Beginner Rehabilitation for Hip Sprains and Strains
A 13-week beginner program for recovering from hip sprains and strains, utilizing a balance board, balance pad, dip station, knee brace, and dumbbell.
Professional rehabilitation program designed for effective recovery and pain management.
Key facts at a glance
- Body part
- lower-limb · hip
- Injury type
- sprain-strain
- Level
- beginner
- Duration
- 13
- Sessions/week
- 2
- Minutes/session
- 20
- Evidence level
- moderate
- ICD-10
- S72
- Cost tier
- moderate
Program Overview This is a beginner, 13-week rehabilitation guide for hip sprains and strains. It is built around two short sessions each week, about 20 minutes per session, using a balance board, balance pad, dip station, knee brace, and dumbbell. The plan moves you gently from protecting the injured hip toward building strength and control. Think of it as a steady, sensible path back to everyday movement, not a race.
Who This Is For and the Goal This program is for people early in recovery from a hip sprain or strain who want a structured, supervised way to rebuild movement and strength. Your main goal is to restore comfortable hip motion, reduce pain, and gradually reload the muscles around the hip. Progress is measured by how you move and feel, not by pushing through discomfort. A clinician should guide and adjust the plan for your specific situation.
Before You Start Check in with your clinician before beginning, and confirm the plan suits your injury. You will need your balance board, balance pad, dip station, knee brace, and dumbbell, plus space to move safely. Some treatment tools listed, such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, laser, manual therapy, and taping, are provided by a trained clinician and are not things to attempt on your own at home.
Safety Notes and When to Stop Do not start if your hip is in an acute, inflamed, hot, or swollen stage; wait until your clinician says it is safe. Always warm up before and cool down after. Stop right away if pain increases, and call your clinician if you notice sharp or worsening pain, new swelling, numbness, or trouble bearing weight. These are signs to pause and get checked rather than push through.
Weekly Structure The plan runs 13 weeks with two sessions per week, each about 20 minutes. Each week follows a warm-up, main work, and cool-down pattern using your equipment. Early weeks focus on gentle protection and easy movement, middle weeks add controlled strengthening, and later weeks build balance and endurance. Progress gradually and only when the listed criteria are met comfortably.
How the 13-Week Plan Is Organized Sessions are short and repeatable so they fit easily into your week. You will use the knee brace for support as advised, the balance pad and balance board for control work, the dip station for supported movements, and the dumbbell for light strengthening. In plain terms, the phases move from protecting the hip, to getting it moving, to gentle strengthening, to more confident strength and balance. Move to the next phase only when you meet the criteria with your clinician.
What a Typical Session Looks Like Each session follows the same comforting rhythm: warm up, do the main work, then cool down. Your clinician will guide which specific exercises suit your phase. Keep the effort gentle and controlled, and use your equipment as directed. The goal is smooth, pain-free movement rather than fatigue, so quality of movement matters more than quantity.
Warm-Up, Main Work, and Cool-Down Begin with easy warm-up movement to prepare the hip, using the balance pad for light supported shifting as tolerated. In the main work, you might practice controlled balance on the balance board, supported movements at the dip station, and light dumbbell work, all guided by your clinician. Finish with a calm cool-down of gentle stretching and relaxed breathing. Always cool down after, and stop if pain increases.
Tracking Progress Keep simple notes after each session: your pain level, what felt easy or hard, and any new symptoms. Your clinician will use outcome measures such as the Hip Outcome Score, the iHOT-33, a pain rating scale, single leg stance, and a hip mobility screen to track change over time. These tools help show real progress and guide safe adjustments to your program.
Using Progression Criteria and Outcome Measures Progression criteria are checkpoints your clinician uses to decide when you are ready for the next phase, based on comfortable movement, strength, and pain control rather than a fixed calendar. Outcome measures track how your hip function and symptoms change across the weeks. Together they help keep your rehabilitation safe, personalized, and on track toward your goals.
Recovery and Self-Care Rest and recovery matter as much as the exercises. Follow your clinician's advice on activity, ice or heat, and any supportive devices like the knee brace. Keep sessions gentle and consistent, and give your hip time to adapt. Good sleep, sensible pacing, and listening to your body all support healing and help you stay comfortable between sessions.
Pain Management Cautions and Red Flags Do not self-prescribe medication; ask your clinician or pharmacist for advice. Use rest and pacing to manage symptoms rather than pushing through pain. Seek prompt care if you develop severe or sudden hip pain, marked swelling, fever, numbness, or an inability to bear weight. These could signal a problem that needs professional assessment, so contact your clinician rather than continuing the program.
