A challenge sports medicine experts often face is an athlete who is eager to return to the field of play before his or her injury fully heals. Atlantic Sports Health encourages their patients to resist this urge and “trust the process” – words of advice they gave to Adrianne P. when hip pain temporarily derailed her fitness goals.
At 49-years-old, Adrianne was defying her age with vigorous workouts that left her feeling stronger and more mentally focused than ever before. She could honestly say she was in the best shape of her life.
Adrianne’s weekly schedule consisted of six days of high intensity training programs and one day of rest. To reduce the muscle fatigue and boredom that often comes with such a demanding routine, she varied her exercises and relied on others at the gym for support.
One day while running, Adrianne developed a pain in her hip that started slowly and then quickly escalated. She rested for a short time and tried various methods to reduce the discomfort, but nothing seemed to help. Although Adrianne assumed her injury wasn’t a big deal, she took the advice of a friend and made an appointment at Atlantic Sports Health with Damion Martins, MD.
“It was evident upon exam, that Adrianne had a bigger issue than just a pulled muscle. I suspected a hip fracture” says Dr. Martins, whose diagnosis was later confirmed by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
Adrianne was crushed by the news. She not only felt betrayed by her body, but also hated the thought of missing her daily workouts and failing to achieve her goals. Dr. Martins and his team, however, were no strangers to working with athletes who feel disappointed when they can’t immediately get back in the game. They explained her injury in great detail and mapped out a recovery plan that addressed her ambitions.
“They understood what this injury meant psychologically, emotionally and socially to me. They really understood me as an athlete,” says Adrianne.
Adrianne’s natural inclination was to accelerate her physical rehabilitation, but her doctors emphatically counseled patience. Rushing the process would only diminish her long-term recovery.
“I can’t say I still didn’t try to push it a little, but I learned to be patient and trusted them completely,” says Adrianne. That trust paid off. Three months later, Adrianne was back at the gym, rebuilding her endurance and strength.
“I’m so grateful to Dr. Martins and his team,” she says. “They didn’t just fix my hip. They made me feel amazingly supported and were truly invested in all aspects of this injury and my recovery.”
Now, Adrianne will participate in her first half marathon and despite how excited she is to reach that finish line, she’s learned a little patience with her body goes a long way in achieving success.
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