Written by Joseph C. Jimenez, M.D., MBA, CSCS Board Certified on February 7, 2012 in Chiropractic
Golfers and other athletes can use Performance 3D can help prevent elbow injury, back pain and MORE
Performance 3D uses video game – like sensors on the body to study any sports motion (LIKE A GOLF SWING) and TELLS YOU EXACTLY HOW TO IMPROVE your GOLF SWING, PREVENT INJURY to your joints or tendons and help FIX the problem if there is a sports injury
It is as simple as AAA: Assess, Analyze, Apply!
Bruce Jenner was our special guest and demonstrator on January 2012, NYC!
First:APPLY – Simply put or “APPLY” the sensors on the body
Here is a photo of Frank Colabella applies the sensors, some on the chest, back and head
Next:ANALYZE – Bruce Jenner or any golfer simply swings a golf club and Performance 3D ANALYZES his swing!
It Turns out, Bruce Jenner’s swing ranks better than the AVERAGE PGA GOLFER: in terms of club speed!!
But, Mr. Jenner relies too much on upper body strength to generate his swing and not enough HIP ROTATION! This alone will put him at risk for BACK PAIN and Golfer’s ELBOW and MORE!
Finally: APPLY – Performance 3D gives you the exercise program to improve your golf swing and prevent injury
One essential exercise for Bruce to perform is LOW PULLEY HIP ABDUCTOR EXERCISE for 1 set of 15 reps
FACT: MOST TRAINERS, DOCTORS, & THERAPISTS DON’T KNOW HOW TO TECHNOLOGICALLY PREVENT SPORTS INJURIES IN ATHLETES.
EVEN WORSE, THEY DON’T KNOW WHEN AN ATHLETE SHOULD RETURN TO PLAY AFTER REHAB!
The issue is alignment…Car Mechanics talk about proper alignment in cars to prevent wearing out breaks, tires, suspension. It’s the same for athletes!
We have to get our athletes ‘the proper alignment’ and that means testing them with cutting edge technology rather than relying only on our eyes and intuition to tell us when the athlete is ready! If athletes are ‘out of alignment’ between the right and left side of the body, then chances are their joints can get worn out, get injured, and are likely to throw out their backs and strain ligaments on the field or court.
Athletes create dangerously high levels of force that twists joints and the spine. If the athlete is ‘out of alignment’ these forces can cause self-inflicted injuries.
If car mechanics can have software that shows them when your car is not aligned, then so should doctors.
For Example, in the illustration below, “GREEN IS GOOD ALIGNMENT AND RED IS BAD ALIGNMENT”
Performance Spine and Sports Medicine have the tools to do the same! Good alignment can mean healthier joints, pain free spine and hip movements. Our technology is called PERFORMANCE 3D which uses video game like sensors strapped to your body!
So….to prevent injury, if you are a coach or therapist, use PERFORMANCE 3D AND OPTOJUMP and follow these simple steps AND THIS SHORT VIDEO:
1) Watch the athletes walk on the treadmill (or gait) and make sure their step length is the same on both sides. If not, ask whether it is from the ankle/foot weakness or the type of shoe to start with
2) Watch the overhead squat and you can look at things like hamstring flexibility, weak core muscles.
3) Measure their vertical jump. Make sure they generate the same power in both legs as much as possible
4) Watch them land from the vertical jump and watch how their hips, knees, upper body and legs move in relation to each other (the trick is VIDEO IS NOT ENOUGH, sensors on the body is still the best way to measure this ACCURATELY!)
5) (DEPENDING ON THE SPORT) Watch the athlete perform their sport (like their golf swing) and watch in real time, using their 3D motion analysis to troubleshoot and fix their problem!
If you’re a serious athlete that wants to prevent injury, then come to our clinic, get a complimentary assessment using our exclusive Performance 3D technology. We can give you a customized exercise program based on your test results. It’s that simple.
Once we start doing this, then we are on our way to preventing injury and having OBJECTIVE testing to know when the athlete can return to their sport!!
This is a mini-series on injuries and today we will talk about MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT INJURIES (MCL) and potential fantasy league decisions that you may have to make . Next edition will be on hamstrings and look out for our Fantasy League Basketball Injury Guide.
