As a 19-year player in the National Basketball Association, Grant Hill was no stranger to injury, both major and minor. Experiencing "aches and pains, bumps and bruises is kind of par for the course," he says.
Now available from APTA's Move Forward Radio: a conversation with Hill, who describes his experience with injury, managing pain, and what he would do differently today. "We all have pain in some fashion. The most important thing is to educate yourself…about pain—how do you handle postsurgery? What are your rights as a patient?" With regard to opioids, he explains, "You have options."
The seven-time all-star retired in 2013 after numerous ankle injuries and surgeries—and painful recoveries—over the course of his career. Hill is a strong proponent of nonopioid alternatives to pain management and is a spokesperson for Plan Against Pain, a national campaign that educates the public on the availability of nondrug approaches to pain treatment postsurgery. As a player, he was prescribed opioids after surgery and for very painful injuries but says, "I didn’t like the way I felt." Hill tried to find alternative ways to treat his pain, including physical therapy. "Physical therapy has been an integral part of my career and my longevity" as a player, he says.
He tells listeners: "Listen to your body. This is your body. This is your health. You don’t have to rely on opioids to deal with pain."
Like Hill, APTA is raising public awareness about the risks of opioids and the benefits of physical therapy via its #ChoosePT campaign, which includes TV and radio public service announcements, national advertising, and free resources at MoveForwardPT.com/ChoosePT.
Move Forward Radio is archived at MoveForwardPT.com, APTA's official consumer information website, and can be streamed online or downloaded as a podcast via iTunes.
Other recent Move Forward Radio episodes include:
Recovery From Debilitating Abdominal Pain Inspires a New Career Path
Michelle Griffith had severe abdominal pain that was undiagnosed—until she saw a PT, who discovered her nerve damage and guided her recovery. Now she is an aspiring PT student.
Pain Does Not Discriminate, Even in Hollywood
Karen Joubert, PT, DPT, shares some insights into the needs of her famous clients, how they benefit from physical therapy, and her universal, back-to-basics approach in treating all of her clients.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Bertie Gatlin, PT, DSc, Divya Rana, MD, and Kalyani Garde, OTR, discuss signs and symptoms, treatment in the hospital, and aftercare for infants born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which occurs when an infant who was exposed to opiates through his or her mother experiences withdrawal after birth.
Diastasis Recti Abdominis: The Likely Cause of "Mummy Tummy"
Carrie Pagliano, PT, DPT, discusses diastasis recti abdominis during or after pregnancy, including misconceptions about the condition and her perspective on how women can work with PTs to correct the condition.
Amplified Pain Syndromes: Treating a Pediatric Population
Brandi Dorton, PT, DPT, and Misty Wilson, OTR/L, discuss the variety of tools and interventions they use to effectively treat individuals with increased sensitivity to pain, and help them improve and reclaim their lives.
APTA members are encouraged to alert their patients to the radio series and other MoveForwardPT.com resources to help educate the public about the benefits of treatment by a physical therapist. Ideas for future episodes and other feedback can be emailed to consumer@apta.org.