Advanced Hip Acute Injury Rehabilitation

Advanced Hip Acute Injury Rehabilitation Program: 22-Week Guide

This program is for people recovering from an acute hip injury who have already built a solid foundation and are ready for advanced, supervised rehabilitation. It is designed to restore hip strength, mobility, balance, and confidence over 22 weeks. The goal is a safe, gradual return to your normal activities, sport, or work, using equipment like cable machines, a rower, TRX straps, and foam rollers. Your clinician will guide you through each phase and adjust the pace to your body.

Before You Start

Only begin this program after your clinician confirms it is safe for you. Do not push into ranges of motion or positions that have not been assessed, and do not exercise over a wound that has opened or is separating. Always warm up first, and cool down afterward. Stop and contact your clinician if pain steadily increases during or after exercise, if you notice new swelling, numbness, or a feeling of the hip giving way, or if a wound changes.

Weekly Structure

The plan runs 22 weeks with four sessions per week, each about 30 minutes, using your cable machine, rower, TRX, and foam roller. It moves through four phases: protection and pain control early on, then early rehabilitation, then advanced strengthening and balance, and finally return to activity. Your clinician decides when you move to the next phase based on how you are doing, not just the calendar.

What a Typical Session Looks Like

Each session follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern. The warm-up may use easy rowing or light cable work to raise your heart rate and prepare the hip. The main work includes strengthening with cables and TRX, balance drills, and functional movements. The cool-down uses gentle stretching and foam rolling around the hip and thigh. Your clinician may also add recommended treatments such as aquatic therapy, blood flow restriction, electrical stimulation, or ultrasound where appropriate.

Tracking Progress

You move between phases when you meet the specific criteria set for each one, such as reaching certain pain levels, range of motion, strength, or balance targets. Your clinician measures these with you. Outcome measures like the Hip Outcome Score, Non-Arthritic Hip Score, iHOT-33, single leg stance test, and functional movement screens help track your progress over time and guide decisions about advancing safely.

Recovery and Self-Care

Manage pain sensibly: mild soreness that settles is common, but increasing or lasting pain is a signal to ease back and check in with your clinician. Rest between sessions, stay hydrated, and follow any wound-care instructions. Seek prompt medical advice for severe pain, sudden swelling, fever, wound changes, or any new weakness or numbness. Do not use this guide to self-prescribe medication.