Conditions + Treatments
Hip Labral Tear
My name is Anna Katherine Loftin. I'm a junior at Tuscaloosa Academy in Tuscaloosa, AL. This is my comeback story.
I have what I now know as called "snapping hip." This is basically where your hip joint pops when it moves in certain directions. I didn't think anything of it at the time, so I continued to carry on with cheer and track. I went on vacation to Los Angeles to visit my brother about a month later. As I was walking down the street, I felt a sharp pain in my left hip. I took Advil, but it didn't work and the pain continued.
When I got back to Tuscaloosa, my dad took me to an orthopedic surgeon. I got several x-rays, but nothing was broken. The doctor ordered for an MRI with contrast. The results came back and BINGO! It was a labral tear in my left hip. The doctor said that I needed to have surgery, but that he couldn't perform it with a scope.
He sent me to Dr. Emblom who is a Godsend. After looking over my scans and consulting with both me and my parents, Dr. E decided to try a steroid shot before I had to undergo surgery.
I'm a sprinter on my school's track team, and I wanted to try every other option before I had to sign up for surgery. The shot didn't work, so Dr. E performed a labral repair with a muscle release.
I assumed that my track career was over. I was on crutches for three weeks, and in a hip brace for around 5. I had PT every other day for around 8 weeks. I was able to return to the track team and win a state championship! I was better this past season than I've ever been before.
THANK YOU DR. E!
