FAI (Femoro-acetabular Impingement) & Karate

My therapy has been progressing fairly well.  I am definitely experiencing diminishing marginal improvment (less marked improvement each week).  But I continue to get better.  My physical therapists have been having me do mostly combinations of exercises with very little rest between sets.  Just the way I like it!  My strength continues to improve, although by now I have almost as much strength as I did pre-surgery.  But my range-of-motion continues to be the problem.  And although I am strong in the shallow squat-type exercises, when I bend my leg more I definitely lack the strength and control that I wish I had again.  It will come with time, I am sure.  I am just impatient.

I have been biking leisurely with the kids quite a bit lately.  And I rode my bike to/from work one  day a couple weeks ago.  I played some volleyball with coworkers last Wednesday, in preparation for the charity tournament next week.  I have been doing a little more of the workouts with my karate classes when I teach.  I am still not doing all of it.  But last night I did everything but about 2/3 of the kicks (which was just 10 minutes of the total 1 hr 45 minutes of class time).  As is tradition at my dojo the evening closest to my birthday (I turned 41 today), we perform repetitions equal to – or multiples of – my birthday.  So we did 41 of a lot of different techniques; some in place and some stepping.  Then we did Heian Shodan and Tekki Shodan each 41 times.  41 each of 4 strengthening exercises rounded it out.  I feel great today.  I had planned to bike into the office today but decided at the last minute that I would rather have the extra 10 minutes of sleep.  I biked wth my son after work for a while.

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I have been pretty frustrated with my recovery almost the entire time since my surgeries, particularly after the 2nd one.  But when I stop to think about it, I am still way ahead of expectations for just about everyone but myself… A couple days ago marked 5 months since my 1st operation in December.  My 2nd operation was less than 3 1/2 months ago.  And I have officially been off crutches following surgery 2 for just 6 1/2 weeks.  So that I cannot do everything yet is understandable.

The physical therapists have had me doing some very tough exercises, which I love.   Some of the worst (I say “best”) include such things as squating down to where the hips are almost as low as the knees and then lift up one leg and try to go lower on the one leg that is supporting all the weight.  As personal trainers give me a funny look while they pass by I ask “Can YOU do this?”  To which the answer is often “No.”  Ha!  My range-of-motion is coming back slowly.  My strength is fine, in general.  But I lack strength, balance and stability when I am at a point of major flexion.  Basically, I still have work to do that the physical therapists are working almost as hard as me on.  I had to quit therapy a little early on Thursday, however.  Not because of anything in my hips but rather because of sharp pain in my lower back.  Bad form…

<> I participated in “bike to work day” last Thursday.  It was about 15 minutes (drive usually takes about 7) in in the morning.   Near record heat.  But since it was just after 5am, it wasn’t too hot.  But when I left physical therapy at about 3:30pm, it was really hot and with the increased traffic it took me about 25 minutes to bike home in the hot sun.  My hips were fine with that ride.  The question is, can I do the 100-mile bike race in July that I am tentatively planning to do for charity with some of my coworkers…

<>I do feel some pain (I call it “discomfort”) in my left hip.  I am quite sure that this is primarily due to all the lost cartillage that cannot really be regenerated.  I think I’m stuck with this feeling, although it certainly is not any worse than it was 6 months ago; not even close, actually.

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I have been doing “circuit training” the past couple times at physical therapy.  I run through 6-7 exercises without almost any break, then repeat.  Lots of good stuff.  I am doing a lot of strengthening and stability exercises on my own as well, but just as importantly spending a lot of time stretching.  I continue to feel that my strength and control are coming back quickly but my range-of-motion is not improving quickly at all.  Stretching definitely makes a difference.

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