If you haven't read my fabulous 100 things about me post, then you probably don't know that when I was 12, I dislocated my hip, tore my hamstring and broke my pelvis all at the same time. Serious ouch! I was stuck in bed for 3 months and my doctors thought that I would never play sports again. (Yeah, about that ...) This injury, which happened to correspond with the onset of puberty, left me 70 pounds heavier. Not so fun. (I eventually went on to gain another 25 lbs or so, that was even less fun.)
Eventually, I returned to sports (about six months later) and shed the weight (about 10 years later). But I did have one lasting side effect. My right leg is considerably longer than my left. Like over an inch. I can not stand with my hips in a neutral position without bending my right leg or standing on the toes of my left foot. Fortunately, I have never had an injury due to this imbalance (OK, the ankle thing was probably due to this, but there is no way to be sure). I am, however, asked on a daily basis, "Why are you limping? Are you hurt?" And my answer is always, "No, one of my legs is way longer than the other and I'm just not paying enough attention to how I am walking."
Sick and tired of hearing that question, I decided to go see G's Witch Doctor to see if he could help me out. (And I figured that I'd ask about my tailbone, which is still killing me two weeks after my rump busted up my dining room table.) So, I had my appointment this morning. I went in and explained my history and what I was looking for. He listened, then checked the imbalanced and went on to tell me, "Wow. I usually don't see people who present this way." (Shocker! When I have EVER been normal?) He's not sure how much he can help me through adjustment since it's obvious that my imbalance is "structural." But we are going to try to get my hips to sit a little more neutrally and if that fails, we'll try out some heel lifts. So, I am going to go back on Thursday (once he has read the x-rays to see how "off" I am) and we will take it from there.
BUT, and I actually mean BUTT ... He also checked out my tailbone. Remember the one I smashed? He's pretty confident that I either have a severe bone bruise or it's fractured. Yeah, that's kind of what I suspected (we'll know for sure on Thursday). There's not much you can do for it and honestly, I'm fine unless I need to sit. Say for 12 hours. Like, when we drive to Disney next week. GREAT! Before I left, I was treated with stim and heat, hoping to decrease the inflammation. I felt great (until I sat in the car), but at the same time I felt way bad for the girl who I had to moon so she could set me up. If she reads this, yeah, I'm sorry about that.
19 comments:
Oh, I really hope it's not a stress fracture and that it feels better in time for your long drive to Disney!
Have you ever tried a lifted insert/orthotic for your shorter leg? This is what my hubs' chiro suggested because his hip issue stems from one leg being longer than the other.
Oh no! I hope it is nothing too bad! And your injury when you were 12 sounds awful! Ouch...
You'll be happy to hear that you are not alone. Technically one of my legs is longer than the other and my hips also don't sit in a neutral position. I have scoliosis and I actually wore a brace for it when I was in middle school (how traumatic!). Occasionally people think I'm limping, but luckily not too often. Hopefully the voodoo doctor can help you out!
Oh gosh, I once went down a full flight of steps on my back and had a similar tailbone injury (just don't dance on steps, that's the lesson I learned). Hopefully, you'll feel better, or at least hopefully it will only hurt right when you sit down rather than hurting on your whole drive to Disney. Feel better!
Wow! You are an amazing runner even though you have all that going against you! I hope your butt feels better, too! You might just have to plan for a 14 or 15 hour drive so you can stop lots!
Hope the doctor will be of some help!
Happy Monday girly!!!!
Owie! I hope that the witch doc can help...it's always worth a shot. And seriously girlie, you bruised your butt bone? Double ouch. Did you get one of those donut thingys to sit on yet? ;)
I'm glad that it doesn't bother your running. You seriously are a rockstar. :D
you are so amazing! you continue to run...and you are wonderful at it. hope everything is not too serious.
Ouch, lady. I hope it gets better in time for the drive. :(
When I was having my back problems (before I started running), I got a cortisone shot in my lower back to help relax the muscles around my herniated disc so it could heal itself. I wonder if something like that would be a possibility for you.
I broke my tail bone when I was younger (pushed off the edge of a concrete pool). Ouch. Painful.
I hope the dr. can straighten you out. heeheehee Sorry I had to.
I hope you feel better soon!
Hope The Witch Doc helps you, your hips and buttocks! Thanks for sharing!
ouch ouch ouch! Definitely get a doughnut pillow if you don't have one already. Again, Ouch. But anyway that's very interesting about your leg! One of my feet is pretty much a full size larger than the other because of breaking every bone across it when I was 12 (and hitting a major growth spurt)
maybe that's the excuse you need to fly while the rest of the family drives and you can get out of that one!!! ;). Hope the dr is able to fix that longer leg and double hope it's not a stress fractures in your tailbone. Ouchie!
FUN blog! I thought I was the only one who paid to see a witch doctor. Love those guys(and girls)! I must have missed the table breaking story with your rump, I'll have to go back and look for that post...it sounds fun(yet, painful)!. At least you don't need to go and get a massage or anything. That would be akward. Heal up before D Land!
Well, there goes someone else's excuse for not being able to run :) "Oh, I can't run because I have a broken tailbone" or "Oh, I can't run because I have one leg longer than the other"
...you're an amazing woman!!
Wow. I had NO IDEA about the hip injury. You are truly AWESOME. I hope the tailbone feels better soon!
Tailbones are funny. I had a fracture on the 5th lumbar and never knew about it - until it came up years later on an x-ray.
Every now and then, they just rub each other the wrong way and that causes a big ouch. Cycling helps because the sitting position separates them from each other.
Hope it won't be too long before you're feeling better.
Oh no! Not only on the drive, but sitting on those not so cushy rides at Disney. I hope it's not fractured!
And, my right leg is shorter than my left. Perhaps we can trade legs? I just got a heel lift last week and it has helped quite a bit. Good luck!
I hope it is nothing too bad! And your injury when you were 12 sounds awful!
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