My Journey–In The Beginning…

April, 2015

My pain experience began 2 years ago. It was during a particularly stressful time when I was having a change in clinic management and was spending a significant amount of time sitting at my computer. It started as an annoying little pinch in my hip joint, but began to get my attention when I was standing and turning, or walking and I’d get a jolt, which would create a high level pain that lasted only a few seconds up to a minute.   Eventually I had to modify my desk ergonomics to try to minimize the hip pain while getting my work done.

I started with what I knew and believed in the most, Feldenkrais®. One of the most basic principles of The Feldenkrais Method® is exploration. So, with the help of one of our Healing Bridge practitioners, an outside practitioner and my own curiosity, I began to explore what movements or lack of movements throughout the whole of my body, might be contributing to this pain experience.

Early on, I discovered a movement pattern when I was walking and running that definitely contributed to the “pinch”.  “Viola!” I thought. Although the pinching continued in sitting, it allowed me to continue to enjoy running for another 3 months – and at that time I had one of the best exercise routines in my adult life. I was feeling good and healthy and appreciating how my body was supporting this high level of activity. During this time, I had also implemented more traditional PT exercises and stretches.

However, by the Fall of 2013, after some strenuous travel and a activity, I had reached a new level of pain. When I went out for my usual run, I went about 20 feet and stopped. I thought to myself, “What would I tell a patient about running in this level of pain?” I knew the answer and walked home. I started to focus more on my home exercise program and some additional interventions including physical therapy, Hellerwork (a kind of Myofacial release), chiropractic, acupuncture, deep tissue massage, energy work, etc,…

I had also been exploring the emotional meaning of having my right leg not being available to support me fully. This may be another future blog entry, but suffice it to say that on-going office employee transitions were definitely challenging my sense of stability in my business and my life. 

By February of 2014 I wanted to rule out anything “sinister” (medical practitioners know way too much and sometimes our knowledge can create some pretty scary possibilities).  I wanted to verify my suspicion of a labral tear with an orthopedic surgeon. He agreed with my self diagnosis – but at this point, without x-rays or an MRI. As best I knew at that time there were not any tried and true surgical procedures for this, so why spend the money and mental worry.

Meanwhile, my exercise regime had taken a huge hit. My attempts at hiking last summer were met with pain and limping. For my everyday house and yard work I was having more difficulty and avoiding squatting, or large up-steps with my right leg. I was concerned that I was nearing my 50th birthday and my activity level was on a decline. I am also all too aware that more and more research is being published the importance of staying active for healthy aging. Fortunately I have continued some things: My high intensity weekly weight lifting with a trainer, my PT exercises, gentle walking and I discovered bike riding does not increase my pain.

During the summer of 2014, we had a few patients at our office who had found an expert surgeon for arthroscopic labral tear surgery and they were having successful outcomes. By August I decided it was time to bite the bullet and get an MRI. That’s when I discovered that not only did I have the labral tear, but the additional cyst inside the hip joint. Ah…that answers the on-going pinching question. And since then I’ve been working on a plan of when to do surgery.

In my research, I also went to observe my surgeon, Dr. Mark Wagner of Orthopedics Northwest in Tigard Oregon, perform an arthroscopic surgery on one of our Healing Bridge patients. He is an excellent and very competent surgeon. I liked the music they played in the operating room, as well as his willingness to explain every detail of what he was doing.

What I appreciate the most, however, was his honesty about my outcome. Because of the cyst, there is no guarantee that removing it, and repairing the joint surface will be a fix. So, we may just be postponing a full hip replacement. With that said, my hope is to postpone it for 20-30 years 🙂 .