risk of things getting worse before starting a new job. Might not look good for me to potentially request delaying my start date or to start my employment working remotely.

Option 2: Wait a year or so after working at my upcoming new job to request time off for surgery.

Pros: I establish myself within the company first and give a strong first impression before requesting time off. Can very likely work remotely.

Cons: Less time off to recover. Have to schedule my PT around my work. Potential for my hip issue to get worse.

Overall, my hip pain is 0-2 if I don't push things (spikes up yo 3-5 if I do) so I CAN delay if needed but I've essentially been limiting myself athletically more and more just to keep the pain mild. My athletic goals and progress have been completely destroyed at this point and me getting the surgery is more in the hopes of removing my restrictions rather than getting rid of the pain. There ARE exercises I can do to keep fit but I don't feel fulfilled. Sorry for the long read and any opinions would be helpful.

Basically the title. Everything is all healed up and I’ve been putting Vitamin E oil on it twice daily to speed up healing the scars. But they’re still tender to the touch and a little keloid. Any tips? I’m 43F in my 8th week.

Hi everyone – I am a 29-year-old woman recently diagnosed with FAI/labral/back issues. I went to the doctor because I was having pretty consistent bilateral lower back pain and tightness, and I noticed my hip started aching and I struggled to put on my right sock.  I’ve long had a decreased range of motion in my right hip and intermittent groin pain, but it got significantly worse recently without any coinciding injury. For context, I’m not really an athlete and I don’t run; just Solidcore a few times a week.
 
I think I have a bit of a weird case, and am a bit overwhelmed by my MRI findings. Have been going to a regular ortho, but decided to make an appointment with a hip preservation specialist tomorrow for a second opinion, especially as my pain has been getting worse over the past few days (today pretty unbearable pain in the SI joint area, and Tylenol/Meloxicam isn’t helping).
 
I’ve summarized MRI results below, and current recommendation from ortho #1 is a is cortisone shot in right hip to ensure that the worse pain is coming from hip, not back, then eight weeks of PT.  Depending on results, we’ll reassess for surgery.  Obviously will see what the specialist has to say, but wanted to pick this group’s brain to see if anyone has ever had similar results, and what was the plan / result?
 
Main questions are as follows: What was your treatment?  Based on your experience, did your back issues resolve at all once your hip was fixed?  And for anyone with anteversion, did your doctor have a view as to whether this impacted your prognosis?  Thanks in advance.
 
MRI results:
 
Right Hip
 
Tear through base of anterior superior labrum;
Moderate cam morphology with fibrocystic change;
Suspected acetabular retroversion;
Excess femoral anteversion of 34 degrees (I figure this is true on both sides as I’ve always been knock-kneed);
Muld hip joint capsular thickening;
Mild trochanteric bursitis.
 
Back

Low lumbar disc disease with annual fissure and broad posterior disc bulging at L4-L5 (but interestingly, lumbar MRI showed left paracentral disc extrusion with abutment of left intrathecal L5 nerve root even though my pain is mostly right-sided).

First post here. Hoping for some encouragement or suggestions, idk something.

I’ve been having hip pain for about 5 years. I was a competitive cheerleader for 5 years (8-13) and a competitive dancer for 8 years (13-21) and also a dance/tumbling teacher for 7 years (18-25). I was hard on my body and especially my hips.

I “retried” form that life 25, and spent two years backpacking around the world where it wasn’t uncommon to walk 8-15 miles most days.

In 2022 after 2 years of fighting I finally found out I have bilateral PHT. Pain was so severe I could not sit more than 10 minutes without excruciating pain. Could not sit to eat or work or watch tv, I was unable to do normal stuff like see a movie or drive. Sat on heating pad or ice pack 24/7 just to do the bare minimum of life. Painkillers of any kind didn’t help pain at all. Did 3 rounds of PT, first two were useless, third one did help with severity of symptoms, but I’m told this is something I’ll likely deal with life long.

Fast forward to now, after years of the pain in the front of Now after paying out of pocket for MRIs (insurance denied me 4x) they found 3 “bad” spots in the labrum’s, 2 in the left, 1 in the right. As I didn’t do contrast they can’t 100% tell if they’re tears or what my doctor calls “wear spots”, they seem deep rather than long, but I guess either way, they’re there, and bad enough they show without contrast on MRI. MRI also noted arthritis starting to set in.

