What Is a Labral Tear?
The labrum is a ring of cartilage that deepens and cushions your shoulder or hip socket. It can tear from a single trauma (a dislocation or hard fall), from structural factors like hip impingement or a shallow socket, or gradually from repetitive twisting and pivoting. Symptoms often include a catching, clicking, or locking sensation, deep joint pain, and stiffness.
What the Evidence Actually Shows
This is one of the clearest cases where imaging findings and pain don't line up:
40–70% of people have a labral tear on MRI with zero symptoms — it's a common, often incidental finding
A major shoulder trial found PT produced outcomes comparable to SLAP repair surgery
A landmark hip trial (FIRST) found surgery plus PT matched PT alone at two years, for most patients
How We Approach It
Confirm it's the real driver — mechanical symptoms and true instability get a closer look.
Build the muscles that share the load — rotator cuff and scapular control for the shoulder; glute and deep hip rotator strength for the hip.
Retrain the movement patterns that stress the joint — including hip or thoracic mobility that may be contributing.
Trial focused PT for 3–6 months — the evidence-supported first step before considering surgery for most people.
Bottom line: A labral tear on your imaging report is common and often not the whole story. For most people, a structured strengthening program is an effective — and often equally successful — first approach, well before surgery is on the table.