Bad news from the Doc today

[agemechanic03]

Ok, So about 3.5 years ago when I studied TKD in Georgia, I did a round house kick to a speed bag and lost my footing and fell on my right hip. Well, I made the dumbest of all mistakes by not going to the doc. I found out today that when I fell, I some how shredded a lot of tendons and as they have grown back, it's clumped up basically. The doc felt around it today and didn't like it all, so now I am going to a physical therapist this Thursday to see if they can possibly help since we don't have any sports therapists on the island of Korea. Reason I finally went to the doc was b/c now as I try to do my round house kicks, I can barely kick waste level, and if I kick high, it REALLY hurts. It's bothered me for a few months now since I started my training in TSD and figured it's about time to have it checked out. It also bothers me when I stretch in certain positions. So, we'll see. Hopefully they can do something or maybe my instructor here in Korea knows someone that can fix me up. I'll keep ya'll updated.

Chris

 

[kosho]

I hope it works out for you. I had to have shoulder surgery (2)
Now doing well. I also held off and did not go see a DR.

kosho

 

[Kennedy_Shogen_Ryu]

Keep positive friend, many people have come back from injuries and have become better martial artists then they were before they were injured. Keep your head and your spirits high, you'll be in my thoughts friend!
​

 

[Master Jay S. Penfil]

Chris,
Many of the injuries that we develop in martial training, regardless of the system of choice, are due to improper warm-up. If you don’t warm up the body completely before hitting the training floor hard, you will definitely, over time develop problems like this.

I know this first hand as I developed what is known as a “Hip-Pointer-Injury” back in 1984. The injury first presented itself as trauma to my lower back. I went to my General Practitioner first. He took ex-rays and couldn’t find anything wrong. Then I went to a Chiropractor. He took ex-rays and told me that I had three “slip-disks”, and performed adjustments that screwed me up far worse than I was to begin with.

Then I was referred to Dr Mark Rottenberg (a Physiatrist). After a thorough examination he determined that I had no problem with my back at all and told me that I thought that the problem was my back because my body was distorting itself in odd positions to get away from the pain in the hip, thus putting abnormal pressure on my lower vertebrae. The chiropractor didn’t know what he was doing, and caused me more problems as a result of his true lack of knowledge of the body.
Definition of Physiatrist

Physiatrist: A physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Physiatrists specialize in restoring optimal function to people with injuries to the muscles, bones, tissues, and nervous system.​

I used the word “Develop(ed) in describing these injuries because they don’t usually happen right away. Over time, they progressively get worse and develop, as apposed to for example, a muscle tear that occurs right away as a result of attempting a kick that is higher than our body is able to execute safely.
It is important to know your body and its limitations. If a given kick requires you to establish better flexibility prior to attempting it, don’t let anyone, including your instructor, order you to do it. If you know that it is above your current level of physical ability, work up to it gradually as your body develops the needed level of flexibility to execute it safely.
There are some kicks in our curriculum that you may never be able to do, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Do that which you can, and don’t get caught up with what you can’t do. Some of the kicks that you can’t do, you can’t do because your joints aren’t designed to do, and regardless of how much stretching you do, your body isn’t going to be able to do them. Others that you can’t do right now, will be attainable later in your training if you are consistent with your training and know how to develop the flexibility needed for them and your body is able to get there. Just be patient. Never rush you body. That is how injuries happen.

Good luck , and stay healthy…

 

[Lynne]

I'm praying for you, agemechanic!

 

[MBuzzy]

Chris,

I know what the on base medical care at Kunsan is like....but DO NOT ask Master Choe to either help you or FIND someone to help you. That is a BIG NO NO. You MUST go through the on base healthcare system. If you seek medical attention off base without a referral or military doctor's knowledge, you could be in BIG trouble. Not only monitarily but administratively. Basically they military won't cover it and if the off base person does ANYTHING to hurt you or in any way compound or make your condition worse, it can lead to a "line of duty" investigation. Basically you could forfeit the right to military health care or future benefits. Just BE CAREFUL and don't make it worse. Master Choe doesn't have a good grasp of pain tolerances. A few of his "fixes" put me out of commission for a few days and only made things worse.

Good luck!!

~Craig

 

[agemechanic03]

Thanks all for you concerns and prayers, I really do appreciate it.
Master J -- Thanks for all that advice, I do stretch quite a bit, I'm usually there 30 min before class stretching and then stretch with class. But will take it easier on kicks and the sort to prevent further injury.

Craig -- I guess I phrased that portion wrong. The Doc told me to ask Choe if he knew anything that could be done about it, but the way you talked about "bein out of commision" like that, I just may not ask. We'll see.

 

[MBuzzy]

Yeah....I pulled a muscle and he did one of his weird stretches and made it much worse. Still gives me problems sometimes.

If it is something little like that, I wouldn't worry, but I wouldn't go anywhere off base or see any doctor unless its OFFICIALLY endorsed by the base...like, in writing. Generally at Kunsan, when they refer you off base, they TAKE you.

I hope you get better soon! Good luck!

 

[JT_the_Ninja]

Owch. Take care dude, hope everything turns out all right. I'll have to add you to my prayer list as well. Tang Soo!

 

[agemechanic03]

Thanks JT!

 

[claireg31]

hi
i had a very similar injury, i came off a motorbike June 2006, wasn't badly injured at all but like you i left things a little to late for repairing.
what i'd ended up with was bursitus, i'd inflamed a little pocket of muscle around the hip area and it wasn't healing, the doc gave me a steriod injection which did help for a while and then around easter time this year i got some physiotherapy and some accupuncture, it does help, however i've come to accept that there are things i'm never going to be able to do, i can't kick any higher than waist height without causing great ammount of pain, i can't to juming kicks, i can hop at the best, i am very stretchy though, i do get up every day and do a proper stretch, makes life much easier with my hip!
best of luck to you and accept what to Doc says to you and whatever exercises the PT gives you, they work!

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Good luck with your rehab. Keep positive and I am sure it will all work out.

 

[agemechanic03]

Ok, so I went to the Physical Therapist Thursday morning to do a consultation with him. He thinks I just need to stretch more throughout the day instead of before class. I showed him some of the stretches we do and he really likes what I do. So, I start doing the actual physical therapy next Thursday and will be doing that every Tuesday and Thursday for about 2-3 weeks and then he's gonna do a follow up. It would be nice if we had a sprort's therapist or as Master Penfil stateted, a Physiasist here in Korea. Well, I will keep you all updated on this thread right here as the weeks go buy. From the way they talk, it's gonna take a loooong time for me to work this out, which is understandable. I just wish I could see the RIGHT people about it. Maybe when I get to Germany, they will have what I need. We'll see!!


Tang Soo!
Chris

 

[JT_the_Ninja]

Cool! Just don't push yourself too hard (amazing as it sounds, I hear that is actually possible)!

Tang Soo!

 

[agemechanic03]

Hehehe, I know exactly what you mean and that is a BIG thing of mine. I LOVE to push myself really hard in my class. I'm only here a year and I want to learn everything I possibly can while here, plus be able to do it correctly. I'm taking my round house kicks a lot easier now.

 

[Lynne]

Things sound positive (I know the time factor is a bummer). Good luck with the stretching and physical therapy.