Daughter wants to play in World Cup someday? Have her add other sports!

An article written by Christopher DiCesare in the Oct 2019 issue of The Journal of Athletic Training, young athletes who play multiple sports had more coordination with their Drop-Vertical -Jump (DVJ) assessment. The DVJ evaluates the hip and knee motion of an athlete as she jumps down from a box. Uncoordinated joint motion in landing from a jump have been implicated in increased rates of injury, including anterior cruciate ligament tears. In this study, multi-sport athletes had a more coordinated DVJ than single sport athletes. It is important to develop this foundation before specializing in one sport. At Winning Health, we want to help you and your children be the best athlete they can. Sometimes that mean delaying sports specialization until physical maturity and improved neuromuscular coordination have developed.

What exactly do you do at Winning Health Sports Medicine?

What is a non-operative orthopedist? Non-operative sports medicine orthopedic physicians (also referred to as primary care sports medicine physicians or just sports medicine physicians) have been around for quite some time. The main organizing body, the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine (AMSSM), was founded in 1991 and has grown from the original 125 members to over 4000 members. Despite this growth and increasing public awareness, we still get questions at Winning Health about what it is we do.

Training starts off in a primary specialty like family medicine (Dr McMarlin), pediatrics (Dr Upshaw), emergency medicine, internal medicine or physical medicine and rehabilitation.  During their primary residency, they further their understanding of the basics of medicine (eg. How to take care of an asthma attack, how to identify a rash, how to read an x-ray). After that initial residency, a sports medicine nonoperative orthopedic physician will spend 1-2 years in a sports medicine fellowship where they learn more about the care of active people of all ages. All fellowships have the same curriculum requirements regardless of what that physician’s primary residency was and all fellows take the same certifying exam at the end of fellowship.

What do we do? We are trained to take care of nonoperative orthopedic injuries and medical issues that active people encounter. They are trained in side-line management, emergent stabilization and comprehensive longitudinal care. They are also trained in ultrasound-guided injections and rehabilitative medicine. Common problems that a sports medicine physician might care for include: *

•         Concussion evaluation and management

•         Fracture evaluation and management

•         Return-to-play decisions for sick or injured athletes

•         Nutrition, strength and conditioning and performance issues

•         Exercise prescription for patients wanting to increase fitness

•         Injury risk assessment

•         Comprehensive non-surgical care for activity-related conditions (tendon/joint injuries, osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal issues)

•         Ultrasound -guided procedures

*Taken from AMSSM website

What is the difference between a sports medicine nonoperative orthopedic physician and an orthopedic surgeon? Both are physicians and both care for orthopedic injuries. Orthopedic surgeons are the experts on the surgical care of orthopedic injuries; Sports medicine physicians focus on the nonoperative and medical care of the active person. Sports medicine physicians frequently refer patients who need surgery to orthopedic surgeons. Orthopedic surgeons frequently refer patients who have nonoperative issues, such as a concussion, to their non-operative colleagues.

Hopefully that clarifies these common confusions for you. At Winning Health, we are also athletes and understand the drive our patients possess to remain active regardless of their age. We provide comprehensive care with a wellness-based approach that considers all aspects of the patient’s medical needs. We are here if you need us!

Benefit of knee surgery for middle aged or older patients 'inconsequential' says experts...

Benefit of knee surgery for middle aged or older patients 'inconsequential' says experts...

Over 700,000 knee arthroscopies are carried out in the USA and 150,00 in the UK each year on middle aged and older adults with persistent knee pain, but researchers are saying their findings do not supports arthroscopic surgery as a treatment for middle aged or older persons with painful arthritic knee or torn meniscus.

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Why not use your body to heal itself?

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a great way to promote healing within your own body without the use of synthetic medications.

"One component of the blood stream is platelets. Platelets are cell-like particles that are smaller than red or white blood cells. These tiny platelets release a soup of growth factors at the site of injury. The help in the clotting process by sticking to the walls of the damaged blood vessels and plugging the rupture. The most important compound is PDGF or platelet derived growth factor, which causes stem cells (more on those in a minute) to be released from vessel walls and migrate to the site of injury. Physicians are able to take a small amount of a patient's blood, isolate and concentrate the platelets by spinning the blood in a centrifuge, and inject the growth factors they release directly into the injured area, where they promote the body's natural healing response."

Source: http://stoneclinic.com/blog/next-generation-joint-injections

Can antibiotics cure chronic low back pain?

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark recently found that almost half of the cases of chronic lower back pain they saw could be successfully treated with a three month course of antibiotics.  Several top European neurologists are calling the discovery a "turning point" in low back pain treatment. 

We will have to wait for additional research to replicate these amazing findings but for now, check out the link to this incredible story!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/10042211/Antibiotics-could-cure-40pc-of-chronic-back-pain-patients.html     

New study says: Osteoarthritis could be treated with over the counter (OTC) drugs

The center for disease control (CDC) estimates that about 33% of adults over the age of 65 suffer with osteoarthritis pain.  The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain reliever celecoxib (known by the popular name Celebrex) is commonly prescribed to treat the associated pain and swelling.  

A recent study including 606 subjects in four different European countries, however, showed the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin to be just as effective as the prescription medication celecoxib in treating the condition.  This is important especially considering NSAID may cause negative side effects in some patients.

Check out the following link for more information on the study and as always, be sure to check with your health care provider to explore all of your options when it comes to osteoarthritis   

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/osteoarthritis-glucosamine-and-chondroitin-could-be-treated-with-otc-drugs-4-european-studies/osteoarthritis/