Injury time-out

What's the longest amount of time you've had to take off due to injury or bad health?

If you don't count pregnancy, mine is two months. I was diagnosed with a Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) and Labral tear (bursitis and other things) of my left hip back in 2012 and I had to take time off. There is a stack of information on the internet about labral tears (but it's pretty much a cartilage tear). If you want more to read more;
www.physioadvisor.com.au/10037350/labral-tear-hip-labral-tear-physioadvisor.htm
www.lifecare.com.au/hip-impingement.html
physioworks.com.au/injuries-conditions-1/hip-labral-tear

I thought I'd have to take a year off to have surgery and attempt rehabilitation so I could run again. I saw two different surgeons; the first one wanted to remove the labrum, shave the bone and reattach the labrum. The second surgeon decided I had enough hip instability mainly due to being flexible and the ligaments around my hips being lax, and he suggested simply cleaning up the labrum without shaving the bone. He recommended physiotherapy to work on strength and posture to help externally rotate and lift my hip into a position where the impingement could be alleviated. At that stage, I couldn't roll over in bed at night, I couldn't get out of a car, I couldn't cross my legs and generally I couldn't do much without a very painful impingement pain deep in my hip.

However the more time I spent with the physiotherapist and sports chiropractor, the more we all began to realise I could alleviate many of my symptoms through hip stabilising exercises. My hip stabilises were weak, my glutes were weak and I'd been stretching them, which was making it worse. My adductors and hip flexors needed to be stretched and my glutes and core needed to be strengthened. Dr. Brett Jarosz (chiro) from Optimize Sports Chiropractic (www.optimizesportschiropractic.com.au) and Simon Wigg from Wigg's Physiotherapy in Wantirna South worked with me for several months. I highly recommend both of them!

So, I'm not sure why it happened... probably a history of gymnastics, then two big babies (Atkinson big forehead gene! haha), abdominal separation and poor technique when running. On each strike, my foot spends too much time on the ground and I tend to sink in the hips (especially when I get tired). So after I began to manage the symptoms, I started researching running technique. I looked into 180 cadence (how many times your feet strike the ground in one minute), chi running (leaning forwards from the ankles) and mid-forefoot striking. There is obviously a little more to it but overall it's about biomechanics, having a foreword lean and lessening the pressure and impact on the hips and knees.
(runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/heelstriking-running-cadence/)

I went to see Shaun Brewster from Brewster's running (www.brewstersrunning.com). We discussed my issues and we went for a casual jog together while he analysed my gait. He tweaked my running technique and recommended specific warm up exercises. I was really surprised that with some knowledge and commitment, I could actually perform daily activities without dropping to the ground like a sack of spuds! And even better, I could run again! Obviously the tear is still there, and I suspect my right hip has the same issues, however through strengthening, the symptoms and function of my hip, has improved.

Being told that I needed surgery is what prompted me to run a marathon; I figured if they were going to cut me, I may as well give them something to fix. Now that I feel stronger, have better function and less pain, there's no way I'm booking surgery. I'm going to keep running and entering events for as long as my body tells me I can. And by the time the road runs out, I'm hoping someone will have designed some fabulous, organic, super-bionic hip replacement (I'll probably need to order two of them!) Seriously though... I was prompted to write this post because I'm having a few weeks off to recover from minor surgery. And it helps to remind myself that as a human being, we can always find a way to adapt and come back from injury or bad health. It's simply a matter of how bad do you want it?

So, how bad do YOU want it?