Jenny's Hip Preservation Surgery Story
Jenny had spent most of her life believing pain was something you push through. Sports were her whole identity growing up: volleyball, running, always staying active. So when her hip started hurting, she didn't take it seriously at first. She just kept going, because that's what athletes do. Except this time, pushing through made everything worse.
What she was actually dealing with was a hip labral tear on top of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). A labral tear is damage to the ring of cartilage that cushions the hip socket, something a lot of people walk around with and never notice. But Jenny also had a cam impingement, a bony prominence on the femur that repeatedly stresses the labrum over time. Her doctor warned her that without surgery, she could eventually become bone-on-bone.
She believes childbirth may have pushed the injury over the edge. She'd had an epidural and was in an unusual position for a long time, and after her first daughter was born, she couldn't really run again. At 36, after years of a former Division 1 volleyball player's habit of ignoring pain, it finally caught up with her.
“I always thought being really flexible was a good thing. Turns out, I needed less flexibility and more stability, and nobody had ever told me that.”
Her First Surgery and a Difficult Recovery
Jenny's first surgery was with an orthopedic surgeon who also treated shoulders. He wasn't a hip specialist. He didn't do a bad job, but her recovery was rough, and looking back she thinks the approach set her up for it.
She didn't do physical therapy beforehand. She didn't use a brace. She didn't use a CPM machine. She was told to stay off her hip, so it stayed almost completely still. She believes that lack of movement fed the scar tissue that developed afterward and started triggering pain in the strangest places: pain in her stomach, shooting pain she couldn't explain, a feeling like something was glued together where it shouldn't be.
After about four months, she thought she was fine. She started doing HIIT workouts again. She moved furniture. And she tore it again. Suddenly she was facing a second surgery, and the hard realization that she couldn't approach recovery the same way twice.
“I kept feeling like even on my best days, I was just barely ok.”
So she took her recovery into her own hands. Reading medical studies and the r/HipImpingement community on Reddit, she learned her first repair may have missed things, and that she might be hypermobile. She sought a second opinion and found a hip preservation specialist in North Carolina through patient reviews on Reddit.
The Second Time Around: Doing Recovery Differently
Facing another surgery was discouraging, but Jenny knew one thing for certain: she could not recover the same way again.
This time she worked with Dr. Jarvis, a hip preservation specialist who performs hip surgeries every day. He had her begin physical therapy before surgery, not only afterward. He recommended a post-operative hip brace and directed her to Brace Direct to get it. He also set her up with a CPM machine that she used for six hours a day during recovery. This time she was on crutches for three weeks instead of six, and the whole plan was built around protecting the repair instead of just staying still.
- Began physical therapy before surgery, not only afterward
- Wore a hip brace at night to help prevent unsafe sleeping positions
- Used a CPM machine for six hours a day as directed by her care team
- Worked with a hip preservation specialist instead of a general orthopedic surgeon
- Used crutches for three weeks instead of six
- Stopped rushing, comparing, and trying to “push through”
Doctor Prescribed: Breg Post-Op T-Scope Hip Brace
The brace Dr. Jarvis recommended was the Breg Post-Op T-Scope Hip Brace, a range-of-motion brace designed to protect the hip while the repair heals.
Unlike a simple compression sleeve, this is a true post-op range-of-motion brace. Its hinge sets hard limits on how far the hip can bend or extend, so the surgical repair is physically protected, especially overnight, when an accidental roll could set recovery back. That mechanical control, plus telescoping bars that stop side-to-side movement, is what a basic brace simply can't do. What stood out most to Jenny was that the hinge could be set to limit her range of motion based on her specific recovery plan, a difference that mattered more than she expected.
Breg Post-Op T-Scope Hip Brace
The brace Jenny's surgeon prescribed · HCPCS L1686 · PDAC-approved
A post-op range-of-motion hip brace with quick-adjusting flexion and extension stops, telescoping bars that limit side-to-side movement, and a one-handed compression waist belt that doubles as back support.
Shop NowNobody showed Jenny how to put her brace on, so she figured it out through trial and error. That is exactly why our team offers free fitting help, so you don't have to guess. Learn about the Perfect Fit Guarantee.
