Wednesday 21 December 2011
This is a case study of a patient that I have been working with for nearly a year. The patient, Tom has given his permission for me to discuss his case as well as using his full name and photos.
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| Tom being airlifted to hospital following the accident |
Tom first made contact with me when he emailed in early February regarding his rehabilitation for a hip injury. Tom’s background is as follows, he is a 56-year-old man, who is a keen cyclist and is very fit and active and he is retired from the US Military. On the 16th September 2009, whilst cycling in the French Alps Tom came off his bike whilst travelling at speed. The resulting accident left Tom with a dislocated hip and fractured acetabulum.
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| This is Tom stabilised, awaiting surgery. |
Due to his Military background Tom was able to be air lifted to a US military hospital where he underwent a number of operations to stabilize the pelvis. On the 10 March 2010 Tom was discharged from his US Air Force doctor, but was then subsequently admitted to the John Radcliffe Hospital for a MRSA infection that resulted in all his metal work having to be removed. He then under went physiotherapy through the NHS from May 2010 to August 2010.
Tom then began to see an acupuncturist as he was still in a large amount of pain and unable to walk without a limp. This is due to the complications suffered as a result of the surgeries and the healing process called heterotopic ossification around the acetabulum. This is a presence of bone in the soft tissue, where it should not normally exist. This and a huge amount of scar tissue were causing a lot of muscular tension that caused pain. This pain was so debilitating that Tom was still taking a cocktail of pain killers (tramadol and paracetamol) to help control this pain.
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| Adam from Revolution Sports Injuries Clinic treating Tom at his home. |
Adam from Revolution Sports Injuries Clinic, Wantage explains "as a Sports Therapist was to treat this muscular tension to reduce his pain, increase his range of movement and begin to get the damaged muscles firing correctly so he could start strengthening work, and get back on his bike."
Over the next 4 months Tom saw a huge reduction in his pain, which has resulted in Tom lowing his medications dramatically. The major success was to be able to get Tom back on a bike and he achieved his personal ambition of being able to cycle across the Pyrenees Mountains by June 2011!
Tom has now embarked on his next challenge, which is to cycle across America to raise money and awareness for American and British Military Charities. This event is called Sea 2 Sea.
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| Tom during his cycle trip across the Pyrenees Mountains in June 2001 |
Tom explains the event “This event will take place from 21st April to 8th July 2012. Departing the Repatriation Centre at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, England, cycling to arrive at London Heathrow Airport. Arriving in the USA in Seattle, Washington then cycling east to finish the American leg towards Washington, DC. The total journey will be over 4000 miles.”
Tom goes on to say “To raise national and international awareness for UK and US veterans by having a joint UK/US nationwide cycling event 21 April - 08 July involving thousands of UK and US citizens.
My aim is to raise $10,000,000 for US military charities (i.e., Paralyzed Veterans of America, Wounded Warriors) and £5,000,000 for UK military charities (i.e., Army Benevolent Fund, British Legion, Help for Heroes) through their websites.”
For more information on Tom’s amazing new challenge go to www.sea2sea.org please view the video of when Tom met David Cameron to discuss this amazing charity event.
If you also like more information on Sports Therapy and the Sports Therapist who is helping Tom with his on going rehabilitation go to www.revolutionsportsinjuries.co.uk
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