My Journey Through Hip Pain, Surgery, and Recovery as a Boccia Athlete

Athletes are very aware of their bodies and how every body part feels and as a Boccia athlete, I am no exception. Back in 2023, I decided I needed a new mattress, as my old one wasn’t supportive anymore. When you are in the shop, you only have a few minutes to try and decide what mattress is best for you. Once my new mattress arrived, I got terrible pain in my right hip after a few nights of sleeping on it. I naturally assumed that the mattress was too firm. Therefore, I returned to the bed store within the allowed time to change it and selected a new mattress. However, my hip was still hurting sleeping on my new mattress. I was beginning to think it may not be the mattresses, but my hip that was the issue.

Increasing Pain

I was getting pain in my right hip, after doing day to day activities such as walking. Certain gym exercises, like deadbugs, were making my hip click, which was very painful. I decided that I needed to get my hip reviewed, as it was increasingly painful and preventing me from performing in Boccia at the high level that I was used to.

First Contact with TASS

I contacted Health Partners Europe, who oversee the TASS medical scheme for athletes with medical needs and got authorisation to see a TASS registered doctor. My appointment with the TASS registered doctor was very helpful, as it was a full functional assessment. He was very approachable and he referred me to an Orthopaedic Surgeon, who specialises in hips.

Diagnosis and Treatment Plan

The Orthopaedic Surgeon sent me for CT scans and X-rays before we sat to create a plan going forward. This was all completed on the same day, which made it a seamless experience. He explained that I had an impinged hip (bony growth on my hip joint) and that I would need surgery to fix the problem. However, at the time, I wanted to continue to compete and finish the Boccia season. Therefore, the Orthopaedic Surgeon offered me a steroid injection into the hip joint to ease the pain and get me through the season.

Approval and Success of the Injection

I contacted the TASS Medical Scheme at Health Partners Europe to get approval for the injection. To do this, I needed to obtain a quotation from the Spire Hospital team, which I then forwarded to Health Partners Europe. Once they had formally approved the procedure, I was able to phone the Spire and book a date for my procedure. The injection was a success for five months. I was pain free and able to continue to compete in Boccia.

London Specialist and Surgical Decision

The Orthopaedic Surgeon referred to a specialist in London, whose area of expertise is people with hip problems, who also have Neurological conditions. The TASS Medical scheme do not normally support athletes seeing medical specialists in London. However, as this was the right person for me to see, I made the case and Health Partners approved for me to book a consultation with him.

I needed surgery to fix my impinged hip and labral tear. I asked TASS Medical Scheme if they could fund this, but because the surgeon was based in London, this could not be funded by Health Partners. I could have chosen to have it done outside London and received financial support with this, but I chose not to, having built a rapport with the Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon in London. I am very grateful to TASS and Health Partners, as they paid for all my preassessment appointments.

Rehabilitation and Recovery

After 12 weeks of rehabilitation and partially non-weight bearing activity, I was fully recovered and back to normal daily activity. The support I received from my TASS Practitioners in Strength and Conditioning, Lifestyle, Psychology and Nutrition received during this time was invaluable and really supported me through my recovery.