Your recent MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan was read as a hip labrum abnormality, but this does not necessarily mean that you will have to undergo surgery.Many people with labrum tears and abnormalities show no symptoms whatsoever and are not impeded by the condition.
The hip labrum is the ring of cartilage surrounding the hip socket that keeps the femur in place. Hip labrum abnormalities and tears are two of the more recently discovered sources of hip pain, but diagnosis and treatment protocols are still being developed.
Diagnosing a hip labrum abnormality or tear is difficult. MRI scans produce an enormous number of false positives. In a 2012 study conducted in Colorado, 73% of 45 asymptomatic individuals tested positive for abnormalities. Thus, if you are not experiencing pain or limitations on activity, your MRI readings might not mean anything.
The first question to ask yourself after such a reading is whether or not you are experiencing hip pain. If you are not, odds are that you are not going to need treatment or surgery. Consult us to determine the right course of treatment. After all, you do not want to waste time and energy treating a condition you might not have!
However, if you do experience hip pain—specifically hip pain that extends inward to the groin and inner pelvis—then you may have a torn or impinged hip labrum. A catching or clicking sensation in the hip joint often accompanies this condition.
Treating this condition through a course of physical therapy can involve
- limiting pivoting motions in the hip, particularly under a load
- use of a cane or walker to take the weight off the hip region
- joint mobilization and massage to increase mobility and reduce motion restrictions
- stretching and strengthening exercises to restore full motion and motor function
Hip pain does not have to be borne in silence, nor does it necessarily lead to surgery. First, the source of your hip pain must be determined. Working together to develop an exercise program will help ease your pain and enable you to get back to the activities you love.
