Sometimes all of real life is too much to share in a blog. Money worries coupled with arguments with an ex over the welfare of your son can result in life being a bit too....well, lifey to write about. So I'll stick to the more fun topic of my hips.
Hips are useful joints used in all kinds of fun activities such as walking and sitting. 27 million years ago before bump I was quite the gym bunny. I did all the usual stuff, circuits, spinning, box circuit, oh not step classes though, the dog is more co ordinated than me. But my most favourite thing was running. Not massive distances, between five and ten kilometres, sometimes outside but mainly on a treadmill. Don't get me wrong, I can see how most sane people would find this deathly dull but for me the steady rhythm with loud, loud music in my ears just made me feel good. Then one day about two years ago whilst in the middle of such a run I began thinking hmmm, that is an odd niggly pain in my right hip, I'll just ignore it. Which proved to be quite successful until I increased the speed and found the simple action of putting one leg in front of the other nigh on impossible. Cutting that run short, I let myself rest a week and tried again. Very frustratingly the same thing happened again and this time when I stopped running my right foot seemed to prefer being turned outwards in some type of ballet dancer position and I was only capable of a shuffling hobble. Off to the doctor I limped and I was diagnosed with Trochanteric bursitis. Here's the science bit:
Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae (small sacks) of synovial fluid in the body. When bursitis occurs movement relying on the inflamed bursa becomes difficult and painful. Moreover movement of tendons and muscles over the inflamed bursa aggravates its inflammation, perpetuating the problem. (thank you Wikapedia)
You can get it in other joints, housemaid's knee anyone? and it is caused by repetitive movement and excessive pressure. Doesn't running include repetitive movement? This is not good.
Back to the doctors, I was prescribed some super strong painkillers, and sent off to the physiotherapists. My lovely physio gave me some acupuncture for a few weeks before teaching me exercises to strengthen my core and muscles supporting my hip. Everything is about your core apparently. After a month or so I was good as new and I started exercising again. A few months in and the bursitis started again.
Very boringly this pattern has been on repeat for the past two years with two further referrals to physiotherapy and one MRI scan to 'rule out anything more suspicious' Now that my centre of balance has moved to a new and interesting place, it has caused a flare up that has in turn caused tendonitis in a tendon going into my bum (which does have a fancy Latin name, I've just forgotten it) and terrible back ache. When I first went back to the doctors about this flare up, she patronisingly told me that it was the normal aches and pains of pregnancy. Two days later my leg gave way under me and if I had not been right next to a desk at work that I lent on to take my weight, I would of rather embarrassingly collapsed to the floor. Back to the doctors I went again, to see a different more competent doctor who referred me for yet more physio. BUT this time it was not my lovely physio lady, it was another woman who I'm sure is very good, but giving me a couple of exercises to do on a gym ball is not the way to fix this. I gave it my very best shot but I have to admit, I cancelled my last appointment because the hour out of my working day it took just to see her for just five minutes, and then of her not doing much did make me question whether it was a good use of her and much more importantly, my time.
This left me in an uncomfortable/sore/painful/agonising position. As pregnancy has gone on the back ache and hip pain has got to the point where it makes me cry or withdraw in to myself because the pain seems to fill my head so much I'm incapable of talking. Or hilariously leave me unable to stand up off the toilet. I had to shout for the other half to help me. I know we're married but who expects to have to help their thirty five year old wife to pull her knickers up when she's totally sober? So the other half took matters into his own hands and got the details of a woman who does remedial massage and uses something called the Johnstones technique* and forced me to make an appointment. I'll be honest, I was unwilling because of the cost but two appointments in and I'm impressed. My back pain is much better, the hip not so much, but I am optimistic that it is only a matter of time before this improves as well. The massage lady says that at some point I will have to learn to walk again because I'm doing it all wrong. Maybe by the time the as yet unborn baby takes his first faltering steps, I'll have mastered it.
*I have no clue what this is other than it involves rocking movements in with the massage.
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