Advanced Hip Acute Injury Rehabilitation
A 16-week advanced program using knee braces, and back braces to aid in the recovery process.
Professional rehabilitation program designed for effective recovery and pain management.
Key facts at a glance
- Body part
- lower-limb · hip
- Injury type
- acute-injury
- Level
- advanced
- Duration
- 16
- Sessions/week
- 3
- Minutes/session
- 60
- Evidence level
- moderate
- ICD-10
- S72
- Cost tier
- moderate
Program Overview This 16-week advanced rehabilitation program is designed for people recovering from an acute hip injury who have been cleared to progress to a more demanding level of training. It combines supervised exercise with supportive equipment, including a knee brace and back brace, to help you rebuild strength, motion, and confidence.
Who This Program Is For and Its Goal This program is for people with an acute hip injury who are ready for advanced rehabilitation under clinician guidance. The goal is to restore hip range of motion, rebuild hip and leg strength, normalize walking, and gradually return you to sport and daily activities. New injuries, recent fractures, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated before starting.
Before You Start Please review these safety notes with your clinician before beginning. Any recent fracture means you must follow your clinician's weight-bearing and activity instructions first. This program assumes you have been cleared for advanced loading.
Safety Notes and When to Stop Because you have a recent fracture, do not begin or advance this program without your clinician's approval. Use your knee and back braces as directed to protect healing tissues. Keep your spine in a neutral position during exercises. Stop and call your clinician if pain increases during activity, if pain at rest rises, if you develop new groin or lateral hip pain, numbness, swelling, or if you cannot bear weight.
Weekly Structure You will train three sessions per week, about 60 minutes each, for 16 weeks. Sessions use a knee brace, a back brace, and may include clinician-provided modalities such as ultrasound, aquatic therapy, shockwave, taping, and low-load blood flow restriction training where appropriate.
How the Plan Is Organized The plan progresses in phases, starting with acute protection in week one, then early mobilization in weeks two and three, and early strengthening from week four onward, building toward advanced sport-return work by week sixteen. Your clinician decides when you move forward.
What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. Your clinician may add modalities such as ultrasound or taping to support the hip. Blood flow restriction and aquatic work are used only when your clinician confirms they are appropriate for you.
Warm-Up, Main Work, Cool-Down Start with gentle motion and light activation while wearing your braces as instructed. The main work focuses on hip strengthening, range of motion, and gait training, with equipment-adjusted support. Cool down with easy stretching and calm breathing. Always keep your spine neutral and stop if pain increases.
Tracking Progress Your clinician will check specific milestones, such as comfortable hip motion, strength, pain levels, and how you walk, before moving you to the next phase. Outcome measures like the Hip Outcome Score, iHOT-33, strength testing, hop test, and single-leg stance help track your recovery over time.
How Progression Criteria Are Used Progression is based on meeting your clinician's functional milestones, not on calendar dates alone. Your outcome measures show whether you are improving and guide adjustments. If a milestone is not met, your clinician may hold you at the current phase and modify the program.
Recovery and Self-Care Recovery happens between sessions too. Follow your clinician's guidance on rest, activity pacing, and brace use, and avoid pushing through increasing pain.
Pain Management Cautions and Red Flags Do not adjust medications on your own; ask your clinician or pharmacist. Stop activity and seek care if pain steadily worsens, if you have sudden sharp groin pain, new swelling, numbness, inability to bear weight, or signs of a fracture complication. These may need urgent evaluation.
Recovery phases
Pain at rest < 3/10 on VAS scale,Hip flexion range of motion > 70 degrees without exacerbation,Able to tolerate weight-bearing as prescribed without increased groin or lateral hip pain,No signs of hip labral irritation with passive flexion-adduction-internal rotation test,Trochanteric bursa compression test negative for acute inflammation, Able to perform basic hip muscle activation: gluteal sets and quadriceps sets
→ Advance to: Early Mobilization
Hip flexion range of motion > 90 degrees,Passive hip external rotation > 30 degrees without pain,Able to ambulate without assistive device or with single cane as needed,No pain with active hip flexion against gravity in non-weight-bearing,Hip abductor strength > 3/5 on manual muscle testing,Iliopsoas tendon not tender to palpation at lesser trochanter
→ Advance to: Early Strengthening
Hip extension range of motion within 10 degrees of contralateral side,Active hip abduction > 20 degrees against gravity,No pain with palpation of acetabular labrum referral zone,Gait pattern normalized withoutTrendelenburg compensation,Hip internal rotation > 20 degrees without catching or sharp pain,Cartilage loading tolerance improved - can tolerate 10 minutes of stationary cycling
→ Advance to: Early Strengthening
Hip flexion strength > 4-/5 on manual muscle testing,Able to perform straight leg raise without hip labral discomfort,Hip abduction strength > 3+/5,No reproduceable pain with FABER test at end range,Tolerance of 15 minutes low-resistance cycling,Gluteus medius activation visible during side-lying hip abduction
