JoEllyn, a Minny-SO-tah mother runner, contacted us last spring as she was about to head into surgery to repair a tear in her labrum and correct some other hip issues. After she got the approval from her physical therapist, we sent her the AMR TriggerPoint Traveling Ultimate 6 Kit to assist in her recovery–and help her get closer to logging some miles.
A range of mother runners with injuries—everything from sciatica to plantar fasciitis—have found release and relief with the AMR TriggerPoint Traveling Ultimate 6 Kit. You can access them all here. If you have an injury we haven’t covered and want to try the Kit, please email us at runmother [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks!
Running history: I started running back when my son was about 1.5 years old (he’s now four). I really struggled with post partum depression that wouldn’t let go, so I started in a Zilch to 5K class. I fell in love with running quickly, and was losing weight and feeling awesome. I decided to help lead a local chapter of Moms RUN This Town to keep myself accountable and to meet other mother runners.
Physical history: I have always had what I called “creaky hips” and when I upped my mileage in my training for my first half-marathon, my hips started to get “creakier” and I started to get pain that hung around. After going to my regular doctor, a physical therapist, and two chiropractors, I finally insisted on getting an MRI. It showed that I had exactly what I had suspected: a labral tear of the hip.
More specifically: I have what is called FAI (Femoral Acetabular Impingement), and this led me to have the labral tear. In a nutshell, my hips didn’t fit together all that well and it caused my labrum to tear away from my socket. This caused me to have pain and a lot of other soft tissue issues from compensation. In June, I had surgery to not only get rid of the pain, but also because if I were to let it go, it would cause osteoarthritis to occur in my hip.
Running drought: I have not run since March; I had to skip out on the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon here in Duluth and Ragnar with my MRTT group.
JoEllyn: dirty, smiling, and running. Just the way we like them.
Easing back into it: Recently, I have recently able to get on the Precor AMT—a cross between an elliptical and a stairmaster—at my local YMCA and I’m starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. My surgeon told me to expect to take a full year to be back at 100%, so I am being diligent and cautious. The most important aspect for me in recovery is making sure my glutes are firing and working. If they aren’t, it causes other muscles to fire, creating compensation issues and inflammation where I don’t want or need it.
And rolling, rolling, rolling: The Quadballer has been a LIFESAVER. My TFL and hip flexors have been angry since surgery, and my piriformis is just a consistent crank. The Quadballer is the ONLY thing that has been able to get at those areas and loosen them up. (I was using a PVC pipe right before I got this, if it gives any indication of what I had tried!) One of the worst parts of recovering from this surgery is the inability to stretch properly. Never in my life have I wanted to do a piriformis stretch so badly, but the range of motion limitations with my groin made it impossible. The Quadballer, along with the TriggerPoint Massage Ball, helped me get in there—and stopped my muscles from feeling like they were seizing up.
I was getting very intense, deep massages to help loosen everything post-surgery, and the Ultimate 6 Kit was the perfect thing for maintenance in between massages. Now that I’m solidly recovered, I use it between four and seven days a week. (It just feels so good to use it!) The Ultimate 6 Kit also works incredibly well for just loosening up after a day at work; sitting all day is awful for hip flexors, so this is a great way for me to wake them up and get them stretched out a bit.
Back to the miles: I am going to start running again within the month. I did a little jog on a path with my son and my hip had zero pain while doing that little bit, which it never had before! That said, I am honestly a little scared. I read stories of people going back full steam and retearing their labrum. I do not want to be one of those. I will likely do my entire season back using run/walk intervals to make sure I’m not pushing too hard.
Good for you! Just keep going! Injuries are the worst, and especially one with a long recovery, but it sounds like you have a great attitude. In the meantime, maybe you’ll find a few other things you love to do for exercise. :)
Woohoo, a fellow Minnesotan! Nice work getting back out there! I am inspired that you started a chapter for running moms. I really should do that. I am so jealous you get to run in the beauty that is Duluth. I am actually heading there this weekend for a mini-vacay with my husband. I am pumped to hit up the Duluth Running Company and try on a pair of Newtons!
Um – how do we not know each other, and how did I not know there was a chapter of Moms Run This Town in Duluth? I also workout at the Y – though have been absent for the last month due to surgery of my own. I have to believe that we’ve seen each other at some point, as previous to the surgery, I was working out at the Y 5 out of 7 days a week. Drop me a line on my email address: mmemme@mchsi.com if you feel so inclined. Congrats on the pain-free little run and good for you for insisting on the MRI. I’m relegated to walking briskly for the time-being as I’m only one week out from surgery, so I can relate!