Life & Times of 5 Busy Nortons

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Hip & Headache Answers?

Last week the awesome physical therapist that I have been seeing threw in the towel.  She couldn't get me to stay loose for longer than a few days.  Doing my exercises was creating more pain.  She sent me back to my sports med doc.  My sports med doc looked again at the MRI from last summer.  No answers.  He took an X-ray of my neck.  Yuck!  There is no curve where there should be a curve.  He ordered a neck MRI and suggested acupuncture to help me until I can see the new hip surgeon in late July. 
I finally decided to go see Derek's chiropractor.  He's the full service kind that does X-rays and wants you to do a million visits.  I haven't been into it, but it seemed like a good next step at this point.  I have had hip pain almost daily for 5 years (worse after my labral tear surgery 4 years ago).  I have had a headache almost every day this school year. 
The X-rays show something interesting (something my old Chiro suggested too, but my sports med doctor poo pooed).  I have a pretty big issue in my low back that is probably the culprit of my hip pain.  My L5 has a Grade 2 Spondylolisthesis.  This is possibly bad enough that what I need is back surgery--likely not hip surgery.  But, it is right on the borderline.  I am going to probably do a surgical consult just to see.  The disc below L5 is all but gone.  It looks like a very old injury.  Probably something that happened when I was a kid. 
My neck is also tweaked so my head is sitting off to the side (I think my van headrest is partly to blame for this.)  My ribs are sitting really far forward.  Seriously, I am a mess. 
Finally, someone who seems to know what they can do!  Chiropractic might just be what I need.  Duh.
Already after 3 visits I feel much better.  They will give me exercises and have me do traction to stretch out what has become so tight from years of compensation for the problem that is probably rooted in my low back.
It is so strange.  I don't have low back pain.  But a problem in the chain can cause pain and problems anywhere along the chain.  I've known that for a long time.
Praying that this is finally the answer.
Hoping that back surgery won't be necessary.  Hoping that I really don't need another hip surgery.
Moving forward to health!

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