How Did the Breg Post-Op Hip Brace Help Her Recovery?
Jenny was sure she'd never be able to sleep in the brace. She was wrong. She slept fine. And every time she forgot to lock it at night, she'd wake up in a painful position past ninety degrees and immediately understand why it mattered.
She says the brace did two important things for her. First, it acted as a physical reminder to slow down. You have to stop, unlock it, adjust it, and lock it again, so it keeps you from moving without thinking. Second, and more importantly, it helped keep her from drifting into positions her surgeon wanted her to avoid while she slept, especially early on when she was still taking medication and wasn't fully aware of her movements.
Recovery is also where Jenny finally learned something about herself she'd never known through all her years as an athlete: she's hypermobile. She can move her arms and legs into positions many people can't, and she'd always assumed that flexibility was a strength. But when your labrum is compromised and your joints don't have the stability they need, that flexibility can start working against you. Her body needed support, not more pushing.
Here are the ways Jenny says the brace helped most:
- Let her actually sleep, instead of waking up in pain at 3 AM
- Held her hip in safe positions overnight, so an accidental roll couldn't set her back
- Cued her during the day to stay within safe limits, thanks to its semi-rigid thigh cuffs
- Protected the repair while she was medicated and not fully aware of her movements
- Freed her to put her energy into physical therapy and rebuilding strength
“This brace was the MVP of my hip surgery recovery.”
The brace didn't heal her. Her strength, her perseverance, and using it exactly as prescribed did. It was the tool that kept the repair safe and let her keep moving forward, one small win at a time.
The Emotional Side of Recovery Nobody Talks About
The part Jenny is most honest about is the one she says almost nobody talks about: the emotional toll is real.
She has two young children. During her recovery, they would come up to her wanting to play or wanting to be held, and she was just lying there. She couldn't drive. She couldn't pick them up. She'd drag herself to a nearby pool just to sit in the sun for an hour, then come home and lie back down. It was a really hard summer.
“My kids were saying, ‘Mom, play with me,’ and I was just lying there. That felt like a dagger. I don't think people realize how much chronic pain wears you down without you even noticing it.”
Where Does Jenny Share Her Recovery?
That long, isolating summer eventually gave Jenny an unexpected way to connect with other people going through the same thing. She had spent so much time reading other people's recovery stories online that she figured maybe she could do that too, so she started documenting her recovery on TikTok and Reddit.
Her first TikTok reached 40,000 views. Then a video featuring her hip brace passed 90,000. She wasn't expecting that kind of response, and people kept asking the same questions: What brace is that? Where did you get it? Does insurance cover it? Dr. Jarvis had already pointed her to Brace Direct, so when the questions kept coming, she reached out and later joined the Brace Direct Affiliate Program, which gave her a simple way to point people to the same brace she'd actually used.
Today she posts as @healwithjen10 on TikTok and YouTube, and as u/hyperfocusd on Reddit's r/HipImpingement community. It's not polished content, just real life: how to sit after hip surgery, how to get in and out of a car with crutches, and what coping looks like when you can't pick up your kids. She gives back in the same r/HipImpingement community where she found her specialist, posting her full second-surgery story to encourage others to seek a second opinion when they aren't feeling better. A lot of people are dealing with hip impingement and labral tears, in real pain but unsure where to go or what to ask, on Reddit at 2 a.m. looking for answers, just like she was. More than anything, she wants them to know they aren't alone, and that recovery is possible even when it takes longer than anyone expected.
Where Jenny Is Now
Jenny is about eleven months out from her second surgery. She's swimming regularly, seeing a pelvic floor therapist, and doing dry needling when she gets flare-ups. She still picks up her kids sometimes, even though she knows she shouldn't. She's not in the shape she was before, and she's made peace with that.
What's changed most is her relationship with her body. Before, her mind was in charge and her body just had to keep up: push through pain, push through fatigue, make it do what she needed. Now she thinks of it more like a collaboration. Her body has limits, she listens to them, and she says she's a lot happier for it.
“I changed the relationship I have with my body. Before, I thought my mind was in charge and my body just had to listen. Now we work together. I respect its limits. And I'm genuinely happy.”
