Mia

Matt, Shane and the FAI Team,

I want to thank you all! I have had incredible success with the FAI Fix. In 2015-2016 I had persistent, nagging hip pain and sciatica hat kept me from running, hiking and playing outside – everything I love! I was a competitive cross country skier through college and found myself struggling to go through my day without aches and pains; and there was no clear source of the pain. I have always been flexible and through your program I have realized that I have been lacking strength- glutes, hips, lower back. Your program has taught me to listen to my body, put in good quality strength sessions, and to be persistent. I downloaded the FAI fix October 2016 and the FAI fix for athletes and have been doing some sort of hip specific exercise, without fail, every day since then. My hips feel stronger than ever, my sciatic pain is non-existent, and I am now running 8 miles after a year of not running! I have become obsessed with hip and glute strength- I am pretty sure my friends and family are annoyed by how much I talk about it. But, they too would probably benefit from a little glute work:)

So thank you and keep up the good work!

-Mia

NOTE FROM THE FAI FIX: We were so inspired by Mia’s email to us that we followed up with a few questions for Mia. Below are her answers:

Q: What were your problems like on a daily basis and what diagnoses did you get from health professionals?

A: I was a collegiate cross-country skier and have spent most of my life moving – running, hiking, skiing, biking, climbing. A few years ago I was debilitated by left glute pain. It hurt to sit, to walk, to do anything. I saw a few different sports medicine doctors who concluded I had sciatica due to piriformis syndrome ad I was told to rest, stretch, and massage my piriformis. The initial episode did subside, but over time the pain came back and I developed a combination of symptoms: deep hip pain, quad pain, muscle twitches, and even left foot pain. Sometimes the throbbing pain in my left hip would wake me up.

Q:) What did you try to fix the problems?

A:) I tried stretching, yoga, chiropractic adjustments, dry needling, and countless massage. I did this for 2 years and the pain would come and go but never fully subside. Eventually I stopped running and biking completely for a year. I thought I would never return to the sports and lifestyle I loved.

Q:) Were there any reasons you were hesitant to try the FAI Fix?

A:) I found the FAI Fix searching for online resources for hip pain. I watched the videos, read about the research on FAI, and read all the testimonials. I was convinced that my symptoms were similar to others with diagnosed FAI and that I would benefit form similar a similar recovery program.

Q:) Why did you decide to try the FAI Fix and what has your experience been like (including your present state)?

A:) It was an easy decision to try the FAI Fix- it makes sense that targeting the muscles that control my hip bones and spine, I would retrain my body to work correctly. No matter how many times I get an adjustment or massage, the muscles will continue to work the same way until I retrained them. I realized that the diagnosis of impingement, arthritis, sciatica would all benefit from muscle retraining and activation. After spending countless dollars on massage- signing up for the FAI Fix seemed like a no-brainer. “Movement requires proper muscle activity. Even something like sitting requires muscle activity to maintain the position comfortably. Muscles are the organs of movement, and they are responsible for positioning and moving your bones safely and without pain!

“The FAI Fix is designed to help you focus on strategies that help you retrain muscles for better hip joint function – regardless of what an X-ray or MRI says”

Q:) Do you have anything you’d like to add?

A:) I signed up October 2016 and quickly realized that I needed strength, reactivation. I am very flexible and found that after a few weeks of FAI Fix reactivation exercises my aches and pains were better, my hips felt better. I liked that the FAI Fix recommended that I adjust the program to my needs. I focused on doing glute specific exercises regularly. I also signed up for The FAI Fix for Athletes a few months later when I realized how much it was helping. I built up to weighted exercises- eventually dead-lifts, squats, lunches. After 8 months of the FAI Fix, I was running again. After 12 months (of true dedication to reactivation exercises) I am now running 8 miles pain-free and my hips feel stronger than ever! Now, when I feel tight, or a muscle aches, I find that it is my body telling me of a weak spot. I continue to use the resources at The FAI Fix and Upright Health whenever I feel stuck.

-Mia