Anatomy:
The ligament helps prevent “knock knee” position when running or walking:
LOOK AT THIS PICTURE OF THE RIGHT KNEE of the football player, the MCL keeps the knee stable so that knee does not buckle inside too much. The arrow shows points to the MCL
Symptoms of a Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injury can depend on how bad the impact or hit was on a player. MCL injuries graded from I to III
Grade I MCL Tear
This is an incomplete tear or STRAIN of the MCL. The tendon is still intact and players complain of pain with pressure on the MCL or inside of the knee. Return to play is in 1-2 weeks. So, if you here reports of the player doing some drills or jogging in practice, then chances are, he may show up in the next game if the team happens to have a bye week.
Grade II MCL Tear
Grade II injuries are more severe tears to the MCL but IT IS STILL AN INCOMPLETE TEAR. These athlete may complain of instability or feelings of the knee buckling when trying to cut or pivot. There is more pain and swelling and conservatively be out 4 weeks (3 weeks EARLIEST).
Grade III MCL Tear
A grade III injury is a complete tear of the MCL. The athlete has lots of swelling and can’t even bend the knee all the way. Instability, or giving out, happens almost all the time. A knee brace or a knee immobilizer is usually needed for comfort, and healing may take 6 weeks or longer. If the news shows him wearing a brace for a suspected MCL sprain (and ONLY an MCL tear), sit this guy out or trade him if you own him as a fantasy league player
References:
(1) Source of photo and info: http://bostonglobe.com/sports/2011/12/06/nfl-notes-bears-expect-matt-forte-return/2GVuKBWpLKGzqqqw0tE1lM/story.html
Performance Spine and Sports Medicine would like to congratulate our very own Dr. Aisling Linehan for finishing the Tough Mudder in 4 hours! I’m sure she needed some physical therapy after such an accomplishment. The Tough Mudder is an intense obstacle course that was designed by British Special Forces that tests) 1) all around strength, 2) stamina, 3) mental toughness 4) camaraderie.
There has been a tremendous amount of popularity surrounding Tough Mudder. Gratefully, we have been provided an excellent video interview with Harvard Graduate and co-founder Will Dean (special thanks to Bloomberg L.P. for making this video available). In this interview he discusses the history and state of Mudder Nation!
At Performance Spine and Sports Medicine (PSSM), we celebrate the opportunity to educate the Mercer and Bucks’ county communities. We are happy to present two short presentations. The first focuses on lower back pain, the different sources of back pain like herniations and the solutions that PSSM has to offer. The second is a 3D 1 minute presentation on our patient experience, from the moment they come in with pain or injury until the moment they are done with their course of care.
Let us help you on the path to your recovery at 609-439-4252:
Presentation 1: Lower Back Pain and what PSSM will do to help!
Presentation 2: 3-D 1 minute presentation onPatient Path to Recovery at PSSM.
Orthopedic Doctors, Physical Therapists and Chiropractors work together with our service mark: “Get Better Faster, Stay Better Longer”
The timeline shows how the disciplines of the practice integrate orthopedic non-surgical care under one roof producing an unparalleled patient experience and superior outcomes.
We use the latest technology, equipment and procedures to help patients with their injury such as work-related injury or sports injury and pain (back pain, neck pain, sciatica, stenosis, herniated discs, foot/ankle, and joint pain). We do all our services under one roof WITHOUT surgery!
ENJOY THE SLIDE SHOW AND REMEMBER TO SWITCH TO FULL SCREEN!!
Performance Spine and Sports Medicine Halloween Survival Guide:
For managing Halloween treats and Safety
Did you know that raisenets are one of the top candies with the most sugar? Or that Reese’s pieces are among the candies with the lowest sugar? Here are a few popular Halloween candies with the highest and lowest sugar amounts.
Candies that are super high in sugar include candies like Bubble Gum, Twizzlers, Jelly Beans, York Peppermint Patties, Skittles, Tootsie Rolls and Starburst.
On the contrary, did you know that Kit Kat’s are among the candies with the lowest sugar? Joined by Nutrageous, Reese’s Pieces, Mr. Goodbar, Chocolate Covered Peanuts and Hershey’s Chocolate Almond Bites.
And the candy that has the highest calories? Twix takes the cake at 120 calories-for one stick! So much for their motto: “Two for me, none for you”. That’s 240 calories for one snack! So that leads us to our 3 favorite must’s for your Halloween Survival Guide:
Set the ground rules before Halloween-and before the kids come home with a pillow case full of candy.
