OSS Provider Spotlight – Dr. Mark Reed

Dr. Mark Reed

Dr. Mark Reed is one of the many talented surgeons at Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.

We had an opportunity to catch him from his busy schedule and find out some interesting and fun information about him.

1) Why did you choose Orthopedics with a specialty in foot and ankle?

I worked as a mechanical engineer and have always had a fascination for how complex mechanisms work. It doesn’t get much more complex than the foot and ankle.

Many bones, joints, tendons and ligaments all work in concert to support the foot and create motion. It’s simultaneously challenging and rewarding to treat foot and ankle conditions.

2) Why did you decided to move and settle in Seattle?

My family and I selected Seattle to put down roots for several reasons. Although my wife (an emergency physician) did our residency on the East Coast, we wanted to relocate to the West Coast so that we could be closer to her home state of Hawaii, which is not a bad place to visit during Seattle winters.

We love the healthy and active nature of the Pacific Northwest and the access to hiking, skiing, and all other sorts of endeavors.

3) Are you involved in the community?

With a one and three-year old, we don’t have a lot of free time, but when we do, we think it’s important to give back to the community. One of the things we do on a regular basis is to cook for and deliver meals to a homeless shelter in Seattle.

We also get involved in clean-up and beautification projects in our local community of west Seattle.

4) Have you been published, made any medical advances or studied new procedures?

Most of the research work I have done has been foot and ankle-related with a focus on biomechanics. I’ve looked at novel ways to perform ankle fusions and done studies comparing the strength and rigidity of various subtalar fusions.

I continue to stay active in the foot and ankle community to stay abreast of the latest technologies. Ankle replacement surgery and joint-sparing procedures for great toe arthritis are two areas that come to mind.

5) Who are you outside of work?

Outside of work I spend every minute I can with my wife and our two boys. I enjoy the outdoors; we try to get out and about a couple of times a month to experience the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. I’m a big supporter of the Seattle professional sports teams.

Read more about Dr. Reed

Summer Running

As runners, think about the varied terrain and urban obstacles of jogging outdoors versus the treadmill’s regularity. Now apply that same comparison to every gym exercise and the variables of their outdoor equivalents, from biking in the park to soccer on the grass.

Here are three important steps you should take to ensure that getting back into running leaves you free from injury this summer:

  1. Take a moment to set a goal. Setting a goal helps propel yourself towards a specific aim, a simple enough idea which cannot be overstated in its power to focus yourself on a reasonable achievement.
  2. Renew one of your new year’s resolutions or challenge yourself to meet or beat a pace that you haven’t quite kept up with over the past few years.
  3. More importantly, set up a log book to keep track of your times and achievements. Having a physical record of where you started with a means to your ends is paramount to meeting your goal.

Summer Running | Exercise Plan by Dr. ReedSpeaking of physical reminders, the change in season is the perfect opportunity to change your sneakers!

Most dedicated running stores offer in-depth analyses of your feet and gait to make sure that you get the proper equipment.

Think about marking your shoes with the date of purchase so you can keep tabs on when you got them so that you don’t keep using them after their time is up.

Dr. Mark Reed states, “With so many different running styles gaining popularity; selecting the shoe that fits your style is important. A properly fitted shoe will help protect against injury and may also enhance performance. “

You should also set up an appointment with your OSS physician to go over all the requisites, making sure to get the OK for the goals you’ve set for yourself before the start of new routines.

The simple act of updating your equipment and evaluating your physiology are powerful motivators for getting back in shape and keeping you injury-free.

If you believe you are suffering from a running-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle provides excellent treatment options available for you. Please feel free to contact OSS at (206) 633-8100 to schedule an appointment.

Zumba Craze and Injury Prevention

zumbaCreated in the late 1990s in Colombia by the fitness instructor Alberto Perez, Zumba is a high-energy aerobic workout based on dance steps borrowed from merengue, salsa and other dances.

An estimated 12 million fitness buffs worldwide are taking Zumba classes at about 110,000 locations.

The sessions are taught at big city health clubs and storefront yoga studios, in church basements and school auditoriums – even in nightclubs during the day.

The allure of Zumba is derived in part from the perception that it’s more a dance party than an exercise routine. But its popularity has come at a price. Zumba classes can be enormous, filled with enthusiastic but inexperienced exercisers who may be led by instructors with limited experience.

Common Zumba Injuries

Ankle sprains, hamstring injuries, muscle spasms and calf injuries are the most common Zumba-related injuries being treated. Brief warm-ups and inexperienced exercisers can create unstable conditions. The classes are fast-paced and can be quite strenuous. Few participants leave without being drenched in sweat and at least a little bit out of breadth.

Preventative Measures when performing Zumba

Always consult a doctor before starting a new exercise regime. If you are pregnant or have a major cardiovascular, pulmonary or metabolic condition, traditional Zumba is probably not appropriate for you. People with knee, hip or ankle problems should also consult a doctor, as they may need to modify the routine – avoiding jumps, for instance, or fast hip movements.

Dr. Mark Reed offers this advice, “Zumba is a great way to increase your cardiovascular health while burning calories and having fun. If you have ankle instability or have been diagnosed with arthritis in your foot or ankle, you should be careful as many of the moves put stress on the ankle ligaments and can put pressure on the foot and ankle joints because of the impact.”

Wear the right shoes – Any thinly soled pair of sneakers or comfortable workout shoes will work well for your feet. Avoid running shoes as they are designed for forward movement and the treads get in the way when doing Zumba’s many side-to-side and pivot moves.

