physical therapy

Several months ago, I had an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. I was experiencing some pain in my right hip.

I found out several years ago that my hip was malformed, possibly because of a childhood disease called “Perthes.” At the time, I was told I would probably need a hip replacement by the time I was 50.

Well, since I passed 50 a long time ago, I just figured it was time to get that hip replacement. But when the doctor examined me and looked at the x-rays, he said that the hip itself did not look that bad. But he said the location of the pain suggested a “labral hip tear.” I didn’t even know I had a Labrum, much less that it could be torn.

The doctor suggested that I get six weeks of physical therapy and then come back to see him, and if it still hurt, he would order an MRI. His referral sat on top of my bookshelf for the next six months. (Cause, you know, life happens!)

So last week I finally got in to see the physical therapist. She began by moving my leg in every which direction.

“Does this hurt?” she asked.

“No” I said.

“How about this?”

“Nope.”

“And this?”

“Holy Jumping Jehosaphat!” I said. (Or something like that) “That smarted.” She then proceeded to massage, stretch, pull, and twist my leg. Some of what she did felt kinda nice, like when you wrap yourself in a warm blanket on a cold, rainy day and have three dachshunds on your lap. Others felt like she was sticking a cattle prod in my leg.

When I asked why she was torturing me, she explained that the hip and thigh muscles were tight and the first step in the healing process was to loosen them up.

As with many things in life, first steps can be painful. When we first start walking, we fall down a lot. When our leg gets broken, the doctor has to set it. When our labrum gets torn, we have to do physical therapy. (With a specially trained sadist, no less)

We want the healing process to be easy. We want God to snap his fingers and make it all better. But sometimes the way to healing is painful. Sometimes it takes hard work. So now I have to get busy. I have stretching to do today, for tomorrow I go back to the sadist therapist.