As I mentioned my insurance is refusing to do much they are pretty much saying since there isn’t an “inciting incident” that they won’t pay for more imaging or even injections. Much less surgery if I’d want to do that. They did approve 8 PT sessions, I’ve had 4 so far over 2 months with zero improvement toward pain.

My daily level fluctuates a lot. Mornings and nights of course being worse. Colder days are worse, days leading up to menstrual cycle are way worse. Walking more than a few miles or doing any exercises or even many house chores (especially any requiring squatting or flexion more than about 75°) flares it so bad some days I can’t walk without a limp. OTC pain killers do nothing. Even tried prescription pain killers a few times with no relief. I’ve tried things like meditation, breathing techniques, relaxation technique etc. Tried acupuncture, and CBD pain patches (found I’m allergic so that’s fun), chiropractic care.

I have a host of other medical issues that don’t help, including something causing chronic fatigue the doctors haven’t identified. I’m suspecting I may so have SI joint issues, possibly even a connective tissue disorder. I’m so tired. And feeling helpless and defeated.

PT isn’t working so far. And I don’t know what to do.

My doc is willing to go ahead with cortisone but insurance won’t pay so I’m just not sure if it’s worth the expense. But I’m considering it more everyday.

Guess I just need to know I’m not alone and just have a little support as the few people I have in my life just don’t understand

Hi, I am a 52 y/o active, healthy woman. I have hip dysplasia and most recently had an MRA, which showed two severe labral tears and a subcondral cyst. It also showed that my arthritis has progressed from my last MRI six years ago and also bony changes. The ortho told me I am too old for labral repair and given my hips anatomy, I would tear it again anyway. I have tried ultrasound guided injections many many rounds of PT and everything else you could think of other than PRP. I was thinking of pushing for a hip replacement. I was told that I am slightly too young and my arthritis isn't so severe…YET! It is inevitable that I will need one eventually. My question is why should I wait? I heard that recovery from THR is not that bad. And yeah, I might need a revision in 20 years when I'm 72 but honestly, I don't even care at this point. I am in agonizing pain and it's interfering with my daily life. I can't take a walk anymore, no matter the distance, and most nights it wakes me up. It's like a sharp stabbing electrical pain. The last sports med ortho I saw said it is possibly an option and I do have a consultation with a surgeon next week. Has anybody had this exact issue? The line they're towing is I am too old for a traditional arthroscopy, but I'm too young for a hip replacement. so what… I'm just supposed to live with this pain until I'm 60? Ugh

I've had problems with my legs for about 20 years. I'm 35 now. I've always had trouble sleeping well. I have pain in the back of my leg, just below my buttock. I've recently been diagnosed with a tear of the anterior superior labrum in two-thirds and the posterosuperior labrum in one-third, among other findings (mild trochanteric bursitis, bursitis, use of orthotics due to poor gait, discopathy in my back...). Do you think surgery would be a good option? The cartilage is intact according to the MRI arthrogram. I've had 50 rehabilitation sessions with no improvement.

Hey folks,

Just adding to a previous thread where I was asking about other symptoms that might be caused by hip impingement. I've had pain in my left hip for over 10 years that was never that bad. Three years ago though I started developing some debilitating, disruptive and extremely frustrating symptoms including pelvic floor dysfunction, aching pain in both legs, weakness in both legs, numbness in my toes, negative impact on my sex life, and most recently shortness of breath. I saw so many physio's, osteos, and witch doctors. I could treat each of those symptoms but they would return and new ones kept popping up.

I finally convinced my gp to get an MRI (I live in Canada, so it's sometimes difficult to navigate the healthcare system if you aren't dying immediately). After a few more hoops I was diagnosed with hip impingement. As I said, my hip was never the top concern. But after a cortisone shot all of the symptoms outlined above disappeared overnight. I then got a radio frequency ablation and it seems like that is working too.

Up until three years ago I was extremely active, running, hiking etc... I feel like I have my life back again. Not sure what the future has in store, I've been doing pt for three years straight, and many of impingement specific exercises were already on my rotation so I'm pretty confident I've given pt a good shot.

Anyway, just wanted to share some of the words symptoms that I experienced that appear to have been caused by hip impingement.

Many thanks

Hi everyone I have a partial hip labrum tear in my left hip. Physical therapy has been going OK and I just recently finished. They told me to keep doing my exercises for the next 3 to 4 months and see how I feel. I’m slowly feeling better. Some days are different. They told me I could start getting back into the gym but just to take it slow and go light. My orthopedic said the same thing. Is there anybody on here that has started lifting again? Some exercises I should avoid doing?