To recap it was a progressive hip flexor strain (as far as I know) that occured over a long time. My hip (left side) was tender and hurt from flip PS whirls and flip atomic (both with left leg) half a year before I actually stopped playing. In my final session, before I really stopped playing, I pushed myself to hit fusion both sides and tapping dlo both sides (I never actually hit flip tapping dlo, and my good tapping dlo is simple). I pushed REALLY hard and knew after the session that that would probably be my last session for a while well I healed up; I still haven't.
I stopped playing completely in May 2004 (I remember a session with Andrew, Derek, and myself at the forks where we all had a consecutive moves competition and we only did moves that I could do without hurting myself...) Over time the injury started to get worse (I still don't really understand what is wrong) and it hurt to walk. I went to a walk-in clinic and at the time thought it was a pulled groin. I don't remember what the doctor said, but he gave me a note for work and I took 2 months off. I went back to work and I was able to walk, but jogging and running and jumping still weren't really possible without pain (still aren't really...).
I think I went to another walk-in some time later and then a sports-injury clinic (Pan Am Sports Clinic) -- I forget what the doctor at Pan Am said, too, because it obviously didn't help.
After more time I decided to go for athletic therapy. I saw this guy for a couple months (he worked with a "chiropractic team" if that makes any difference -- once he said that my back pain was due to my pelvis being out of alignment, another doctor later said that was crap...) -- he seemed REALLY unsure about everything but thought it was my hip flexor and not my groin. He gave me a handful of stretches and weight-exercises to do to rehabilitate. He also gave me ultra-sound at least 3 times for, like, 10 minutes and deep muscle massage, and he also helped me with some resistance stretches, which hurt a lot, but I think may have actually helped loosen scar tissue and stuff. (Keep in mind I don't know anything...)
After a million appointments he kept changing the nature of my stretches, since they didn't seem to be doing anything (I did my stretches and weight exercises religiously for months! Ask my girlfriend!) eventually he said that I should be healing up and that I should should finish up with some over-the-phone appointments just to check in and make sure everything is okay. That basically faded into me never seeing him again and nothing resolving itself (probably a good thing -- he seemed very unsure of himself near the end). In the last appointment over the phone he told me that if I just kept doing my exercises everything should work out. I did, but stopped after another couple months as absolutely nothing was happening and the exercises were eating up my life.
About two months ago I went back to the Pan Am clinic (oh yeah -- my athletic therapist suggested I go there for those special muscle x-rays). I don't remember if it was the same doctor as before, or not, but I don't think it was. This doctor was amazing and seemed COMPLETELY 100% confident in everything he said. He prodded around, told me it was definately my hip flexor, gave me a perscription for an anti-inflammitory, told me to keep up my stretches and exercises, and ice and to buy a pair of tight bike shorts to put pressure on the muscle and aid comfort. He then shooed me off for the x-rays and confirmed that it was my hip flexor and that there was no serious damage and that what he perscribed was indeed all that was needed for healing. He told me that if in one week I felt no change to make another appointment. I never did as school got busy -- I didn't feel any change from anything he perscribed, though I didn't do much of the exercises and stretches as I was DEAD SICK of the effort I put into it and the NOTHING I got back for months on end. I suppose I should make another appointment -- I will put that on my list of things to do right now.
Finally I have been going for acupuncture for about a week now. My third appointment is tomorrow. My latest doctor says that there is nothing serious and that she plans to completely heal me within 5 appointments. I feel no change at this point. She has also given me a Chinese "patch" called "Hua Tuo: anti-contusion rheumatism plaster" for bruise and sprain, rheumatism pains, lumbago backache and athritis pains. I do not have coverage for this doctor, but I would with another acupuncturist in the city. My appointments are costing $35 per session, which is a lot for me, but $15 cheaper, because I am sort of a friend of her daughter's. The other doctor charges $60, I think, but I have 80% coverage, which means it would be, what? About $8 per appointment? So I am considering this as a backup after these 5 appointments, as I certainly can't pay much more -- I will not have money for school this fall and I am going to need a loan (I am 100% completetly against loans -- ask Marita -- but what can I do??)
That's the scoop.
I know there are people here who know exactly what they're talking about (I'm looking at you John Mahood and Lon Smith) and could probably help me out even a little. If anyone could do anything for me I would be infinately grateful. I miss footbag
PS: Oh yeah -- the reason I didn't go back to Pan Am after the week was because the doctor went on vacation for a month....
EDIT: Oh yeah, throw in my family doctor between the Pan Am clinic and acupuncture -- he basically reiterated what the Pan Am doctor said, including the bike shorts -- he was more specific and told me to get something with an adjustable strap thingy to put the desired amount of pressure on my hip -- I think I got the wrong thing and it's just tight bike shorts from a sport-injury-supplies place. I wear them every day, but I don't really feel that they do anything.
but i don't know all the exact biological details
