FAI HIP RECOVERY TIMELINE: (how long does it take to recover?)

SURGICAL & NON SURGICAL FAI RECOVERY: (how long does it take to get better?)

How long does it take to recover (without surgery or even after having surgery)? Well that depends.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF “RECOVERED”?

One person might say “recovered” means pain free.

Another person might say “recovered” means back to playing their sport
Yet another person might say “recovered” means pain free, back to their sport, can do the splits in every direction (proof that there is no hidden restrictions) and can’t even tell there there is / was anything ever wrong in the hips in the first place!

There is no ONE definition but at the very least we can say recovered means: “No pain and can do most reasonable activities / sports.”

MY OWN RECOVERY:

I was “pain free” after a few months.
I was basically “fully functional” (running, squatting, olympic lifting) within 1 year of my recovery process (but there were still some hidden restrictions.)
I was completely recovered (better than normal) after 2-3 years (doing the splits, etc)

As you can see – there is no simple answers. It’s about what you need to be able to do and what you want to be able to do.

HOW CAN I RECOVER QUICKER?

There are several key areas that can make a person recover a lot quicker. Many of these lessons will be valuable even if you’ve already had the surgery and want to recover quicker.

THE CLIFF NOTES VERSION:

Find a mentor, person or therapist who can guide the process. Ideally someone who’s had FAI themselves. A proven system is better than trying to figure it all out on your own.
Learn tissue work, stretching and strengthening exercises specific to FAI. Also learn how to do “deep work”. This means treating the skills of stretching, self-massage and movement re-education as an art-form and approaching each recovery session with focus and mindfulness.
Expect setbacks. No journey is a linear upwards slope towards success. Expect and plan that there will be small and big setbacks and don’t get discouraged when they happen.
Have high expectations! Set big goals! Don’t put a strict timeline on these big goals because there are just way too many factors that influence the rate that you will recover.
Listen to your body. This entire process of recovery is a progressive journey of getting more in tune with your body.

As I like to tell people I consult with: “THE BODY IS THE BOSS!”

Check out the video for more examples from my own 5 year journey and see the milestones, victories and losses along the way.

To healthy hips and a happy life!