Before joining a Zumba class, ask how long the instructor has been teaching and about his or her background, including fitness certifications. The best instructors have a dance background and an understanding of Latin steps, as well as a strong background in fitness. Good instructors also will ask who is a beginner and whether anyone is pregnant or has special health concerns.

If your class doesn’t offer warm-up stretches and other moves, be sure to do some calf, hamstring and abdominal stretches on your own before you begin.

Move at your own pace, and don’t get too caught up in the whirlwind around you. The beauty of a dance class is that you can easily move in place or just do the basic moves while you become familiar with the more complicated dance steps.

If you believe you are suffering from a Zumba-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle provide excellent treatment options available for you.

Rules to Get Fit for Runners

Spring-RunnerAs we thaw from this winter’s frost, our bodies will need to acclimate to warmer weather once again.

The warmth of spring is upon us, and once again it’s time to start gearing up for a refreshing change to the winter routines that have kept us cooped up with muscles creaking.

Even if you managed to remain active through trips to the gym; the prospect of getting outside and in the sun offers a range of new exercises that require preparation and training.

Prone to Injury

You may ask, “if I have maintained my exercises, why would I need any extra preparation?” The answer is that it’s specifically at the start of these new exercises that your body is most prone to injury.

As runners, think about the varied terrain and urban obstacles of jogging outdoors versus the treadmill’s regularity; now apply that same comparison to every gym exercise and the variables of its outdoor equivalent, from biking in the park to soccer on the grass.

Getting Back into Shape

The following are three important steps you should take to ensure that getting back into shape leaves you free from injury while offering the most beneficial takeaway of getting back into shape for spring.

  1. Take a moment to set a goal. Setting a goal helps propel yourself towards a specific aim, a simple enough idea which cannot be understated in its power to focus yourself on a reasonable achievement.
  2. Renew one of your new year’s resolutions or challenge yourself to meet or beat a pace that you haven’t quite kept up with over the past few years.
  3. More importantly, set up a log book to keep track of your times and achievements. Having a physical record of where you started with a means to your ends is paramount to meeting your goal.

Speaking of physical reminders, the change in season is the perfect opportunity to change your sneakers! Most dedicated running stores offer in-depth analyses of your feet and gait to make sure that you get the proper equipment. Think about marking your shoes with the date of purchase so you can keep tabs on when you got them so that you don’t keep using them after their time is up.

Dr. Mark Reed states, “With so many different running styles gaining popularity; selecting the shoe that fits your style is important. A properly fitted shoe will help protect against injury and may also enhance performance.”

You should also set up an appointment with your OSS physician to go over all the requisites, making sure to get the OK for the goals you’ve set for yourself before the start of new routines.

The simple act of updating your equipment and evaluating your physiology are powerful motivators for getting back in shape and keeping you injury free.

If you believe you are suffering from a running-related injury and need specialized orthopedic care, Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle provide excellent treatment options available for you.

Orthopedic Injuries of Celebrities

On Sundays while reading the sports page or perusing through the Internet, you come across articles regarding athletes who have been injured during a sporting event, but did ever stop to think about the entertainment industry? Well, if you think about it, there are quite a few injuries that occur while on stage, or even in their off time while they were horseback riding. We compiled a list of orthopedic injuries in both the sports and entertainment genres to note that sometimes, unexpected injuries can occur, even to famous sports and entertainment legends.

Pink – During her Funhouse Tour in 2009, the famous singer-songwriter separated her shoulder while on a trapeze.

Jennifer Grey – She had back surgery in 2012 to repair a ruptured disc in her back while performing on Dancing with the Stars season finale.

Liza Minnelli – Years of dancing caught up with her and had knee replacement surgery in 2010.

Bono – U2 singer Bono underwent emergency back surgery in May 2012. His injury – Severe compression of the sciatic nerve and a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc.

Dana Torres – Olympic Medal Swimmer had undergone a cutting-edge procedure on her knee to repair severe arthritis in 2010.

Phil Collins – He had surgery to repair a dislocated neck vertebrae in April 2009.

Soledad O’Brien – She injured herself on a horseback riding excursion and tore out her knee and had reconstructive surgery.

Big Boi – The Rapper hurt himself in a performance at the Summer Camp Fest in Chillicothe, IL. He jumped and landed badly and had torn a patella tendon.

Peyton Manning – During the 2011 NFL season, he had neck surgery.

Lance Armstrong – He had a cycling accident in 2009 with a clavicle fracture.

Tom Brady – In the 2008 NFL season had an ACL tear.

Joe Paterno – Former football coach of Penn state had a tibial plateau fracture.

Floyd Landis – The cyclist had surgery for his hip osteonecrosis.

Frankie Hejduk – MLS player had an ACL tear repaired.

Ronald Reagan – Former President of the United States had work done for his hip fracture.

Donovan McNabb – During the 2005 NFL season, he had work done to repair his sports hernia.

Drew Brees – In the 2005 NFL season he had a shoulder dislocation.

Gwyneth Paltrow – She had broken her knee and it was discovered that she had osteopenia, a pre-cursor to osteoporosis.

Kobe Bryant – Basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers underwent surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon back in April 2013.

Misty May-Treanor – Olympian and volleyball superstar underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon back in October 2008 when she injured herself while rehearsing a dance routine for the television series Dancing With The Stars.

Dr. Reed notes, “Even celebrities have orthopedic ailments. From sprains, to fractures, to arthritis no one is immune. At Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle we treat all orthopedic conditions, from the everyman to the celebrity.”