FAI and movement practice

I do daily battle with my sock because I can’t bring my thigh close enough to my chest to put it on. FAI/ labral tears can significantly reduce ROM, and it was only in getting one that I realised how awkward life is if you’re not able to go past 90° of hip flexion (bringing knee to chest) ...and not just for socks! But for... other fun stuff ...

As with most injuries, it’s been an amazing teacher. Having one very stiff and one flexi hip, I’ve been appreciating the role hip in flexion plays in the ‘bend over and touch your toes’ position in yoga & movement classes. Hamstring flexibility commonly gets most of the attention here, but it’s also the ROM of the hip in flexion that determines the range.

While tight hamstrings can inhibit hip flexion, they don’t always. You might have A LOT of hip flexion - be able to do a deep squat, or any other action that touches your thigh to chest, and not be able to touch the floor with straight legs. In which case sure- maybe the hamstrings are limiting the range. Or, like my case, flexible the restriction is coming from the hip - the hamstrings are the same.

For general life purposes, it’s made me think realise maintaining a good degree of hip flexion is probably more useful than hamstring flexibility. Without it I want to buy one of that grabber things my grandma had to get my sock on!

Started doing FAI fix programme which will hopefully get me back to putting my socks on as well as jiujitsu. Super interesting interview with black belt Ariel Tabak who also had a labral tear and used the programme to get function back.

Anyone had labral tear before? Would love to hear your story.