Recovery phases
Pain at rest less than 2/10 on visual analog scale,Able to weight bear as tolerated without increased hip or groin pain,No pain with gentle passive hip range of motion within tolerance,No irritation of iliopsoas bursa or trochanteric bursa with light palpation,Able to perform basic bed mobility without increased acetabular labrum symptoms,No increased pain with gentle isometric contractions of hip flexors and adductors
→ Advance to: Phase 2 - Early Mobility
Passive hip flexion to 90 degrees without pain at acetabular rim,Active hip flexion against gravity without exacerbation of labral symptoms,No reproduction of clicking or catching with intra-articular hip pathology,Tolerates prone lying without increased anterior hip pain,Gentle resisted hip flexion does not reproduce iliopsoas tendon pain,Able to ambulate with normalized gait pattern using assistive device if needed
→ Advance to: Phase 3 - Strengthening
Hip active range of motion: flexion to 100 degrees, abduction to 30 degrees, external rotation to 30 degrees,No pain with palpation of greater trochanteric region or ischial tuberosity,Able to perform submaximal isometrics for hip abductors and extensors,Single leg stance on affected side for 10 seconds without compensation,No reproduction of deep groin pain suggesting acetabular cartilage involvement,Tolerates 10 minutes of continuous activity without increased bursal inflammation
→ Advance to: Phase 4 - Intermediate Strengthening
Hip flexion strength greater than 4/5 on manual muscle testing,Hip abduction strength greater than 4/5 without posterior hip pain,Able to perform clamshells without pain at gluteal tendon insertion,No pain with resisted hip adduction suggesting adductor tendon strain resolution,Hip internal rotation within 10 degrees of contralateral side,Able to complete 20 minutes of functional activity without increased trochanteric bursitis symptoms
→ Advance to: Phase 5 - Progressive Loading
Full passive hip range of motion equal to contralateral side,Able to perform single leg squat to 45 degrees knee flexion without compensatory hip adduction,Hip external rotation strength greater than 4/5 at 90 degrees hip flexion,No pain with palpation of piriformis or sacroiliac region,Able to advance from stationary bike to elliptical without increased labral symptoms,Core endurance testing: prone hold greater than 60 seconds without hip flexor fatigue
→ Advance to: Phase 6 - Functional Training
Single leg hop for distance within 25% of contralateral side,Able to perform lateral step-downs without knee valgus indicating hip abductor control,No reproduction of anterior hip impingement with combined flexion adduction internal rotation,Hip abduction strength at 90 degrees hip flexion greater than 4/5,Tolerates 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity without increased ischial bursitis,Patient reports less than 2/10 pain with sport-specific movements
→ Advance to: Phase 7 - Return to Activity Preparation
Full hip range of motion in all planes equal to contralateral side,Functional Movement Screen hip mobility score of 2 or greater,Able to complete cut drills and pivoting without pain at labral region,Hip flexion strength within 10% of contralateral side on isokinetic testing,No tenderness with palpation of iliopsoas tendon or proximal adductor tendons,Patient demonstrates proper biomechanics with running and jumping tasks
→ Advance to: Phase 8 - Sport-Specific Conditioning
Completes 30-minute running interval without increased hip symptoms,Able to perform power development exercises without pain at greater trochanter,Hip adductor strength within 15% of contralateral side,No recurrence of trochanteric bursitis with increased activity volume,Able to perform sport-specific agility drills at 75% intensity,Patient reports confidence level of 7/10 with hip function
→ Advance to: Phase 9 - Advanced Training
Completes full sport practice without pain or instability symptoms,Hip abduction strength at 0 degrees hip extension within 10% of contralateral side,No pain with resisted hip external rotation in prone position,Able to perform high-intensity interval training without flare-up of bursitis,Single leg vertical hop within 20% of contralateral side,Patient reports return to near-preinjury activity level
→ Advance to: Phase 10 - Return to Sport Training
Full participation in sport-specific training drills,Hip flexion and extension power ratio within normal limits,No pain with prolonged sitting suggesting labral irritation,Able to perform repeated sprinting without increased hip symptoms,Patient demonstrates symmetrical hip biomechanics during landing tasks,Functional Hip Score greater than 80% of contralateral side
→ Advance to: Phase 11 - Competition Readiness
Completes full competition simulation without pain or swelling,Hip range of motion maintained with no loss after intense activity,No recurrent symptoms with high-velocity cutting and pivoting,Patient reports confidence level of 9/10 with return to sport,Able to perform at competition intensity for full duration,All hip special tests negative for pathology reproduction
→ Advance to: Phase 12 - Return to Competition
Returned to full competitive play without restrictions,No increase in symptoms following competition,Hip strength within 5% of contralateral side on quantitative testing,Patient satisfied with functional outcome,No recurrence of labral, tendinous, or bursal symptoms,Cleared for full sport participation by treating clinician
→ Advance to: Phase 13 - Maintenance and Discharge
Patient independent with home exercise program for hip stabilization,No limitations with activities of daily living or sport,Hip subjective outcome scores meet discharge criteria,Patient educated on maintenance and warning signs of recurrence,Maintenance program focuses on hip abductor and core strengthening,Follow-up plan established for any recurrent symptoms
Return to activity milestones
Pain-free basic activities of daily living
Week 3Ankle dorsiflexion adequate for normalised gait pattern over heel
Light functional activities and conditioning
Week 5Weight-bearing tolerance increased by ≥ 25% from previous baseline
Moderate activity and sport-specific conditioning
Week 7Able to ascend and descend 4 stairs with reciprocal pattern, no rail
Full return to sport, occupation, and recreation
Week 13Weight-bearing tolerance increased by ≥ 25% from previous baseline
Precautions
- cool-down-after
- warm-up-before
- stop-if-pain-increases
Contraindications
- acute-inflammation
Pain management
- Ice therapy to hip and greater trochanteric region for 15-20 minutes multiple times daily
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication as prescribed for bursitis
- Gentle hip stretching in non-provocative positions
- Soft tissue mobilization to iliotibial band and hip rotators
- Heat therapy prior to exercise for muscular flexibility
- Acetaminophen for pain control if NSAID contraindicated
Equipment & modalities
Frequently asked questions
Can I do these exercises at home on my own?
What if an exercise increases my pain?
How will I know I am ready for the next phase?
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