I have been participating in sports since I was a kid. They have always been a huge part of my life, especially basketball and running. A few years ago, I started having a lot of pain in my left hip which was accompanied by stiffness and a gradual loss of my range of motion (decreased flexibility). I went to an orthopedic surgeon for an evaluation and after an exam and x-rays; he told me the problem was osteoarthritis. He told me for now, I could get by with anti-inflammatory medication and to curtail my sports, but eventually I would probably need a hip replacement. Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage (rubbery substance) that cushions the bones from rubbing against each other wears away, leaving the bones to start to rub against each other causing pain. Needless to say, I was not happy with his diagnosis, and his recommendation that I stop sports was basically asking me to give up a major source of enjoyment in my life.
I continued to play basketball and take medications to decrease the pain and inflammation and I got in the habit of using ice after every workout. I had to continue to take more and more medicine just to go out and play, and I started having injury after injury in other parts of my body because I was compensating for the pain and weakness that I had in my left hip. I went on like this for about two years, now at 46 years old I decided to get another consultation from an orthopedist that was highly recommended. He confirmed the initial diagnosis. I told him that I didn’t want a hip replacement because I knew once I had that procedure, my basketball days were over (the way things were going they were probably over anyway). He told me about a procedure, relatively new in the U.S., called a hip resurfacing, which once I recovered, I would be able to play basketball and do any sports I wanted to. After much procrastination, I scheduled my surgery for December of ‘09. Stay tuned for the next several articles in which I explain the procedure and my experience as a physical therapist who becomes the patient.
Sierra Canyon Physical Therapy is located at 27225 Camp Plenty Road, Suite 6 in Canyon Country. Marc Levine can be contacted at 661-298-0140.