Joined at the Hip

What could I possibly have in common with Alex Rodriguez, Tara Lipinski and Mario Lemieux? Certainly not their athletic prowess or major league bucks. But you might say that we’re all joined at the hip.

Actually, we’ve all been sidelined with hip labral tears. My recent diagnosis: femoroacetabular impingement (F.A.I.), or hip impingement syndrome.

A-Rod and the others have already had arthroscopic surgery to correct their problems; mine is set for mid-July.

So what exactly is this hard-to-pronounce malady? There’s a detailed explanation available on the Web site for the Hospital for Special Surgery, where my surgery is scheduled. But in a nutshell: too much friction in the hip joint. This occurs when the ball of the hip joint rubs against the socket. The result: a tear in the surrounding cartilage that can cause  pain or stiffness in the area, especially after running or sitting for prolonged periods. Or, in other words, how I would spend a typical day.

Some people are born with this deformity, while others may develop it from too much activity (or maybe even an accident). In my case, it’s a little bit of both.

I’m finding this to be a fairly common problem, afflicting both pros and amateurs like me, but difficult to identify. According to at least one doctor at H.S.S., it takes, on average, 21 months and visits to at least three health professionals before a diagnosis is finally made.

For me, it was eight months in the dark — during which time I made visits to a sports-medicine specialist, massage therapist, exercise physiologist, two physical therapists, an orthopedist, a radiologist who administered a contrast-dye M.R.I., and finally, my surgeon. All except the last two thought I had a bad case of tendonitis.

Now, a light at the end of the tunnel – a chance to catch what I like to call a third wind and get my life back!

Of course, I’m not alone in dealing with injuries, and growing older, for that matter. As the  population ages and people try to continue their favorite sports and activities – baby boomers will never grow up, will they? – we’re going to hear more complaints about hips, knees, shoulders and the like.

So stay tuned for updates about my journey, as well as other posts about sports-related injuries, running, cross training, nutrition and much more.