I am 16 years old and have been a gymnast since the age of seven. I love to compete in vault and bars.
In the summer of 2017, I began to experience pain in the lower right side of my back. I was initially diagnosed as having SI joint pain. I went to physical therapy and to a chiropractor for treatment. However, my pain remained. Tumbling and pounding in my routines made my symptoms worse so I was not able to do that.
Growing up, I was a competitive cheerleader. I began having horrible knee and ankle pain when I was about 13 years-old, which was really unusual for someone that young. Eventually I saw a local primary care doctor, and they said it was just all growing pains and I would be fine.
Claire has always been active, participating in gymnastics and cheerleading. She’s had numerous injuries in the past, but her hip problems began August 1, 2018. While Claire was tumbling, she injured her right knee; her patella was dislocated for nearly four hours before doctors in the emergency room reset it.
During our ER visit, Claire complained her right hip was bothering her as well. The doctors took an x-ray and said everything looked fine, so they continued to focus on her knee and didn’t worry about the hip.
As I was entering my senior year of high school, I started to experience some hip pain. I wasn’t sure what it was. I was never really an active child growing up. I didn’t realize my hip pain until I started working 9 hours shifts on the weekends and participating in gym class so I could graduate. My hip gradually started to click and catch. It would hurt so bad that I could barely walk on it.
I’ve pretty much had issues with both my hips my whole life. I had my first hip surgery in 6th grade.
In 2010, I suffered a labral tear and continued to have problems with it ever since. I went to my local orthopaedic doctor for him to repair the torn labrum. In October 2017, I noticed my hip was acting up again, so I had another surgery to help repair the labral tear. I was in physical therapy for six weeks and I was still not feeling very good about my hip.
Going into her sophomore year at Fort Payne High School, my daughter, Brooke, started experiencing really severe back and leg pain. Brooke, who is currently a member of the University of Montevallo Falcons softball team, always had problems with back and leg pain, but it started to severely affect her activity about 3 or 4 years ago.
I was a patient before I ever began working at Andrews Sports Medicine. Despite being born with hip dysplasia, I grew up with a love for sports. I began playing softball at three years old and soon after learned karate. As I got older, my love for sports evolved into a passion for running. However, I experienced more pain the more active I was. I was forced to decide if I would allow my circumstances define me. I chose resilience.