Sign a contract with your child-for example stating that they agree to have x number of pieces of candy per day.
A really popular idea that many parents are doing; is a candy exchange program where kids turn in some of their candy for money. For example, your children can count their candy and for every 4 pieces they get they can exchange it for $.25. They can identify a toy that they want and then use the candy as currency. Or put the money in their piggy banks. That way they can also choose to keep a couple of pieces if they have any left over.
And then here is the nutty, chocolatey, chewy low down on some of the most common candies out there on Halloween:
The NFL lockout is done! The SEASON HAS STARTED! As a fan, I am happy to have football again. As a doctor, I feel for the sports docs of every team…time for another season of sports injuries!
One injury in particular is Sports Concussions.
I had a short conversation with former Giants, Jessie Armstead, about football injuries like ACL injuries, shoulder injuries and concussions with at a recent fundraiser for the Villa Victoria Catholic School Yardley Pennsylvania. Many of the injuries can end the career of an NFL player.
Left to right: Dr. Matthias Wiederholz, Former Giants: Jessie Armstead and Antonio Pierce; Dr. Joseph Jimenez, Dr. Philip Jimenez, Former Dallas Cowboy: Jimmy Jones ; (Front) Philly Fanatic
A new Loyola University Health System study posted July 2011 (1) showed that ” Retired NFL football players are at higher risk for mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease”. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) means that there are problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that is more than what is expected with your age. The study showed that among the 513 retired football players interviewed, 35 % were found to have MCI.
The reason is believed to be from repetitive head trauma
Studies suggest on collegiate athletes in Division I football (2) can experience up to 20 to 30 g-forces or more with each hit and can get hit on average 1,000 times in a season. NFL players are bigger, stronger and faster which means impacts and tackles could generate even more force and/or damage with each hit!
A radical idea that some retired football athletes proposed to cut down on concussions is to get rid of the HELMETS! The helmets seem to encourage more vicious hits. In other words, the players think the helmets and padding make them almost invincible, giving them the license to hit harder and with more force! If players start playing without helmets, then the opponents would “go easier” on each tackle and there’s less chance for a concussion. Interesting logic, but I don’t think it will ever fly.
What do you think?
On our next blog article, we will show some cutting edge tools we are using to diagnose concussions…STAY TUNED
References:
1)Editors of Science Daily. Retired NFL players at higher risk for mild cognitive impairment: Condition can be precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. ScienceDaily. Loyola University Health System (2011, July 18). Retrieved August 7, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/07/110718085320.htm
2) Kevin M. Guskiewicz and Jason P. Mihalik. Biomechanics of Sport Concussion: Quest for the Elusive Injury Threshold: In-helmet Accelerometer Research Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2011;39(1):4-11.
Written by Joseph C. Jimenez, M.D., MBA, CSCS Board Certified on August 27, 2011 in Health Tips, Local News
HURRICANE IRENE HAS LANDED ON THE EAST COAST !!!
Besides what you have already done, must do:
- Secure and lock all outside doors and windows.
- Fill bathtub. Water will be used for washing and flushing if needed
- 5-gallon pail with lid (for toilet if needed – if power failure stops city
water pumps and eventually sewer backs up)
- 2-gallon pail. Used to move water from tub to toilet bowl as long
as sewer works.
- Small battery powered radio for news after storm.
- Paper plates and plastic utensils and cups
- Garbage bags
- Put your tool box at the basement door
- Pile all the towels available near basement door
- Bring all toys and easily movable objects inside
- Put toys, books and distractions for the kids near or in the basement
- Fill cars with gas
- Forget any party on Saturday – stay home !
Good to do, but not critical:
- One real flashlight (bulb or LED, 2D or 3C battery size) for
you to do surveillance
Other contingent issues:
- Do not sleep or stay on the second floor during the storm.
Stay on 1st floor as long as possible, go to basement with tools
and towels only if things get real hairy or a window breaks.
- Know where the main electric panel is:
if power goes out for more than 1 hour: turn off main breaker,
then turn off all others. When power comes back, turn main
on first, then the others at 10 second intervals.
- Know where the main gas shut-off is: probably in the closet
with the electric panel, it may look like this:
It will be blackish colored pipe about 1-1.5 inch diameter.