Her advice to anyone in the middle of recovery, whether it's a first surgery or a second: don't rush it. Take it day by day, listen to your physical therapist, and stop comparing where you are now to where you were before. Your body is doing something remarkable. Give it the time it actually needs.
How Can I Help My Hip Recovery?
Three habits make the biggest difference: wear your brace exactly as prescribed, commit to physical therapy, and manage pain and swelling with cold and heat.
Follow your surgeon's ROM settings and keep it on overnight, when an accidental roll can undo hard-won progress.
Gentle range-of-motion early, then steady strengthening. As Jenny learned, PT before and after surgery makes a real difference.
Alternate cold and heat to calm inflammation and relax the muscles working overtime around your healing hip.
Cold & Hot Therapy Machine
Suggested therapy device for hip recovery
Circulating ice and heat in one unit to calm post-op swelling and relax the muscles that overwork around a healing joint.
Shop Cold & Hot TherapyDo I Need Insurance to Buy a Medical Brace?
No. Brace Direct doesn't bill insurance; you buy the same professional-grade brace direct, often for less than you'd pay through insurance after markups, co-pays, and deductibles. Jenny knows the insurance maze well, she paid out of pocket for several things, including a CPM machine rental.
Instead, we carry a large selection of professional-grade medical braces, the same ones doctors and clinics use, and sell them at direct prices. Many customers find paying out of pocket actually saves them money. You can learn more about our direct-to-consumer approach here.
Jenny started as a customer and is now a Brace Direct affiliate. Have a recovery story you'd like to share? Get in touch with our team. And if you'd like to earn on the sales you refer, join our affiliate program.
Jenny's story reflects her personal experience and is not medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your surgeon, physical therapist, or other qualified healthcare professional.
Verified Sources
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), OrthoInfo. "Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)." Read source
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), OrthoInfo. "Hip Arthroscopy." Read source
Frequently Asked Questions
A labral tear is a tear in the ring of cartilage (the labrum) that lines the rim of the hip socket. The labrum helps keep the ball of the femur securely in the socket while cushioning the joint during movement. When it tears, you may feel deep pain in the groin or front of the hip, along with clicking, catching, or a sense of instability. Labral tears are often caused by femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), repetitive athletic movements, or structural abnormalities in the hip.
After hip labral tear surgery, most surgeons prescribe a post-operative hip brace with a ROM (range of motion) hinge, such as the Breg Post-Op T-Scope Hip Brace. It locks the hip into safe positions and limits how far you can flex, extend, or move side to side, protecting the surgical repair while you heal, especially during sleep when involuntary movements could stress the repair site. Your surgeon sets the specific ROM limits based on your procedure.
Most patients wear a post-op hip brace for 4 to 6 weeks after labral tear surgery, though the exact timeline depends on the procedure, the extent of the repair, and your surgeon's protocol. During the first 2 to 3 weeks the brace is typically worn during both daytime activities and sleep. After that, some surgeons allow daytime removal first while continuing nighttime use for a few more weeks. Always follow your surgeon's specific instructions.
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a condition where the bones of the hip joint do not fit together smoothly. Extra bone growth along the femoral head (the ball), the acetabulum (the socket), or both causes the bones to grind against each other during normal hip motion. Over time this abnormal contact can damage the labrum and the cartilage lining the joint. FAI is common in athletes and is one of the most frequent causes of labral tears.
Many insurance plans, including Medicare, cover post-operative hip braces when prescribed by a healthcare provider and deemed medically necessary. Brace Direct does not bill insurance directly, but many of our braces are PDAC-approved, meaning they are verified as eligible for insurance reimbursement. You can purchase your brace and submit the receipt to your insurer on your own. We also accept FSA and HSA cards at checkout.
Full recovery from hip labral tear surgery typically takes 4 to 6 months, though some patients continue improving for up to a year. The first 6 weeks focus on protecting the repair with a brace and limited weight bearing. Physical therapy usually begins within the first 1 to 2 weeks, starting with gentle range-of-motion exercises and progressing to strengthening. Most people return to low-impact daily activities within 3 months and higher-demand activities within 4 to 6 months, depending on their surgeon's guidance.
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