One of the best parts of my job is the variety of different challenges I get to work on. One session I might be working on a squash player’s sprained ankle or a climber’s finger injury, the next I’m treating an elderly patient with hip osteoarthritis or a pregnant woman with back pain. On any given day, I could be writing a GP referral letter to rule out a medical condition, or doing a practical gym session with one of my combat sports athletes.
This is Julian Massey; I’ve been treating him for over a year, since he had surgery to repair his fractured femur (from a motocross accident). He’s worked hard to rebuild his strength and keep the movement at his hip and his knee. A few months ago his surgeons decided that he needed a bone graft (a major operation). That took place last week.
Today, I spoke to Julian’s surgeon on the phone to confirm his instructions for rehabilitation. This evening in clinic we were working on gentle hip and knee movement, muscle engagement, relieving soreness in his lower back and groin, and a bit of strength work for his opposite leg and upper body.
Julian is looking forward to having his stitches out next Wednesday. Although he’s restricted to partial weightbearing with crutches for the next 6 weeks, we’ve got a plan to keep him active and get him back to full strength as soon as possible!