Alisha’s Story

Hiya, I’m Alisha (@wavesfitness), I’m 20 and a student at Loughborough uni, but I’m from Exeter (yes that’s quite a drive).

4 years ago I injured my right hip (or so I thought) on a walk across Dartmoor, I woke up in the 4th day of the walk and could barely place weight through my right leg. I walked 20km off of the moor crying the whole way. It took about 3 months for this ‘injury’ to settle down.

2 years ago, xmas 2018, a similar thing happened, I thought I had injured my hip and then a few days later I woke up and yet again couldn’t walk, I also threw up bile for the next 72 hours. My mum had to travel up to Loughborough, collect me and bring me back home. She then proceeded to care for me for the next month, yes that includes getting me dressed…

Many many scans, consultant, rheumatology, and physio appointments later I finally had some kind of answer (1.5yrs after the xmas 2018 flare up).

The small stabilising muscles in my hip didn’t work and the larger muscle groups had been compensating for this, in turn this had irritated the nerve and caused nerve pain.

For anyone who hasn’t had nerve pain, this IS NOT like normal pain. I regularly feel sick, dizzy and fatigue-y as a result of the pain, my vision and ability to think/concentrate is also affected. This explained the sickness during xmas 2018 and why no other treatments had helped.

It had been decided preciously I would have a steroid injection into the hip joint (diagnostically). Long story short… this caused a massive flare up, irritating the nerve even more.

So where am I now? Still in a lot of pain, still relying on a lot of meds to get me through the day… but with a clearer action plan. I’m very very fortunate to have a good support network to keep me going through this. From friends that use their strength and conditioning knowledge to people who I have met through Instagram

This support network is what keeps me going and focused on recovery from this injury. They understand what nerve pain is like (basically impossible if you haven’t had it) and stop me when I’m about to do something stupid (like try to squat).

Training wise? There isn’t much of it.

I don’t train lower, and have only just introducing training lats again after being only allowed to train arms and chest. No this was not easy. But the longer I ignored this and carried on as ‘normal’ the longer recovery would take, and the more flare ups I would have. Each time I have a major flare up it is worse and takes longer to recover from.

Now? Due to COVID-19 and current restrictions I have no treatment… now is the time I need to be careful and take good care of myself, utilising the support network I’ve built. I simply cannot afford to have a flare up, and to possibly not be able to walk or complete uni work (I’m in my final year)

To anyone with a long term injury / chronic pain etc. find people who get you, because not everyone will (which is ok and to be expected). It is ok to feel like crap, and it is ok to recognise both the positives and the negatives, sometimes simultaneously.