I am a 35 year old software engineer living in Paris, France. I started practicing Taekwondo 10 years ago. After a year and a half, I began feeling light pain in both hips during specific movements. I thought it was just some muscle soreness since it was not very painful. So I ignored the pain and continued my intense training.
As time passed, I began feeling more and more discomfort. With enough warm up, I was able to manage the pain during training and competitions.
Then, 3 years ago, even after stretching and warming up, I was feeling really sharp pains during high turning kicks and other specific movements. It was so painful I had to stop competing. That’s when I decided to see the family doctor.
He thought it was hip flexor tendinopathy. So he prescribed 20 physiotherapy sessions. The PT, ultra sound massages, stretches, and muscle strengthening barely helped, and I felt little improvement in my pain.
Then I began feeling pain even outside of sports. It was noticeable when getting out of a car, sitting for a long time, suddenly changing directions, and even while walking.
Three months ago, I really had doubts the pain was coming from the hip flexor muscles, so I decided to see a surgeon specializing in hips. After X-Ray and MRA, he diagnosed mixed type FAI on both hips. He also said I had a grade 3 cartilage lesion in the hip socket but no labral tear evidence. However, the surgeon said it’s sometimes difficult to see labral tears. I saw another famous surgeon in Paris, and he too strongly suggested I have surgery because of the already deep cartilage damage.
I began the FAI FIX 2 months ago. I was already doing a lot of stretching, but I was completely neglecting tissue work until I tried the FAI FIX. I found painful “knots” in my quads and glutes, which the tissue work helped me deal with. The exercises also taught me that I wasn’t firing my glutes and abs correctly.
After doing the FAI Fix program for 2 months, I have felt great improvements in the pain I used to get in daily movements. I can now walk and sit for extended periods without feeling pain. The program is also helping me fix my anterior pelvic tilt.
I am now planning to try the FAI FIX for Athletes in the hopes that I will be able to return to Taekwondo practice and competitions without the need for surgery.