→ Advance to: Strengthening Progression
Hip external rotation strength > 3+/5 in prone position,Single leg stance time > 15 seconds without hip drop,No pain withresisted hip flexion in sitting position,Can perform mini squat to 30 degrees knee flexion without anterior hip pain,Hip adductor strength > 3/5,No irritation of iliopsoas bursa with resisted hip flexion
→ Advance to: Strengthening Progression
Hip flexion strength > 4/5,Able to perform Clamshell exercise to 45 degrees hip external rotation without pain,Single leg squat to 30 degrees knee flexion without knee valgus or hip adduction,Hip abduction strength > 4-/5,Tolerance of 20 minutes cycling at moderate resistance,No pain with palpation of proximal iliotibial band at greater trochanter
→ Advance to: Advanced Strengthening
Hip extension strength > 4/5,Able to perform single leg deadlift without loss of pelvic control,Hip internal rotation strength > 3+/5 in prone,Can tolerate 30 minutes of elliptical trainer,No catching or clicking with active hip range of motion,Hip abductor endurance: side-lying hip abduction > 20 repetitions
→ Advance to: Advanced Strengthening
Single leg stance > 30 seconds with good pelvic alignment,Hip flexion strength > 4+/5,Able to perform resisted hip external rotation in standing without pain,Can complete step-up onto 8-inch step with good mechanics,No pain with deep squatting to 70 degrees hip flexion,Hip adductor strength > 4/5
→ Advance to: Power Development
Hip abduction power > 75% of contralateral side,Able to perform hop testing in place without pain,Can complete lateral step-downs from 6-inch step with control,Hip extension power > 75% of contralateral,Tolerance of 30 minutes jogging at moderate pace,No recurrence of trochanteric bursitis symptoms with repetitive loading
→ Advance to: Power Development
Single leg hop for distance > 75% of contralateral,Can perform bounding activities without hip pain,Hip flexion power sufficient for stair climbing,Able to complete circuit of hip strengthening without flare-up,No pain with isokinetic testing at 180 degrees per second,Hip internal and external rotation strength > 80% of contralateral
→ Advance to: Return to Activity
Able to run at 50% speed without hip symptoms,Single leg squat to 60 degrees knee flexion with optimal mechanics,Hip range of motion within 5 degrees of contralateral all planes,No pain with sport-specific movements in controlled environment,Can complete 45-minute training session without flare-up,Patient-reported outcome scores improved by minimal clinically important difference
→ Advance to: Return to Activity
Running at 75% speed without pain or compensatory patterns,Able to perform cutting maneuvers at 50% effort,Hip abduction endurance ratio > 90% of contralateral,Tolerance of high-impact plyometric activities,No groin pain with change of direction tasks,Functional Movement Screen hip mobility score > 3
→ Advance to: Return to Sport
Running at full speed without hip symptoms,Able to perform sport-specific agility drills,Single leg hop for time < 110% of contralateral,No pain with sustained hip flexion in sport positions,Can complete full practice session without modification,Hip muscle strength > 90% of contralateral on isokinetic testing
→ Advance to: Return to Sport
Full-speed cutting and pivoting without exacerbation,Tolerance of repeated sprint intervals,Hip flexion strength > 95% of contralateral on isokinetic testing,No residual symptoms with functional testing battery,Able to perform competitive sport scenarios,Patient reports confidence > 8/10 for return to sport
→ Advance to: Return to Sport
Complete unrestricted training sessions,No recurrence of labral symptoms with loaded hip flexion,Hip abductor and adductor strength ratio within normal limits,Performs at pre-injury level in sport-specific assessments,No use of pain medications for hip condition,Functional Hip Score at 90% of pre-injury baseline
→ Advance to: Maintenance
Hip strength 100% of contralateral or pre-injury baseline,Full return to competitive sport participation,No activity limitations due to hip condition,Maintenance of hip range of motion equal to contralateral side,Patient discharged with independent home exercise program,Follow-up plan established for long-term hip health monitoring
Return to activity milestones
Pain-free basic activities of daily living
Week 4Ankle dorsiflexion adequate for normalised gait pattern over heel
Light functional activities and conditioning
Week 7Weight-bearing tolerance increased by ≥ 25% from previous baseline
Moderate activity and sport-specific conditioning
Week 9Able to ascend and descend 4 stairs with reciprocal pattern, no rail
Full return to sport, occupation, and recreation
Week 16Weight-bearing tolerance increased by ≥ 25% from previous baseline
Precautions
- maintain-neutral-spine
- stop-if-pain-increases
Contraindications
- recent-fracture
Pain management
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication as prescribed by physician
- Ice therapy to hip joint for 15-20 minutes post-exercise
- Gentle soft tissue mobilization to iliopsoas and hip adductors
- Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for gluteal muscle activation
- Positioning and activity modification to avoid hip flexion beyond tolerance
Equipment & modalities
Frequently asked questions
How much pain is acceptable during exercise?
Do I need the knee and back braces the whole time?
When will I be ready for sport?
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you have about a medical condition, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you read here.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.
Medically reviewed by WellAlly Editorial Team Last reviewed October 6, 2026. · Read our editorial policy