Doug Chin

As a former competitive powerlifter I have lived with chronic hip pain. Over 20 years of max effort squatting and deadlifting have pushed my joints to the limit and my hips have always been especially problematical. Over the years I have tried everything to manage the pain, including supplements, pain killers, stretching, massage, chiropractic, and various doctors with mixed results, but nothing that provided more than temporary relief. I always seemed to be lifting around my hip pain.

A couple of years ago the pain intensified and squatting and deadlifting any weight became impossible. I was forced to abandon my two favorite exercises! In fact, I ceased all lower body exercise but the pain never left and progressively worsened to the point where I was limping in pain. Finally it became unbearable and I visited my orthopaedist. Following x-rays and an MRI, the diagnosis was a labral tear and FAI. The solution was arthroscopic surgery for my right hip. I was desperate at this point and surgery sounded like my only course of action.

The surgery went well from a clinical standpoint and I was optimistic that I would soon be back to my active lifestyle. Unfortunately, though there was some pain relief, I did not see the results I had anticipated. Six months post-surgery I was still limping on and off and any direct lower body exercise was unthinkable. As I had done many times before I started searching online for a solution. This is when I stumbled across an article by Matt Hsu which discussed FAI diagnosis and treatment. He nailed what I was experiencing and he hit upon some of the same questions I was asking myself – such as why was my left hip pain free though based on the MRI it looked as bad as my right hip? I was starting to wish I had found Matt before I went through with the surgery.

I started reading everything Matt wrote and applying his common sense approach to my own hip rehab. Results were slow, which I expected considering the years of abuse I had subjected my hips to. But I did get definite pain relief using the stretches, exercises and tissue work he described in his videos and this was significant to me, considering the pain I had been living with.

The real leap in progress came when Matt and Shane created The FAI Fix. I was one of the first to purchase, and I have not been disappointed. This resource is hands down the single best investment I have made for my hip health and well-being. There is a wealth of information with specific actions for self-care laid out in an easy to understand language.

If you have been diagnosed with FAI, this book is a must have. But I also think that anyone who is experiencing hip pain could benefit from this information. Using their integrated TSR (Tissue work, Stretching, and Reactivation) system I have seen steady improvements in the condition of my hip. I no longer feel the pain with each step and have stopped limping. My hips have also gotten stronger and more flexible. In fact, for the first time in years I’ve recently added direct lower body work including light squatting and deadlifting – all pain free! I am optimistic that I will continue to progress and am looking forward to a more active lifestyle free from hip pain!

Thank you Matt and Shane!