Or this:
If so, this is the open position, and you will need a wrench to grasp the
protruding stem for leverage to close it. Put the wrench there now. If
it has a round or lever handle, no problem.
- DO NOT TURN THE GAS OFF UNLESS:
a] you smell gas inside, or
b] your house structure is physically damaged, or
c] you smell gas outside the house after the storm passes
- The front is the only side open to flying debris that can break windows.
Get a heavy blanket and nail it to the wood molding over the front
windows and 12 inches down the sides, no further. If debris breaks the
window, the glass will fall to the floor and not into the house. If the
front windows break, open the kitchen window only if the rain permits
to relive wind pressure inside.
- If window breaks and rain comes in, dry area thoroughly down to the
wood with towels and hairdryer as soon as possible. Pull up and discard
rugs if necessary.
- If there is any damage at all, call your homeowners insurance and ask
them how to proceed. Even if no obvious damage, call and tell them you
think you lost roof shingles and want a roofer to inspect (you can’t get up
on roof yourself), and how to proceed with that. You will probably lose a
few shingles, and must repair that before winter to prevent leaks and
mold problems in attic. Tell them if you losse a window and get a lot of
water in the house, and how to proceed with that.
As many of you may of heard Kobe Bryant went to Germany for PRP(platelet rich plasma) on his right knee (1). Rumor has it that KOBE BRYANT has ongoing issues with his meniscus. The menisci are the special cushions that your thigh bone and your leg bones use so that they don’t rub into each other (see picture below):
Every athlete needs healthy cartilage and menisci to run, jump, and cut. So when anyone gets a tear or injury to the MENISCAL CARTILAGE or MENISCUS (aka MENISCAL TEAR), whether it is Kobe Bryant, Hines Ward, or yours truly the symptoms are:
1) Sharp pains that come and go when you walk
2) Pain that is “deep inside the knee” or hard to pinpoint exactly. Sometimes the middle of the knee is painful when you press it
3) The knee could swell and this swelling makes it hard to straighten the knee all the way. It also hurts if you try to bend the knee all the way.
Please see your doctor if you have give-way weakness, locking of your knee, pain with popping or a crackling sensation.
SO WHAT NON-SURGICAL OPTIONS ARE THERE?
WHAT IS MORE CUTTING – EDGE THAN PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP)?
AND IF PRP IS NOT ENOUGH, WHAT ELSE IS THERE? (DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!”)
If I was his personal physician, I would have arranged for the UNIQUE COMBINATION of BOTHPlatelet Rich Plasma and Stem Cell Therapies!
Research shows Platelet Rich Plasma can enhance the growth and development of stem cells (2). In this case, i would use PRP AND STEM CELLS to repair and strengthen MENISCAL INJURIES OR OTHER LIGAMENT INJURIES IN THE KNEE including the FAMOUS ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT (ACL).
Below are the 6 Steps of our Unique Combination.
Step 1: Take Stem Cells from the Bone Marrow coming directly from the hip
Step 2: ISOLATE, and GROW the STEM CELLS
Step 3: In a few short weeks, THE STEM CELLS are injected with PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP). We do this to make THE STEM CELLS GROW NEW CARTILAGE AND REPAIR THE INJURED MENISCUS
For your viewing pleasure we have provided a video of this injection. The injection is done using ULTRASOUND GUIDANCE. Ultrasound Guidance allows us, Medical Doctors, to more accurately inject the needle.
Step 5: Implement a COMPREHENSIVE REHABILITATION PROGRAM WITH HYDROWORX AQUATIC THERAPIES
Step 6: Refine the rehabilitation program by ANALYZING the patient’s WALKING AND RUNNING MECHANICS TO FIX MUSCLE IMBALANCES that can cause a new INJURY by usingOPTOGAIT
THEN… COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSISOF HIS JUMPING POWER AND VERTICAL JUMP USINGOPTOJUMP
So after all, Kobe has everything he needs right here in the USA…HECK, RIGHT HERE IN LAWRENCEVILLE, NEW JERSEY.
(2)Julia P. Vogel, Krisztian Szalay, Florian Geiger, Martin Kramer, Wiltrud Richter and Philip Kasten. Platelet-rich plasma improves expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells and retains differentiation capacity and in vivobone formation in calcium phosphate ceramics.Platelets 2006, Vol. 17, No. 7 : Pages 462-469
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