Injured International Hockey Player

by Sailor Shaz
(Brisbane, Australia)

I was an extremely fit international hockey player and one day I finished a game and was very stiff. My back had seized up and I could hardly walk. I got in my car and drove home in agony, then had to be helped out of my car.

I ended up in bed for 2 days unable to move. It felt like something was trapping a nerve. Also the whole of right side of my lower spine and across the top of my right hip was very painful. I was told I would be in a wheelchair if I continued playing hockey and so I retired from sport immediately.

I thought I had deterioration of the spine because I'd played hockey for 15 years. I received physiotherapy but there was no definite diagnosis. A friend had a similar pain and ended up having to fuse 2 discs due to a damaged cartilage and bone spur pressing on the nerve. But I was told my issue wasn't that, but rather just shortened ligaments. I've become depressed, I don't recognize myself, and have put on 15kg. I can hardly bend over for more than a few seconds and I feel like a 90 year old lady with osteoporosis and severe arthritis.

My life as I knew it came to an abrupt end. I have suffered for 15 years now and when I went sailing at the weekend the same pain happened and I was crippled for 2 days. I am supposed to be competing in a global yacht race next year and if I cant do 1 day of sailing then I can't go on this trip.

I saw your article and was relieved that it described what I am feeling. At last it is starting to make sense. I can see my injury explained in full and that there's a suitable treatment.

I have never had a CT scan to establish bone spurs and will be seeing a chiropractor today to get some X-rays. I will try to find a suitable therapist to be able to do the treatment you recommend. I live in Brisbane, Australia. I hope this solves the mystery and I can get my life back together.