Steve Young - Trainer/Therapist 29 April 2014

ROAD TO
RECOVERY
Journey from pain to rehabilitation
At 45 years old, Personal Trainer, Steve Young needed a hip resurfacing. His story is about positivity.
For two years plus I had been self-managing the grinding, catching, internal,
inescapable, toothache type pain, with anti-inammatory drugs and specic
exercises. I knew that my genes for wear and tear of joints were more from the
gene pond than pool, (quick to blame the parents me) but I never really thought
I'd have to replace joints at an early age of 45!
Doctors reckon the biggest contributing factor derives from the mother line,
thanks Mum and Nan. However, so far I've neglected to mention: 5 marathons;
10 years in the Army including such things as jumping o" 12' walls; Cambrian
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The Birmingham Hip
resurfacing used now
mainly for men only.
This method assures a
return to a more
normal chance of
regular activity. High
carbide cobalt chrome.
Steve Young - Trainer/Therapist 29 April 2014
long range patrols; running in boots; cycling the Tour de France
route two and half times; cycling time trials and sportives galore;
a year teaching adventure training in Canada; slalom kayaking;
downhill and cross country skiing (Biathlon); rock climbing;
adventure racing; racing in the Race Across America; so many
half marathons and 10 km races I can't remember; climbing
hundreds of mountains; crashing o" my bike in Wales, Scotland
and England, oh and Personal Training for 20 years. Not the
type with a clipboard at the side of a treadmill but the type that
would lead from the front and encourage you by being with you,
sometimes 5 clients a day. (Maybe not all to do with my parents
then!)
There's a sound argument for the amount of movements a joint can make before signs of ageing show
themselves. I thought though, as I was a provider of advice for others, I was exempt from having to su"er
such inconveniences, after all I walk-the-walk when it comes to taking physical care. Surely I was never go
to wear out!
The 'falling o" a cli"' moment came in Torsby, Sweden. I was training in a snow tunnel, cross-country
skiing, when I crashed chasing a GB youth development squad athlete and felt an almighty grinding in my
right hip. Everything went from bearable to unbearable and functionally from occasionally having to think
about posture to regularly seeing my reection, or shadow, and thinking 'that's not me, that's my old
Grandad!'
So, once Id decided I required medical intervention, rather than self help and
Google advice, I visited the Doctor. I told him my feelings and thoughts and he
told me I was mad and that it was a soft tissue issue! I think the look I gave him
was one that may have killed an SAS soldier at
250m. The thing is its my job to understand
myself and others as best I can and it wasnt
that I blamed him he just was not, lets say,
listening very well. Luckily, I obtained an X-ray
chit and took myself immediately to
Radiology in East Surrey and sat amongst the
60 somethings waiting my turn.
I purchased the picture disk so I could inspect
it myself and have one or two friends look at it
to assess the situation. X-rays are the best
way to determine the severity of the problem
when it comes to arthritis. Once you know what the problem is you can take
control and for me this was a tipping point. I could now instigate the required
intervention and meantime alter physical approaches and adaptations to exercise
and nd a distraction till the operation date. Staying positive was paramount to
me. I have, after all only got a sore hip. Im ex-Army and have mates who have
had parts of their brains blown out and still get on with life. Ive also helped
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Doing nothing with
arthritis is the worst
thing possible, you
need to maintain as
much mobility as
possible in the hip
capsule even if its
uncomfortable.
Steve Young - Trainer/Therapist 29 April 2014
several stroke victims. One, Charles, whose attitude to life is totally incredulous. At close to 70 hes just
project managed his new house build, skis, horse rides and although slowly falling apart keeps going. He
optimises my mantra of dont give up - never give up!
The ideal distraction came along when a great long-life friend, Nick Speakman, asked me if Id like to enter
the Devizes to Westminster canoe race. A small adventure of 125 miles, 77 portages and the complication
of meeting the tide at Teddington at the right time. Probably about 24 hours constant e"ort. Upper body
activity mainly and a skill to refresh and evolve. What could be better? The race would be Easter weekend
and my hip operation 4 days later. Fabulous, just enough time to recover and then get on with the new
challenge of rehabilitation.

With further reading and understanding from a truly excellent
advice from Bridgeham Clinic, (Trevor and Jo Strutt) I
realised there is such a thing as pre-habilitation! This is
where you put in the work and e"ort to get to the operation
date in the best possible situation you can. A really positive
way of thinking, dont rely on medicine itself for 100%
assistance. Take charge and get your physical and mental
self into the best shape you can to assist in the repair
process. In short this ensures you bleed a lot! Sounds grim
but we know blood is the equipment required to do the
repairing of soft tissue and bone. So, you really dont want to
end up on the slab with withered, grey-yellow, ligaments and
tendons and the capsule sti" with severely reduced range of
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Steve Young - Trainer/Therapist 29 April 2014
movement. Pink, bright white, vascularised tissue is what is required. Using reformers, bands and
prescribed exercises for several weeks before the operation maintained the focus and, although at times a
bit uncomfortable, well worth the short term pain for the long term gain.
As you become less young time seems to travel faster and before I really knew it the 24th April was upon
me. Id recovered from the Devizes to Westminster and it was time to let Mr Khalid Drabu put some CrCo
into my right hip.
I cant complain at all about the care I was given, Mr Drabus team made me feel relaxed, comfortable and
very well looked after. There are two things really worth noticing post op. Firstly, the internal hip pain had
immediately and completely gone and secondly, the external pain from the operation itself, with some pain
management, was completely bearable. This highlighted to me what had been mentioned previously, you
dont really know how much pain you were in until you no longer have it. The fabulous e"ect this shift to
external pain has is an uplift in mood. I know this will only improve and the previous pain was going up a
one way street to further discomfort.
So the upshot after 6 days post surgery is Im using one stick to travel slowly and cautiously. Im doing
three small sessions of exercises daily to aid in blood ow and proprioception (the awareness of muscles
and joints in movement). I can see small improvements daily and I have a feeling of impending freedom
and a return to wanting to get out on my bike in the summer. I can nearly feel the freedom of the road and
joy testing myself physically in the Surrey Hills and eventually the mountains of France.
I know of one or two others who are tottering on the edge of having to decide if the surgery is the answer
for them. I cant really say, I suppose it depends on what quanties quality of life for you. For me though
Im thrilled life is good, theres a pain free future just round the corner and staying positive has had a huge
part to play in my rehabilitation and future plans for work and family life.
Trying hard to stay Forever Young.
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